I'd recommend that he dresses "one step up" from whatever is the company's usual standard of dress. I think the cardigan would work for creative and retail, but at least a sports coat and tie for educational. JMO.

The rule of thumb for job interviews is to "dress for the job you're applying for". If that kind of outfit would fit in with what the other employees wear to work at that business for similar jobs, then yes.
An alternative might be a nice but casual tweed sports coat with a pair of pressed khaki slacks (like Dockers). Sweater vests are in again and one underneath the sports coat would give him a more professional but still comfortable look, with or without a tie, again, depending on the specific job.
Lynn

a BIG congratulations to your son!!! I hope that he finds a great job in his field of study very soon.
Lynn

Today's job interview was for an entry level fishmonger at Whole Foods. ;)

I agree with dedtired. My son often has to interview recent college graduates and he says they should be dressed in standard business attire, unless your DS lives in some part of the country where suits are rarely seen - and I don't know where that might be. We're just outside Philly so maybe there are regional differences.

My DD applied to creative jobs - she had a degree in film and even for entry level positions as a production assistant she wore a simple Ann Taylor suit with a skirt (no pants) and low heels. She did find it funny when she interviewed at NFL films and everyone there including the fellow who interviewed her wore jeans or shorts.

Ah - I just read your second post. I should have said that the business attire would be suitable for a professional job. I think applying for a fishmonger position is another matter - business casual makes sense. But I'd still opt for sports coat and dockers.

Max works in a 'Business casual' position. This is his work attire. OK, this is his every day attire. LOL!

Hey Lynn, I think we posted at the same time. Thanks, I couldn't be prouder!

Golddust, the sweater under a tweed sports coat and dockers (as Lynn suggested) is just what I was thinking. We're in Texas however, so he better find a job before it gets hot!

. . .unless your DS lives in some part of the country where suits are rarely seen.

Actually, this has some merit. We are in the TX Hill Country and I don't see nearly as many men in suits as I do when I visit my sister in New Jersey. I'm thinking that maybe people tend to dress more casually (year round) in hotter climates?

DS came home and said he was told that they would call him back in a few days but ended up calling him 20 minutes after he left and scheduled the second interview. He's really excited because my boy is a bit of a foodie.

A man of any size can look good in a suit as long as the suit fits well. If he looks silly, there is something wrong with how the suite is sized or cut.

Dark suit, white shirt, red patterned tie. This outfit makes an excellent first impression every time, no matter the dress code. I'll explain later but I'm on the iPad and it's hard to type. I have first hand experience in this. lol

Here's hoping that he gets the job!

If he doesn't, I'm not sure I'd go with the cardigan for future interviews. I used to hire a lot of high school and college students to work part-time at my last job, and I don't think I ever saw a guy wearing a cardigan.

I'd say get a suit that fits, for more professional interviews. That probably means getting it tailored. But if you look at football players, they can wear suits, and they are big and bulky guys. It's all in the tailoring.

For "business casual" interviews, he should wear a pullover sweater or sweater vest instead of the cardigan, with a tie. Or a sports jacket.

What graywings said. Good luck!

I agree, dress for the job you want. (Such as the boss of the person who is interviewing you). You can't really overdress for an interview but you will be noticed if you don't dress nicely enough. They will think he didn't really care enough to get dressed up. He most certainly should have a jacket on at the least.

Good luck to him! Tough market right now. My dd is getting ready to graduate from PSU (very sad day today) with a 3.9, double major: Mechanical Engr. and Bio Engineer. Interview process is grueling, to say the least.

Tell him that the goal of the interview process is to get a job offer. After he gets the offer he can decide if he wants it. Too many times people start deciding if the want the job before they even get finished the interview.

If I may speak frankly Kelly, I'd have to say that wearing a dress to his interview would be a big mistake...

Sorry Kelly! Just from your headline... ;-)

Looks like the cardigan worked, in this case. But in general, I'd also agree with Graywings' suggestion that if a suit doesn't suit, it's because it doesn't fit.

UPDATE!!

But first . . .

DS has a very expensive, beautifully tailored suit that he wore to my sister's wedding seven years ago. It's still fits him great but looks just awful on him. I felt so sorry for him at the wedding because he just looked miserable. I had him try it on recently and his shoulders were scrunched up and chest puffed out. I told him to relax and he said he was relaxed! He feels so uncomfortable and not at ease so he doesn't hold himself right.

So I went with Lynn's suggestion. For his second interview he wore a brown tweed sports coat with suede elbow patches, a blue gingham shirt, NO TIE, olive chinos and brown dress shoes. He was so comfortable and confident looking!

Anway he had his second interview yesterday and they hired him on the spot!! First job interview and bam! I'm so proud of him. He's so personable and smart I should have known it would have worked out that way.

As he was leaving, he jokingly asked if he was dressed okay. They said they loved it and that he looked like a liberal arts college professor. He said that he almost wore a tie and one of the interviewers said that would have been a big mistake because that would have indicated that he was out of touch with Austin culture - something very important to the store. So I guess "dress for the job you're applying for" held true in this instance.

This job will be just perfect for him because he's going to graduate school in the Fall and they are willing to be flexible with his schedule.

Congratulations to DS! Good job, Mom!

Yay!!! Congratulations, Mom!

Yippee. That is great news. Congratulations to your son!