I have a job interview this week and I was wondering what the opinion is of wearing a bow tie. I always wear a suit and (regular) tie to job interviews, but I tend to wear lots of bow ties when "dressed up." The position is for analyst in the health care industry so it is a "professional" job. I was raised on bow ties and neckties so they're both normal to me. While I do have whimsical ties (e.g. vineyard vines) I would stick to a traditional bow tie like Brooks Brothers for interviews and professional events, but there is a certain vibe bow ties get. The one benefit is I am not black, so I wouldn't get associated with the Nation of Islam. While I would traditionally be more traditional at a job interview, I already have a job offer with another company and they're willing to wait for me to finish this interview and so I don't have everything riding on this interview.
If you're just going to the interview for the fun of it, why bother going at all? If you are serious about it, be serious. Don't wear a bow tie. That's my take on it, anyway. But I only do engineering, and it is possible your field is less serious than engineering. I've been doing this a long time, too. We even get all angsty about the color, shade, patterning, and anything else you can think of about the tie. Of course, the closer to management the worse it is, which may color my viewpoint.
I've always worn neckties, I couldn't imagine wearing a bow tie. However if you wanna appear a little quirky maybe a bow tie is the way to go
I never cared for them personally and like regular ties better. But with a suit, it's as good if you need a certain level of professionalism. And hell, if you're going to the interview just because, you could wear a clown suit if you wanted.
Thanks for all the answers. To clarify, I am going to the interview because it's already been set for weeks and I would like to give them the courtesy of meeting, especially since the hiring managers are flying in to meet the candidates. (My job offer is with a family business and the job interview is for a Fortune 500 spinoff)
Honestly, I say don't wear a bow tie. In my opinion they don't look as professional as neckties. I would never wear one in a super-serious environment.
If you're trying to be business like, your excuse for going doesn't make sense. I cancelled a job interview once with a manager in Oregon, 10 minutes into the interview, because something came up which made me realize the job could not work out for me. It was not an appropriate job for my skills. Ten years later the manager I cancelled that job interview with was one of the interviewers for a very good job in New York. You will notice I live in New York now. He actually called me aside after the interviews and said the fact I did not waste his time on that interview 10 years before showed to him I had integrity, and made him want to see me get hired. I'm sure not every manager would react the same. Perhaps only a few. But I've been on both sides of the hiring desk, and I can tell you your excuse for proceeding with the interview would probably make most hiring managers want to toss you out on your ear if they heard it. Karma You just never know. I do wish you luck
I have worn a bow tie to a job interview once. I was given the job. So I would most definitely say in my opinion, it's okay to wear a bow tie to a job interview.
