What to wear for interview/assessment?

[AdamMLP]

Sorry I didn't reply last night, but I was in a mess after my mother started kicking off because I brought new trousers when I had female ones already.  I appreciate all of your responses though.

I decided to go with trousers, a shirt and jumper/sweater.  I think a tie would just be too much considering they're expecting a "birthname" to turn up and the likelihood is that they'll read me male at first anyway.  I'm not sure if that's going to mess up my chances of getting the job, but it might help me stick in their minds (possibly for the wrong reasons but whatever.)  I'll tell them I'm trans if and when I get the job, but within plenty of time of them sorting things out, I just don't feel confident that they won't discriminate despite what legislation there is in place; if they don't want you they can easily find a reason not to have you.

I asked people who had been for a similar job interview, and they said that they all wore suits minus the jackets, so just a smart shirt and trousers really.  I'm glad that FTMDiaries thinks the same thing about me on a suit being overkill and is someone who does this sort of stuff as a job, hopefully that means we're on the same sort of wavelength (next he'll be telling me he works for TMP Worldwide...)


(The light jumper, it's actually cream in real life)


As for the transport situation, I couldn't very easily complain about the train times when part of the application was whether or not you'd be able to get down to the depot outside of normal working hours (I'm planning to be driving by the time I'd need to be doing that though).  My grandparents ended up saying they'd get up at 4am to take me, so I'll get there (fingers crossed, they're awful drivers), just maybe slightly tired.

[Bastian]

Glad it worked out Alex, I wish you luck on your interview. A wise man once said (Sylvester McCoy) "when you go to an interview find a funny hat or something that makes you memorable! That's how I got the role. They wanted my hat, I told them we were a package deal." So while being trans might leave a negative image of you in there minds, (I wouldn't want to work for people who judged my ability to do a job based on that though...) the big thing is that you are going to stick out in there minds. You won't blend in with everyone else as unmemorable, and THAT is a great thing!

[Sammy]

Alex what is Your height/complexion? If You are going to wear the blue-striped sweater bear in mind that horizontal stripes will make You look shorter (perhaps something You dont want), while at the same time You will appear a bit broader in Your upper body/shoulder than You actually are (something which You probably should consider as FtM when choosing Your wardrobe). It is indeed so since horizontal stripes are one of the things which I tend to avoid as MtF at all costs

[AdamMLP]

I already mentioned I was referring to the lighter one.

Last night I actually found some more info on the company, and now they're suggesting suits, so I've got to grit my teeth and bare female clothes if I want to have a suit that matches. And hope that it's not too obvious the trousers are faded...

[FTMDiaries]

I'm glad that FTMDiaries thinks the same thing about me on a suit being overkill and is someone who does this sort of stuff as a job, hopefully that means we're on the same sort of wavelength (next he'll be telling me he works for TMP Worldwide...)

LOL, no, I don't. But now that you mention them, if this is who you're interviewing with next week, then I'm sure you're aware that they're not the people you're going to be working for... they're a recruitment agency. Their job is to sort through a list of candidates for the apprenticeship and then pass on the cream of the crop to the actual client. So this changes things slightly.

If they suggest wearing a suit, then do that. Based on what you've said about not wanting to disclose your trans status until you've got a job offer, don't do or say anything to make them suspect you're trans because it's none of their business and you won't be coming out to them; you'll be coming out directly to the client.

They won't have specialist knowledge of the field you want to work in; all they'll know is what the end client has sent them. So do your research on the end client's website and make sure you say some key things that match up with that. For example: "I see from their website that your client is looking for apprentices because they plan to expand their services in [whatever] field. I'm particularly interested in that field and I believe I have a lot to offer because [your reasons here]...."

Whether you're interviewing with the client or a recruitment agency, you should talk about your academic achievements, particularly the ones that are relevant to your potential employer. They'll ask where you see yourself in several years' time: make sure you say something that makes them think you want to stay with this employer (e.g. "I hope to be steadily working my way up the rungs of your client's engineering department. They have an excellent reputation and I'd welcome an opportunity to add to it.").

A lot of interviewers like to ask 'tricky' questions, like: "What is your greatest weakness?" or "What are you particularly bad at?". Be prepared for this, because the first thing that could come to mind might be something to do with your GD and you don't want to be put in that position. So think in advance of ways to spin a minor negative into a positive. Such as 'My greatest weakness is chocolate, but isn't it everyone's?" or "If I'm being perfectly honest, sometimes I can pay just a little bit too much attention to detail. I suppose it's because doing my very best is important to me. But I make sure that doesn't get in the way of getting the job done because I give myself a strict time limit in which I have to come up with the best possible solution to a problem or discuss it with my colleagues to find alternative ideas."

Above all else, do your research about the actual employer and focus on what you can offer that will be beneficial to them. To paraphrase JFK... ask not what the company can do for you, tell them what you can do for the company.

If you go in with that attitude, you will stick in the minds of the recruiter and your application will go in the pile being sent to their client. And all the candidates who go in wearing jeans, chewing gum, shrugging their shoulders when asked any questions and totally ignorant to what the client actually does will find their applications chucked in the bin.

My grandparents ended up saying they'd get up at 4am to take me, so I'll get there (fingers crossed, they're awful drivers), just maybe slightly tired.

Your grandparents are legends.

[AdamMLP]

I was aware that they're not actually the company I'm applying for, but thanks for the information about all of this.  It's good to hear what someone the other side of the table has to say, because I've been told very conflicting things by people on topics such as CV's, so I don't know who to believe anymore, and it's just not a natural situation to be in.  No where else do you have 'x' amount of minutes to impress someone enough to get them to shell out large sums of money to buy bits of your time.  Of course in this cause it would be impressing them enough to recommend that someone shells out money, but it all amounts to the same thing in the end.

I'll definitely not be mentioning anything trans related, I'd be too cynical to even do that in an interview with the company themselves regardless of legislation.  As for "weakness" questions I'm pretty sure the first thing which would spring to mind would be maths, because I can then carry it on and say that I'm determined and remind them of the grade I got...  Knowing my luck that question won't come up now, but something equally awkward instead.

As for my grandparents, I'm seriously grateful they're doing this, just worried I'll be a nervous wreck before I even step on the train, a considerably easier car journey to college today ended up in the running of two red lights and almost ending up in the back of two different cars...  Eyesight requirements for driving need to be severely tightened imo.  Anyway, if I do well in this interview next week then I'll owe so many people, including those on this site that I've never met, so thank you all.  I'll definitely let you know when I find out how it goes/went.

[DriftingCrow]

Don't Be Worried Alex, I Am Confident You'll Be Giving Us Good News Soon. You're Smart, Likeable, Mature, And Already Have Work Experience, How Can They Not Hire You?