What should teen wear for 1st interview *UPDATE IN OP*

[Liz]

My son has his first ever interview tomorrow morning at Quiznos. We're trying to decide what he should wear. He has nice pants, shirt & tie he wears to church but is that overkill? Or would nice jeans and a shirt be better. Thanks for any advice!

**UPDATE**
DS wore dress pants, shirt and tie for his interview! Thanks for all the great advice! He read everything here and made sure he had a firm handshake (they told him it was the best one they'd had that day out of 10 kids there for interviews), he cleaned his nails, etc.

We hadn't heard anything from them until tonight. At 7:30 PM he got a message on our answering machine "reminding" him of a meeting tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM. This was the first we'd heard of any meeting so I don't know why they said it was a "reminder". The bad thing is he has an appt. tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM with an opthomologist in SLC (an hour away). DS wants me to cancel the appt. but I can't call tomorrow morning and cancel at such an extreme last minute! He called Quiznos and talked to the manager's wife (who left the message) and told her he didn't know about a meeting till she called and told her about his appt. She said if he didn't come he'd be "written up" but if he came he could leave when he needed to. I want to step in as his mom and say what's the deal giving less than 12 hrs. notice that he has to be there but I know he needs to handle things now. Not a good way to start but hopefully all will work out. Thanks for the great advice!

 

[Bob Slydell]

I would think a nice pair of khakis and a dress shirt would be fine -- the tie might be overkill, but probably wouldn't make a difference in whether or not he gets the job.

 

[fantasymagic]

I think the manager would be very impressed. It would show his sincere interest in the job. And if there are other applicants, I would bet this would really make him stand out.

But if he doesn't go for this, the jeans and nice shirt would still be nice.

Pixiedust and good luck to your son and let us know how it goes.

 

[Eeyore1954]

JMO, but the tie would be a nice touch. While it's probably not required for the job, it does show that he is willing to go beyond what's required -- even for an interview -- and that could win points with the potential employer. It certainly could not hurt his chances of landing the job.

 

[SC Minnie]

Nice pants and shirt should be fine. If he were going into retail or something then the tie. Just make sure he looks neat- clothes not wrinkled, etc (I've seen how the teen boys dress these days )

 

[CEDmom]

It never hurts to err on the side of caution and be over rather than under dressed. I'd go with the church attire. It'll show that he put some thought into his appearance and that'll make a good first impression. Good luck to him.

 

[bjgrazi]

I say shirt, tie, pants. No jeans for an interview. I work for a construction company and we have people all the time come in and apply. Those dressed nicely get put in one pile. The guys in jeans get another pile.

Then again if it's a dress optional company, birthday suits are the way to go.

 

[Liz]

Thanks for the opinions! I'm going to let him read this when he gets home!!

 

[stinkerbelle]

If he's comfortable in the shirt and tie - why not?
but I think khakies and a clean unwrinkled polo shirt would be fine for a fast-food place. yes, shirt/tie would make him stand out - but it's just a fast food place, you know?

I think I interviewed at Taco Bell in shorts and a tank top - they hired me on the spot. I filled out the application there and they interviewed me right then.

Best of luck to your DS!

 

[Kallison]

no jeans.

 

[crz4mm2]

I'd sure have him wear the tie! I think if it were between two young men and one wore a tie, I would pick the one with the tie. No jeans. I know clothes shouldn't make your decision, but being well dressed shows a person cares about their appearance and therefore should care about the job. I have always dressed up for every interview I have ever went on.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Shirt and tie, no jeans.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Good luck to your son. I would also say no jeans and also khackies or navy dockers and a collared shirt. My ds 16 got a job at the bowling alley with jeans I think. They all wear them to coach and he just got a lifeguard job. For that he had on his blue docker like uniform pants as we didnt have any time to change and a nice nike t shirt I think. After the interview which they hired him for on the spot too, I noticed he had a big bunch of bright blue paint on his ear. He said he forgot he was doing a huge project in art that day. Well I guess the interviewer didnt care. Just tell him to be himself and say thank you and have a good nice handshake etc.

 

[poohandwendy]

Definitely not jeans...but for Quiznos, a tie isn't necessary, IMO.

Also, make sure he pays attention to his hands (fingernails clean)...I know this sounds totally obvious...but he will be working around food...dirty fingernails are a no-no, you'd be surprised how many people just don't think of it...

Just tell him to be himself and say thank you and have a good nice handshake etc.

good point...

 

[trola2]

I'd go with the shirt and tie...make sure the pants and shirt are clean and not wrinkled. Also that his shoes are not mussy. And if the shoes dictate wearing socks, he should! More important than that is that he arrive on time if not a few minutes early. Tell him if he's a smoker to leave the smokes in the car and not carry them in his pocket.... No gum or candy and to smile and look the interviewer in the face. Just my $.02 from my old HR days.

If something unforseen happens and he does run late, he should call ASAP, apoligize and ask if he can still come if he can be there by __________ time.

OH and by allmeans, he should leave his cell phone in the car, too!

Probably more than you wanted to know, but it is what I used to do for a living. Nothing kills an interview quicker than an interviewee who receives a phone call. That would tell me that the job I was looking to fill wasn't as important to him as it was to me.

Good luck to him.

~~Beth

 

[MiraDawl]

I'm in charge of hiring, as a manager for a Dunkin' Donuts. Hardly any of my applicants wear clothing specifically for an interview. They'll come in, order a coffee, fill out an app. and ask to speak with me.
I do check out appearance, even if just dropping off an app. However, if someone goes the extra mile to look nice for an interview, they're hired! I suggest a pair of kakhi's and a shirt featuring a collar. No sneakers!
Even paying small attention to clothing for the interview shows initiative for your son. Even if you're making him dress nice, it helps show him how to be a responsible employee.
If Quizno's doesn't work out, send him my way!

~Mira

 

[Patty3]

Trola2, I agree with everything you posted. I used to conduct interviews as well, and even though it is Quiznos, around here jobs are hard to come by for students. Follow Trola2's advice and your son will be one stop ahead of other applicants. I wish him the best of luck.

 

[BrerMom]

no jeans, firm handshake, good eye-contact, no mumbling.

 

[crz4mm2]

firm handshake, good eye-contact, no mumbling.

VERY VERY good point. Firm handshake is very important as is good eye contact, and good speaking ability.

 

[Liz]

bump for update