Kilted interviewing...

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

Crack me up. God has to be a coyote! Bet your dad got the loan anyway :grin: ...

Actually, YES! Shocked the s#$* out of him!

The nice thing about being hired bearded, long haired, tattooed, kilted, whatever...is you don't gotta worry about it anymore.

Why work anywhere you can't be your true self?

Amen! I am already thinking about my next job change (Chicago is great in the summer, but single digit (or double digits under 40) temperatures really leave me cold!) My best hope is to finish my MS (expected graduation May 2006) and find a new job back in warmer weather. Maybe I will have to see if there is anything in AZ at that point in time!

[Rick]

If one is an interviewer, the question about whether or not to wear the kilt ultimately comes down to the technique to be employed in the interview and what kind of responses are desired. The kilt could make some candidates nervous, even those who under normal circumstances would not have an issue with the kilt or who might even wear one. So, one must ask if this is a desired situation for the interview. Having performed mock interviews with students, I, as well as the students, am often amazed at how they perform when the tape is on vs. when it is off. Sometimes they are different people, sometimes they are the same. Thus, the interview creates a very stressful situation which can elicit many intended and unintended responses, responses which may have some or no bearing on job performance. So do the thought experiment first: what will the candidates perceive, what are the possible outcomes based on that perception, and given that, decide if being kilted is the right thing to do. Just as there is no single method for doing the prefect interview, there is no single answer here.

Rick

[Riverkilt]

No kilts involved, but a sudden memory of the movie Trainspotting, set in Scotland, where Spud and Renton take turns interviewing for a job while high on drugs. Its a three-on-one interview and they each try successfully to act like they want the job but not actually get the job.

Should be core viewing for Human Resources students...a classic in both scriptwriting and acting - all in a Scottish accent of course, sadly, not printable here due to very colorful language...best viewed anyway.

Someday, maybe, a remake of Trainspotting....kilted....

Ron

[David Thornton]

I think this is essentially the same question as the teaching thread.
I say, it depends. If I am interviewing for a clerical position, kilt is fine.
If I am interviewing a producer, who has lots of options, and can significantly impact my companies bottom line, I'll leave the kilt out of the interview process.
David

[Gary]

I prefer to interview new applicants while wearing a kilt. If they have a problem working for or with a guy in a kilt then it's better to know it up front rather than for them to start talking about unprofessionalism after they are on board.

My wife thinks it's easier to spot jerks while wearing a kilt since most of them open mouth and insert foot rather rapidly after the encounter.

[Riverkilt]

Your wife's a wise woman Gary.

Still comes down to freedom, whether its, beards, tattoos, long hair, piercings, kilts - or any other style of garments you prefer. If the job's more important than the freedom to be yourself, your true self, then it is just a job.

My time working improved greatly when I made the decision, as a young man, to interview as myself and present myself as I prefer/choose/want to dress at job interviews.

Today, when I dress in the morning, I chose my clothing for what I wanna wear, not for what I think the boss expects of me.

Its incredible that in a nation that calls itself free that anyone should have to think about what someone else might think about their manner of dress. And don't get me started on the self-evident birthright to not wear any garments at all (sorry Hank).

Ron

[Yaish]

Just to offer a dissenting opinion I want to relate my short story.

I interviewed for my current job kilted, and bearded. Almost didnt get it. I interviewed at the corporate office though the job was going to be on location, not there. My interviewer (who is also my direct boss and works on site with me) didnt have much problem with the kilt, but the head honchos of the company did.

In the industry I work in we wear uniforms, so really I feel whatever you wear on your own time is irrelevant. However we also do contract work, working at the site of our clients and so there are multiple sets of sensibilities to be considered.
Also, the position I am in is very much all about image. In fact I would say without a respectable and commanding image our job is impossible to do correctly.
I was fortunate that the person I interviewed with recognized my talents despite the kilt, and had just enough pull to get his decision approved despite anyone elses opinions.

Its all worked out well now. I not only got the job I was hired for, but got a promotion two weeks later, and am now being trained to take over the whole site soon. I'm very happy with my job and really pleased I got it. The kilt could have stood in the way of that.

Ultimately my point is not that wearing a kilt to interviews is bad. (If I leave this job, I'll probably interview kilted again) Its just that you need to understand what exactly the kilt means to you.
At one time I was totally into the kilt, as the kilt (and this is even just for modern kilts - I still dont have a traditional tartan)
Now its just clothes. It doesnt have any more important meaning other than something to wear which is both comfortable and practical.
I would have no problem trading in my jeans and t-shirt for slacks and a dress shirt when interviewing, and I dont think there should be a problem trading the kilt in either.
It isnt a betrayal of who you are or what the kilt is, its just a concession to reality. The reality is a job interview is a chance to sell yourself, and as any marketing grad will tell you packaging is important.