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Is it appropriate to ask about a company's dress code during an interview?

  1. I am 100% sure that this isn't a real problem that the OP faces.
  2. If this question commands +60, and the accepted answer commands +90, then what does that say about the viability of Workplace.SE?

Is this really a question that we'd like to feature on our front door? As a shining example of what Workplace.SE is all about?

1 Answer 1

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This question is clear, well-written, and about a topic that many people will likely face during the interview process. Knowing the answers to this question could possibly help someone pass an interview and land a job they need, or it could help someone know that the job they're interviewing for just isn't for them. It could result in someone's increased happiness, either way, by giving them the confidence to know if the position is for him or her.

While it's quite possible this is not a real, actual problem the asker is facing, we shouldn't take this too literally; it is a real, actual problem someone might likely face or perhaps a problem the asker may have even faced in the past or will face in the future.

We oftentimes suggest to new users that they focus their questions on a problem they're facing because it's the easiest way to get people to think along the lines of what would be a good, constructive topic for a Stack Exchange site. While it is possible to ask about a problem someone else might have, it isn't always easy, and many people have trouble wording questions in a constructive manner that they don't have a direct interest in.

As for answers, the top answer meets the guidelines in the FAQ. It's backed up with facts, references, and the specific expertise of the author as a person who has conducted many interviews.

In this case, our users nailed it!

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  • +1: While it's quite possible this is not a real, actual problem the asker is facing, we shouldn't take this too literally; it is a real, actual problem someone might likely face or perhaps a problem the asker may have even faced in the past or will face in the future. - I totally support this; but I've seen other questions closed because the OP wasn't actually facing the stated problem themselves.
    – Jim G.
    Apr 27, 2013 at 19:00
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    Hi @JimG., perhaps the posts had other issues, or perhaps the askers weren't able to word the question in quite the right manner. Asking questions about something you're not quite familiar with can sometimes be difficult, and I suspect that's perhaps why the questions you're thinking of may have been closed. If questions are closed that are redeemable, I'm hoping some bold edits can help save the day. Hope this helps!
    – jmort253
    Apr 28, 2013 at 4:04
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    @JimG. - There is a difference between a made problem post like "My boss slapped my wife" and a question that many people are facing every day. We have had quite a few questions that have been closed as rants about their dress code. This question was really my attempt to provide a canonical answer that we could reference for them.
    – IDrinkandIKnowThings
    Apr 29, 2013 at 18:45
  • @Chad: I have no problem with that. In fact, I wholeheartedly support it. // Months ago, some moderators were enforcing "other rules" and we can just leave it at that.
    – Jim G.
    Apr 29, 2013 at 19:46

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