4 ms·

"If I had been a man would it have mattered what I was wearing?" Pretty obviously yes. One may think it's stupid but this company has a dress code and wants i

• thecopy 12y ago
  Agreed. But it doesn't sound as special: Male programmer denied job because of his 'unprofessional' attire Or even: Programmer denied job because of the 'unprofessional' attire Or: Person denied job because of the 'unprofessional' attire I always try to remove any words that can bias the interpretation. Now I can read it as a person got denied a job, based on 'unprofessional' attire. Doesn't sound so patriarchal and oppressing, after all.
• thret 12y ago
  Thank you, I was about to say the same. I hate wearing suits, but I wear them for weddings and funerals and interviews because that is one of the clauses in the social contract.
  • cpncrunch 12y ago
    Not really. Their CEO is pictured wearing either a casual sweater, or what looks like a clubbing or gameshow presenter outfit: http://medcitynews.com/2012/02/scheduling-software-company-onshift-closes-3m-series-b-round/ http://medcitynews.com/2012/02/scheduling-software-company-o... http://www.onshift.com/blog/we-have-coolest-tech-leader-cleveland http://www.onshift.com/blog/we-have-coolest-tech-leader-clev... Seems like they're being a bit hypocritical, as her outfit was just as professional as his. Overall, I think they probably just have some asshat of a manager. Most companies have a few of these. She probably dodged a bullet with this one.
    • therobot24 12y ago
      > gameshow presenter outfit You mean a suit? Cause the photo definitely has him in a suit jacket.
      • cpncrunch 12y ago
        A black suit jacket and black T-shirt. Not exactly standard male business attire.
        • cpncrunch 12y ago
          Regarding the downvote: I'm not saying I don't think his attire is unprofessional. I'm simply saying it isn't the "standard" male business attire of shirt and tie with a suit. The point I'm making is that this woman's attire is no less professional than the CEO.
• scott_s 12y ago
  If the other programmers indeed do wear tshirts and jeans, as she reported, then I don't think it's accurate to say that the company has a dress code. Her attire is appropriate for a tshirt and jeans culture.
  • bunderbunder 12y ago
    Perhaps. Playing devil's advocate, though: I've worked plenty of places where some individuals can get away with t-shirt and jeans but the overall business tends toward business casual, and there is still an expectation that you get dressed up for a job interview. Personally I think that's entirely acceptable. It's not a double standard, it's simply a policy that acknowledges that there are different social contexts. A job interview might fall into a different context from your day-to-day experience. Another case in point: My colleagues and I curse quite a bit at work, but that doesn't mean any of us would consider it appropriate to curse at a job interview. Not saying this is exactly how it played out in reality, and there's always the question of unequal enforcement of equal standards.
    • runamok 12y ago
      I always dress for an interview one step above the "norm" as a nod to the formality of the occasion. So if everyone dresses in jeans and a t-shirt I might wear slacks and a polo or jeans and a button down shirt. If they wear business casual I'd probably wear a suit (though probably sans jacket).
  • dudul 12y ago
    Casual wear is a dress code. It is common practice to ask the HR people scheduling the interview what kind of dress code is applied at the company. Companies will pass on someone for wearing a suit if their are expected to be dressed casually. It happens all the time at startups. Being overdressed is a non starter sometimes.
    • scott_s 12y ago
      I think that passing on someone for being overdressed is equally silly. This post and thread cover the points I would make: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7930430 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7930430