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Archive through July 05, 2006

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan ~ Apr 2009: Career Group: What to wear to an interview??: Archive through July 05, 2006 users admin

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Faerygdds
Member

08-29-2000

Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 11:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Faerygdds a private message Print Post    
I think I own about 4 skirts total... Due to chronic back problems I avoid them like the plaugue because I can't handle heels!

I do have a killer set of high heeled boots that I wear occasionally. I love them, but I can't stand in them for too long before my back and feet start yelling at me. My health comes before fashion ANY day of the week!

Good luck Annie... they'll call! :-)

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, July 02, 2006 - 4:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
even students were saying "Why can't we wear it if Miss X is??"
shoot, i often think the same thing when i see her! LOL Our district is casual but she would never be allowed to dress like that. It's funny, she is a smart, vibrant woman who is truly on a mission to bring the classics and great literature to the inner city kids, but she looks like a bimbo.

Thanks ya'll. It's going to be interesting to see how smoothly I can sneak all this info to him this week! LOL

Beachcomber
Member

08-26-2003

Sunday, July 02, 2006 - 1:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Beachcomber a private message Print Post    
Based on what you say the men are wearing, I would go with the twin set and dress slacks, classic jewelry, and the pumps. That is what I see the ladies wearing at the Lexus dealership in Charlotte.

GOOD LUCK!!

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, July 02, 2006 - 1:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
thanks, Beach!

Escapee
Member

06-15-2004

Monday, July 03, 2006 - 12:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Escapee a private message Print Post    
I wore to my last interview a pair of tailored black slacks and a pair of black mules with a tailored black and white pinstriped button down shirt, tucked in and nicely pressed. I pulled my hair back with a rubber band made for hair (not the newspaper kind of rubber band)so it wasn't hanging around my face, a large scrunchi looks silly, and went with neutral tones on the makeup. Nothing garrish or wild. Nothing sparkly. Easy on the perfume, but a little is alright.
I wore plain stud earrings and no necklace, but I did wear my silver watch. I went with a medium sized black clutch. I got the job, no problem. K I S S in this situation. Everyone's fashion sense is different, and less is more. You never know who hates shoulder pads, certain colors, certain styles, etc. Even the best HR people aren't immune to fashion no no's or their own personal preferences. First impressions are the best, you don't want to walk away from it and have them think "What was with that outfit/makeup/hair, shoes?"

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Monday, July 03, 2006 - 12:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
Thanks!!

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Monday, July 03, 2006 - 4:23 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
" Even the best HR people aren't immune to fashion no no's or their own personal preferences."

So very true, Escapee! When interviewing a HR manager for a class, she told me of one interview in which the gal wore some bow in her hair. The manager said that she had the most difficult time concentrating on the gal's answers because that dang bow was so distracting! :-) (And no -- she didn't get the job!)

Less is definitely better than more!

Legalboxer
Member

11-17-2003

Monday, July 03, 2006 - 6:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Legalboxer a private message Print Post    
most important - be yourself - a good employer is going to interview you and not your suit but not everyone is a good employer :-)


i was told NOT to wear a suit to my last interview - that was the hardest one ever to figure out how to dress DOWN - still wanted to wear nice slacks and blouse but even that would have been a bit too nice - finally settled on a black blouse and blue jeans - never would wear t-shirst or shorts to an interview but still looked on the nicer scale of casual lol (it was a techy place)

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Tuesday, July 04, 2006 - 2:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
blue jeans? that would be tough even for me and i have been out of the real work world for forever! LOL
thanks for the advice Legal.

I dropped off my Herk-a-sized cover letter and resume yesterday. We will see what happens next!

Cndeariso
Member

06-28-2004

Tuesday, July 04, 2006 - 1:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cndeariso a private message Print Post    
i interview folks for jobs all the time. i am not an HR person. i am the assistant director for the finance department. our HR people do not interview anyone unless they are applying to work in the HR department. so this is only my point of view for the culture of my office. it may not be relevant to your situation.

if i am interviewing someone for an accountant position i expect them to be dressed for business - not business casual. if i an interviewing someone for an accounting technician or clerical position then something a little less formal is considered acceptable. if i am interviewing someone for a managerial position then i expect them to be dressed even more formal than the professionals. and, yes, with the ladies i expect either dresses with jackets or skirted suits.

colors are not important as much as the look. someone can interview in lime green as long as the overall picture says business not casual. it's the entire package with me.

Yellek
Member

08-22-2001

Tuesday, July 04, 2006 - 7:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yellek a private message Print Post    
I'm curious why, in this day and age, women are "expected" to wear skirts, not pants. you can have a nice suit with pants just as easily and look very professional, and in my opinion MORE professional as you aren't showing your legs.

Cndeariso
Member

06-28-2004

Tuesday, July 04, 2006 - 7:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cndeariso a private message Print Post    
pant/slacks are considered to be business casual.

why would showing ones legs be a problem?

Yellek
Member

08-22-2001

Tuesday, July 04, 2006 - 8:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yellek a private message Print Post    
Men don't have to, why should we? In the winter it's cold, and in the summer, stockings are too hot, and to go bare is definitely casual.

Also, for those of us with less than perfect legs, we feel more polished, professional, and confident if it's just covered up.

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Tuesday, July 04, 2006 - 8:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Showing your legs isn't the problem. Being expected to show your legs is. JMHO.

Yankee_in_ca
Member

08-01-2000

Tuesday, July 04, 2006 - 8:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yankee_in_ca a private message Print Post    
Wow. I never knew the skirt thing. In my field, I wear pant suits all the time. Wouldn't hesitate to wear one to an interview. In fact, wore several pant suits to a series of interviews for a VP position at a well-known, international company (and yes, they offered me the job, which I declined). Could this be a regional thing? Or a field-by-field thing more likely?

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 12:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
Well, the last time I interviewed for a job (well, besides Starbucks) it was in the days of the blue power suit and floppy bow ties for women...think Tootsie! LOL

Cndeariso
Member

06-28-2004

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 1:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cndeariso a private message Print Post    
the skirt thing varies from occupation to occupation and region of the country. it's a deep south thing. it's an accountant thing. it's a corporate culture thing. i would never expect a female engineer interviewing for a job to wear a skirt. i would never expect someone applying for a managerial position at a fast food chain to wear a skirt.

i really don't know how to explain it as it is something that is a given here in my field and no one thinks anything about it.

and, you aren't expected to show your legs. most of my dresses/suits come down almost to my ankles. no one thinks about it as a showing of the legs thing. never.

Kaili
Member

08-31-2000

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 4:42 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kaili a private message Print Post    
I haven't worn a dress or skirt of any kind since I was a little, little girl. And that was when my grandma would put me in one. I wear pants suits to interviews- teaching interviews. I would hope that's not preventing me from getting a job. No offense, but personally that strikes me as a sort of sexist hiring practice.

Yellek
Member

08-22-2001

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 5:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yellek a private message Print Post    
Kaili, I agree completely.

Schoolmarm
Member

02-18-2001

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 6:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Schoolmarm a private message Print Post    
Gee whiz...for me, skirts are more comfy than pants...and they hide a multitude of, um, lumps and bumps, etc.

If you are interviewing with anyone older than 45, wear a skirt or dress if the job is professional (that includes teaching). And if you are older than 30, you should follow the same advice. Recently I interviewed a woman for a 'power type' job in education and her outfit just really caused her to lose credibility. She had on a jacket and pants, but it was bordering on casual. Another interviewed in a power pant suit and was taken seriously and hired. Men who interview in casual suits or with no tie strike me as not taking the job seriously.

Once you are hired, you can pretty much wear what you want. We have one guy in jeans and sandals pretty much all of the year. Another is Mr. GQ.

I don't know about technical jobs or other types of work.

Cndeariso
Member

06-28-2004

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 6:26 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cndeariso a private message Print Post    
you all must understand that these are NOT my idea. it is the standard that was set before i came along. not sure what is sexist about it.

if i had my way i would be able to hire whomever is most qualified regardless of what they wore to work, how they had their hair done or if they had body piercings or tattoos. but, it isn't my call.

Yellek
Member

08-22-2001

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 7:09 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yellek a private message Print Post    
Well, at least in CA there's a law against requiring it:

"Be aware, though, that at least one state, California, prohibits employers from implementing a dress code that does not allow women to wear pants in the workplace. According to Section 12947.5 of the California Government Code, it is an unlawful employment practice for an employer to prohibit an employee from wearing pants because of the sex of the employee. The California law does make exceptions so employees in certain occupations can be required to wear uniforms."

Link to site

another article about CA and women in skirts

Cndeariso
Member

06-28-2004

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 7:12 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cndeariso a private message Print Post    
never said it was required and pants are allowed on the job.

Legalboxer
Member

11-17-2003

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 7:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Legalboxer a private message Print Post    
i really think its the person/company doing the interview and not just broad stereotypes of professions or regions... and i just know for me, if someone is not hiring on the basis of who is most qualified and right for that position, whether it is the call of the company or the hiring person, i wouldnt want to work there....

Yellek
Member

08-22-2001

Wednesday, July 05, 2006 - 7:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yellek a private message Print Post    
Umm, you did though.

"yes, with the ladies i expect either dresses with jackets or skirted suits."

I know it's not your tradition you're upholding, but companies that do this sort of thing really get on my nerves. It's the same sort of thing as expecting the one female in the room to get the coffee regardless of rank/seniority.