OT: What should a college senior wear to a job interview with a professional sports team?
Title is pretty self-explanatory, and I figured this might a good place to get some helpful information. My kid is interviewing with an MLB team for an entry level position in data analytics over Zoom. He's planning on wearing a button down shirt and slacks, with the expectation that he will be seated the whole time. A friend of his interviewed with same organization, different department (operations) and said it was casual. Should me kid wear a tie, or is a button down shirt enough?
November 8th, 2021 at 5:08 PM ^
He should wear a bowtie. It worked for Ken Rosenthal.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:10 PM ^
i would even put on a jacket. one thing i learned in my 18 year career is that the people who stand out for the wrong reason are the ones who under dress, not those who over dress. the worst thing you can say about a person who over dresses is "this person takes the job seriously, but perhaps lacks the experience to realize this is a casual atmosphere." that's never a negative.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:11 PM ^
Yeah, if it's for an MLB team, I feel like a nice button-down shirt with either a sport coat or a tie would probably be a good idea. Maybe encourage him to do a little research on the team and see if he can find out if there's a general office dress code or not, since the different teams have such different cultures (best example I can think of is the Yankee's rules regarding facial hair).
November 8th, 2021 at 5:18 PM ^
My first job (in 1997) was for an MLB team. At the time, we wore ties in the office every day (it's long been a business casual officE). For sure add the sport coat and the tie won't hurt.
The most important tip I can give about this interview is don't be awed by the fact that it's a baseball team. Pro teams deal with a lot of people that want to work there just to be around athletes, get autographs, etc. Make it clear that he's there to work hard and learn - not ask for a signed picture or take a selfie on the field.
Those types of jobs are HIGHLY in demand and that team is likely to see a lot of applicants from candidates that went to great schools, had a high GPAs, etc.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:32 PM ^
He plays in college now and has worked around pros in a training facility so he's pretty knowledgeable. The guy who's interviewing him is only three years older than him and played with one of his college teammates when they were in high school so at least he has a point of familiarity. I was just curious about what's the industry standard for dress. It is a business but by the same token, it's not Wall St.
November 8th, 2021 at 7:39 PM ^
He knows that he's competing with guys who went to MIT and the like. He applied to several teams and all had him take a variety of tests, from logic tests to questions about contract negotiations to actual on-the-field data problems. He got to the "next level" with two teams then fell out at that level to other candidates. This is his first face-to-face interview.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:34 PM ^
Shirt and tie in team colors!
November 8th, 2021 at 8:21 PM ^
Or better yet rival team colors. Show you’ve done your homework and are knowledgeable of the teams history.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:46 PM ^
Definitely wear the tie. And pick a tie in the team's colors.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:47 PM ^
Dress for where you're headed not for where you're starting. I say coaches uniform of team.
November 8th, 2021 at 5:59 PM ^
10000% wear the tie and a jacket for this first interview. If he has the means to wear a shirt/tie that give a subtle nod to the team colors, all the better.
If he's lucky enough to make the round 2 interviews, they'll let him know if he can dress down a tad.
Best of luck to him and do follow-up to let us know if he gets the gig (and for which team)!!
November 8th, 2021 at 6:07 PM ^
I advise that he wear a suit even if it's not expected. It will show that he has respect for the interview process and that he has the good judgment to err on the side of over-dressing vs under-dressing. I have interviewed many people over Zoom and the ones who wear a suit make an immediate positive impression on me (even when I'm dressed casually). Also, may be low risk, but how will he feel if he dresses more casually than the person who interviews him dresses?
November 8th, 2021 at 6:09 PM ^
As someone who interviews college kids for a living, have him wear a tie (at a minimum). If he has a jacket that fits well, he can’t go wrong with that look either.
Good luck to your son.
November 8th, 2021 at 6:11 PM ^
In all seriousness, ask the HR contact politely what they would recommend for interview attire within their organization. They are putting you forward because they want you to get the job. Simply state you want to appear approachable but also be respectful to the hiring manager. They know the hiring manager and what will/won’t come off well.
Typically, I tell my HR folks to tell the candidates ahead of time to dress however they’d like and don’t bother wearing a suit. I want my interviewees to show up as their natural selves comfortably and not waste time/energy with antiquated societal expectations.
If not able to do that, I’d suggest button down shirt and sport coat presuming it fits properly. No tie. Dress smartly but not stuffy.
November 8th, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^
As someone who works in athletics, for an entry level job, I'd say...
At a minimum
Button down shirt, jacket (no tie), dress pants and Cole Haan style dress shoes.
Or
Shirt and tie (no jacket), dress pants, and Cole Haan style dress shoes.
...but a shirt/tie/blazer or suit work as well (certainly nothing more formal than a suit).
...be comfortable, be prepared, be engaging, smile, bring questions, and he'll be just fine.
November 8th, 2021 at 6:18 PM ^
Wear a suit with sneakers. Everybody's doing it.
November 8th, 2021 at 6:19 PM ^
Suit and tie.
November 8th, 2021 at 6:28 PM ^
Whatever you do, don't wear cowboy boots with Bermuda shorts.
November 8th, 2021 at 6:36 PM ^
Suit and tie.
November 8th, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
I always wear a suit of I can. Even if you're way over dressed compared to the interviewer, it doesn't hurt anything and if nothing else shows you're taking it seriously. If you catch one of the old school people that care about that stuff, then it works well for you.
November 8th, 2021 at 7:10 PM ^
It's not all about the clothes.
First - find out where the interviewer went to school - then, make sure to say you "root for that school in addition to Michigan".
Second - I'd definitely do "some homework" on the MLB team, and compliment them in a meaningful way.
Third - talk about Moneyball like you wrote a term paper on it.
Fourth - make sure to "have the cap" on the desk like you're a baseball recruit "who just got selected by that team" and put it on at the end of the interview.
If they don't hire him after that - intern at the NFL !
Good luck.
Go Blue.
November 8th, 2021 at 7:11 PM ^
1.) Act like you own the place. 2.) Don't take shit from anyone 3.) Trust your instincts
November 8th, 2021 at 7:36 PM ^
Following! My son is a junior at Michigan in the school of information, so I'm assuming he'll be interviewing for similar jobs in a year. Good luck to your son.
November 8th, 2021 at 7:56 PM ^
I have zero MLB experience and would generally recommend over-dressing vs. under, but there’s also something to be said about understanding the culture of the organization. I walked into an interview at CMGI a couple decades ago wearing a suit and immediately realized that was not the right move if I wanted the job. Maybe have your son stalk LinkedIn or other places to get a sense for what is suitable for a professional photo and then assume he should be dressed up more than those photos (if they’re generally in button downs, then I’d go with tie and jacket for an interview).
November 8th, 2021 at 8:22 PM ^
In my profession, it was the opposite of dressing up. I was an advertising copywriter (creative) and if I had worn the female equivalent of a suit, I wouldn't have gotten the job because they would've thought I wasn't creative enough. They wanted to see your creativity in what you wore so pink hair, tattoos, jeans, crazy haircuts and facial hair all helped you.
November 8th, 2021 at 8:44 PM ^
That’s pretty wild, maybe he could go for all of the above, maybe pink facial hair even. Nah, just kidding but to echo a lot of the above, I think your kiddo’s best bet is to gather as much intel as possible about the vibe of the organization and bump that up a notch in formality for his interview attire. If he goes with a dress shirt, sport coat and decent shoes, he’ll probably at least be in the ballpark (pun intended) of what they’re expecting.
November 8th, 2021 at 10:11 PM ^
Tuxedo
November 9th, 2021 at 2:02 AM ^
His Harvard class ring.......
November 9th, 2021 at 9:42 AM ^
I understand that things are more casual now but I was raised and always told, 'dress for success. No matter what position you are applying for, dress for the interview as though you are being interviewed to be the company president.'
November 9th, 2021 at 2:42 PM ^
The people that work for pro sports teams are all business-casual all the time. For interviews, it's advisable to overdress just a bit, so I'd suggest that a tie with no jacket is a minimum. More importantly, put a big and naturally confident smile on, and study them enough to make your confidence legitimate. Interviewers will really only notice your clothes if you make it look like you're hiding in them out of fear or nervousness.