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I have a CB interview scheduled with a Honolulu firm sometime in the coming months. I know nothing about the Hawaii legal market. Is the dress code less formal than other markets? I don't want to overdress and seem like a stiff if the culture is more laid back, but I obviously don't want to underdress. I don't have any family ties to Hawaii, so does anyone have any insight in terms of what they're looking for here? Any other advice in general?

Thanks!

acr wrote:I have a CB interview scheduled with a Honolulu firm sometime in the coming months. I know nothing about the Hawaii legal market. Is the dress code less formal than other markets? I don't want to overdress and seem like a stiff if the culture is more laid back, but I obviously don't want to underdress. I don't have any family ties to Hawaii, so does anyone have any insight in terms of what they're looking for here? Any other advice in general?

Thanks!

From having family who were working professionals in Honolulu, work is work and they wore what would be standard in the continental US. Because you are going to a CB interview, I would even more strongly suggest to you to wear normal callback attire. Charcoal/Navy suit, white shirt, simple tie (if you are a male), and nice shoes. Absolutely no one is going to fault you for wearing a suit to a professional interview.

Flower print shirt/suit and lei.

Grass skirt and formal blouse/jacket if female.

Capitol_Idea wrote:Flower print shirt

They're called aloha shirts. You fail the kama'aina test, haole.

I used to work in Hawaii, though not as a lawyer. Dress, in my experience anyway, was a little more relaxed than on the mainland. I'd still wear a suit to the interview, obviously, but if you end up working there you may be able to dress down a little most days.

Hawaii is generally pretty insular, so I'd have a good answer ready for "why do you want to be here?" A lot of locals are skeptical of mainland job applicants because they think you see Hawaii as some kind of idealized party spot. Do a lot of research to convey that you understand the implications of living on the island. It's presumably far from your friends and family. People can get island fever and go stir crazy. And Oahu is more than just Waikiki Beach. Parts of the island are pretty run down. There are a few areas that are legit scary for non-locals. Traffic is bad. Housing is expensive and usually hasn't been updated since the late eighties. (I'm not suggesting you should go in there and shit talk Hawaii, obviously...just convey that you have a realistic view of living there and aren't some goof who has idealized the place as a tropical paradise.)