If you want a job where you needn’t wear a suit...
If you’re seeking a graduate job that is more jeans and trainers than pinstripes and brogues there are a few places you can look, as well as others best avoided. Read on to find out about careers that might (ha ha) suit you better...
Several career sectors are a good bet if you want to avoid the stranglehold of the tie, with publishing and other areas of the media likely to be pretty relaxed in order to promote an air of creativity. The same can be the case in certain advertising and marketing roles although it’s always worth checking with the HR department, as it very much depends on the agency. Jobs in local government and the lower echelons of the public sector are often pretty relaxed too, and can offer an equivalent role to those within commercial companies. The same is often true for non-governmental organisations and charity jobs, though you may be expected to brush up if you’re meeting business contacts. Teachers, lecturers and academics rarely have a formal dress code, nor do the majority of technicians though you may be expected to wear some kind of protective clothing.
If the organisation deals with a lot of clients, chances are you’ll have to tart yourself up a bit.
Sometimes, whether or not a suit is required is very much dependent on the culture of the company and to what degree your role is client facing. Suits are still very much in where the customers are rich and the ethos is ‘professional’ such as investment banking and management consulting. Here, you’re likely to have to dress more formally at all times. Similarly, with law you’re likely to need to be suited and booted and in some cases even robed and bewigged!
Other jobs, including many in the retail sector, may only require you to wear a suit when meeting clients. This is usually the case for sales jobs across all sectors. The dress code within IT positions usually reflects the culture of the company. Although technology companies are often the dress domains of smart casual: chinos and shirt, but no tie. If the organisation deals with a lot of clients and needs to make a good impression, chances are you’ll have to tart yourself up a bit. Developers will usually have a lot more freedom.
A dressing down
Other companies will have ‘dress down days’, usually on a Friday, where more casual attire is allowed. Location can also have a bearing on expected standards of dress, with businesses in the north and the south-west often retaining their formal code after their equivalents in the south-east have cast off the suit.
All this demonstrates the importance of researching the culture and atmosphere of the companies you’re applying for. The targetobs.co.uk Forum and Insider Reports can be a good way of getting the inside scoop on a company, though the company website is also a useful resource for getting a sense of what a firm is actually like to work for. There is a shift towards a greater acceptance of casual attire in the workplace, but for the time being, suits still hold their association with money and power, so if that’s what you’re after, chances are that’s the uniform you need to be seen in.
And if you really don’t want to dress up but you do want a higher salary, work in Japan...
Global casual
Business casual has received the official stamp of approval in Japan where the ‘cool biz’ campaign, launched in 2005, aims to encourage civil servants and City professionals to ditch their suits in hot weather and turn to a more relaxed style. This move towards short sleeves and no ties is aimed to reduce the need for air conditioning and help the fight against global warming. The scheme reduced emissions by an estimated 460,000 tons of CO2.
In the summer of 2007 the Italian health ministry also urged employers to allow more casual dress in an attempt to curb pollution caused by air conditioning. Other nations are also starting to take note and the scheme could well catch on as summer gets nearer and companies rush to demonstrate their green credentials. The continued success of companies such as Microsoft also goes a long way to demonstrate that casual dress and commercial success can go hand in hand.
Now investigate your career options
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