ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WXYZ) — Is it appropriate to wear shorts to an interview? That question has the internet divided, after a woman posted a Tik Tok describing her getting dress coded during a job interview.
We talked to Metro Detroiters in Royal Oak to get their thoughts.
"It's kind of extra, because like you could have interviewed her and done the same thing and just told her, you know, 'on the job we don't expect you to wear shorts, this is the dress code,'" said college student Sara Rozoky.
"As a business owner you have a right to choose how you want your business to be represented," said tour bus driver Dale Steiner. "So if he thought it was inappropriate then that's his call to make."
Another college student, Faye Habibobic, says she doesn't see anything wrong with the outfit, especially seasonally.
"It shouldn't really matter at the end of the day what the person was wearing but whether they were qualified for the job and what was on their resume," Faye said.
Sara agrees, saying the contents of your resume should be the focus of the interview.
"The times are changing and people now are wearing more like different styles, so what's business causal now is not the same for like 20, 50 years ago even."
But when we spoke to more seasoned professionals, they said it is absolutely not appropriate.
"You want to put your best foot forward. Shorts may seem and come off as 'Im a lazy person,'" said retiree Thomas Szwast.
I asked him and his wife a follow-up.
"Do you feel like it's a generational thing?"
"Yea, more so, yea," Kathy Szwast said.
"It could be," Thomas said. "We're retired. In our day, you dress professional...the younger generation today, they're a little more relaxed you know."
But everyone I spoke to says regardless of their opinion on the attire, they themselves would never go to an interview in shorts.
"I personally would not. I mean, but that's me," Kathy said.
"I don't know that I would wear shorts. Even like a skirt, like a business casual skirt," Faye said.
So when you're looking for that perfect outfit for an interview, what's appropriate?
"You want to look appropriate for the industry," said Wisetta Dolsey, the owner and operator of Five Star School of Etiquette. "Do your research and know what type of industry you're interviewing for. And what are the expectations for that workplace."
