“So Shorts to an Interview Is Insane” — Woman Dress-Coded at Job Interview, Gets Sent Home
"They were polite to reschedule you."
Published Aug. 20 2024, 2:00 a.m. ET
Would you wear shorts for a job interview? This TikToker, Tyreshia (@mtyreshiadaily) didn't think it was that big of a deal. However, the recruiter conducting the interview certainly seemed to think it was, and she was sent home as a result.
The social media user wasn't appreciative of the fact that she was dress-coded at an interview and while there were some TikTokers who agreed with her, a number of them said she should've known better.
"The recruiter rejected me because of this!" the TikToker writes in a text overlay of her video. She stands in front of the camera wearing the outfit that prevented her from applying for a job.
She's wearing a pair of black shorts, a white shirt, and a white cardigan. Tyreshia speaks into the camera: "So, I just got dress-coded during an interview. And then they decided to reschedule the interview with me for tomorrow."
The TikToker continued, "But before they rescheduled, the lady was like, would you like to come back? Like go change and then come back? And I was like, no?"
She then begins to model off her fit for the camera.
"These are the shorts. Let me turn to the side for y'all," she states, showing off her profile on camera. "These are the shorts," she says again before turning around to further model off her getup as the video comes to a close.
Tyreshia added in a caption for the video, further explaining her decision to not acquiesce to the recruiter's offer to go home and change her clothing. According to the TikToker, she didn't think that there was anything wrong with her outfit to begin with.
"I cannot believe the recruiter asked me to change my interview clothes then come back. I look very neat and professional, so no!" she added in a caption for her clip.
Several people responded to Tyreshia's video stating that they didn't think there was anything wrong/unprofessional with the clothes she's wearing: "You should see the stuff I seen people wear to interviews, there’s nothing wrong with this in warm weather," one penned.
Another person said that in Europe, Tyreshia's dress wouldn't be considered offensive at all: "Once again I get to wonder, what's wrong with Americans? is nothing ever normal in America? here in Europe (minus U.K. maybe), this is a very normal office outfit in warm weather."
However, several other folks think that wearing shorts to a job interview is never a good idea. One person penned: "They were polite to reschedule you. Most would've just outright rejected same day."
Another said, "Don’t waste those folks' time tomorrow."
Someone else remarked: "I’m not understanding what you’re not understanding."
"Not very demure … Not very mindful," one TikToker replied.
"Hey so shorts to an interview is insane," another TikTok user responded.
"I was dressing more business casual than this in the club in 2010," someone else said.
"Come on now Tyreshia," another user on the application wrote.
It isn't just the folks who responded to Tyreshia's video who believe that shorts at a job interview is a bad idea. As one user wrote in the comments section of this Quora post: "Coming to a job interview in shorts is a good way to disqualify yourself. Very few companies see shorts as appropriate work attire and coking to an interview in them is seen as a sign of contempt or as having a too casual attitude. Be uncomfortable for the interview, it’s not that long a time but looking after your comfort first could have a long-term effect in causing you to not get the job."
A LinkedIn Pulse article on appropriate clothing to wear when you're applying for a job in person recommends folks steer clear of wearing any "overly casual attire," stating that this is the case even if a business's dress code is "relaxed."
"Steer clear of casual clothing like jeans, shorts, or flip-flops during an interview. Show that you take the opportunity seriously," the LinkedIn piece states. Putting on patterns that are a bit too "busy" or involved is also a no-no. "Say no to loud patterns: Refrain from wearing loud patterns or bright colors, as they can be distracting. You want the focus to be on your skills and experience, not your wardrobe."