I am being such a girl but I have a job interview for a post doctoral position next week and don't know what to wear. Is it definitely a suit occasion (in which case I better hit the shops!) or would a smart skirt and top do?
Thanks!

I think a blouse/shirt and skirt or smart trousers is definitely fine! (no trainers- obviously!) This is what I wore.. and as long as you feel comfortable and confident then you should be fine. Good luck!

Yep, I was told smart/casual with the emphasis on smart - nice skirt and top will do with some nice shoes or boots :-)

I'd plump for wearing a suit. You can't really be too formal for an interview, but it is easy to be too informal.

Charles Tyrwhitt have a good sale on at the moment! A friend of mine got a suit for under £100.

I've noticed a pattern over the past few years of sitting in on interviews that more and more women are going for the shift-dress with smart jacket look. I think I'm going to opt for this too, mainly on the grounds that I can wear the dress again and again without feeling self-conscious in it (formal parties/conferences/dinners etc) whereas a suit I'd rarely get use out of, and seems like an 'extravagance' when I could spend the cash on books!!

If the skirt is plain black or similar, could you just buy a jacket that would match (I remember buying a black one from Next to go with my pin stripe black trousers)? Then jazz up the outfit with a nice top or shirt.

this is a perfect opportunity to treat yourself! Buy something that makes you look as professional as you feel!

It's definitely trickier being a girl - for a man it's just put on a suit and all you have to decide is which tie! I'd put it down to finances. I don't think you'll go wrong in a smart skirt and a shirt with a jacket or smrt jumper. On the other hand a suit is something that will always be useful provided it's quite classic so won't date too fast - try somewhere like Next or M&S for decent quality but low prices. I'd maybe suggest only doing that if you're not someone who's likely to fluctuate in weight too much: I bought a beautiful and quite expensive suit for my BA graduation thinking it would last me for years but I was about a size 8 or something crazy then which is definitely never going to happen again! It sits nostalgically in the wardrobe now... Good luck with the interview!

Hi!
Thanks everyone. Great advice. I ended up going shopping this afternoon and I actually found a suit reduced from £115 to £40. Bargain and I will be able to use it for other stuff without the jacket. I guess my skirt and top would have been fine but I would still have been conscious about it so at least now I have one less thing to worry about! I just wish I had found a few weeks ago for my viva when I went through exactly the same dilemma!
So if anyone is also worried about this my advice is hit the shops - there were a lot of bargains on offer!