<p>So OhioMom3000, are you saying that neither of the two quoted scenarios below are valid or could ever occur? </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>They are both valid reasons to both ask for the dress code and reasons why what you wear over the summer will be different than what a new employee is expected to wear.</p>
<p>Examples: The bank I work at is business casual during the summer but business formal the rest of the year. There is also a training program for the first 10 weeks with a different dress code. In either scenario, you would look ridiculous if you wore what everyone else wore during your internship.</p>
<p>angryelf, my post was in response to OPs specific case and the info he provided. It’s not that big a deal. Sorry I said your idea was a bad one. Both the scenarios you provided are valid reasons to inquire about the dress code. Now stop being such an angry elf.</p>
<p>So why wouldn’t either of these situations apply to the OP…?
Are you just not putting 2 + 2 together or is it somehow commonly known but unbeknownst to me that engineering firms just not have training programs or operate in warmer climates?</p>
<p>I could care less what you think of me or my ideas.
I just don’t want OP to have suffer from unnecessary anxiety due to the fact that they listened to conflicting outdated advice.</p>
<p>The advice isn’t outdated and it really shouldn’t involve any anxiety. The OP should know what to wear based on what other employees wore during his internship. Calling and asking is just awkward and speaks of immaturity / lack of confidence. </p>
<p>If all else fails, wear a suit the first day. You can never be underdressed wearing a suit. Once you’ve gotten into the office and have assessed the situation, if you’re overdressed you can take off your jacket and suddenly you’re business semi-formal. If you’re still overdressed you take off your tie and unbutton the top button on your shirt and you’re now business casual. Even if everyone else is wearing jeans and polo shirts, you won’t be ridiculed for being business casual on your first day (unless it’s a job that you should know requires jeans/work clothes, like construction, auto repair, painting, etc).</p>
<p>Wow, this is ridiculous. This is engineering, guys, not investment banking. The boss will be happy if the guy shows up with his shirt on the right way, and matching socks, and if he’s wearing deodorant.</p>
<p>WOW, I’m appauled the OP didn’t bother to tell us if this job was in an office or on a construction site. My first two jobs were manufacturing: The first a bit on the dirty side. Jeans would have been fine but I tried to go for kakis or colored jeans to keep myself a bit above the prodution workers. Second job was “white room” which meant the production workers were in those horrible blue workers pants. So I tried to be a tiny bit more polished with cotton slacks from Sears or Penney’s but still something I could get down on the floor in and not worry about. But we are just supposed to guess and offer the world’s most perfect advice. And to somebody who has already been there. As if every engineering job is exactly like every other engineering job on the planet! If I had walked onto my first job in a dress and heals they would have laughed me out of there. Thank you lucky stars that you get to play clueless male in what must be an office environment and start paying attention! Engineers are supposed to be good at patterns, and you better have it figured out by day 2.</p>
<p>I would never have expected this thread to elicit such emotion. An office environment was implied. OP, hope your first day goes well whatever you wear!</p>