Unemployment Chronicles, Day 36: I Need a Suit

The bad news is, I need a new suit.  I have a suit, but it doesn't fit me anymore.  The last time I wore it was long enough back that I can't remember, but I know I haven't fit into it for at least five years.  Interviewing at Farmers eleven years ago may have been the last time.

The good news is that I have another interview Friday, although it's with another recruiter.  The last recruiter interview was with someone I knew, and it was in a Starbucks, so I didn't have to dress so formally for that one.  This time it's in a downtown Seattle office with people I have never met.  I asked a few people the general question of whether people still wear suits to interviews, but the consensus answer is "when in doubt, dress conservatively," and a suit is about as conservative as you can get.

The Men's Wearhouse had a sale, buy one suit, get the second for $100.  Such a deal.  It wouldn't hurt me to have a second suit, in case, say, I get a second interview one day.  I don't have long-sleeve dress shirts, so had to get some of those (also on sale!)  Same deal with conservative ties -- I have plenty of slightly flashy ties, not too many traditional ones.  Throw in alterations and suspenders, and voila -- $900.  But they can get me the first suit tomorrow.

Honestly, I could have gotten out of there for less than $600 if I had tried, but this is an investment in finding a job, less than one percent of what I hope to make in a year.  With any luck, I will wear these clothes about twice and then save them for the next wedding.  The one after my neice's wedding, since apparently I'm wearing a costume to that one, but I digress a bit.

The interview is Friday morning.  I looked on Simply Hired this morning, and the first job I saw that looked like a possible fit was through Robert Half, whom I had already contacted Monday.  I called them back today, and we made an appointment.  They already have my resume on file, because I sent it to them before I left Farmers, and I know someone at their firm, so I'm not just walking in out of the blue.

So only a recruiter, not a job interview, but it still matters, and I'll be wearing a suit.  Wish me luck.