Tag Archives: work attire

Perception and Professionalism

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This post was prompted by a discussion with my mentor, who was also on the panel for my phone interview. She was describing why they chose me, and made a comment that unnerved me a bit. She said that at first it seemed strange to do just a phone interview, but she saw now that in some ways it was more fair.

I wasn’t sure what she meant–was she referencing my height, my disability… or even my nose piercing? I knew the sentiment underneath was positive–that they loved my phone interview, and that my supervisor was very happy with my performance–but I was scared, and even slightly shocked by the implication that I would not have gotten the job with an in person interview.

I don't wear this dress to work. But the rest of me, professional or not, is pretty inescapable.

I don’t wear this dress to work. But the rest of me, professional or not, is pretty inescapable.

 

It never seriously occurred to me that my persona–tiny, quirky, and as I tend to say, vaguely disabled, could be dragging me down. I think of myself as professional: I try to be tactful, appropriate, and focused at work. I don’t show lots of skin, debate politics, or talk about wherever I danced or slept the night before.

At the same time, I want to be me, not bland corporate worker #237. I do have a nose stud, I dye my hair, I’m politically active, and I was raised with an ethos that many would describe as hippie-dippie. Of course, I know it’s not professional or appropriate to bring all of my experiences and identities to every situation. I try to walk that line as best I can. I don’t want to sabotage my reputation professionally or academically, but I’m also critical of the homogeneity of “professionalism”. A lot of advice to young people about being professional really seems to be telling us to hide who we are if we fall at all outside the norm.

Right now, the way I’m handling this is to be politely myself. I wear appropriate clothing, but my business casual is perhaps slightly on the earthy side (I have a lot of scarves.) I’ve tried to wear more makeup and sheath dresses, but I feel uncomfortable and less confident when I don’t look like myself. And ultimately, my professional strength depends on my confidence. It doesn’t matter how great my ideas are if no one hears them. And to my surprise, despite all of the ways I don’t resemble a generic young professional, people listen to me at work because I know what I’m talking about. They see that I work hard, that I ask questions, and that I speak with clarity and confidence.

I’m getting to know myself pretty well–my weaknesses (real and perceived by society) and my strengths. I can compensate for my weaknesses and capitalize on my strengths. That doesn’t stop me from freaking out occasionally, but it helps.

Poonam’s Outfits and Interview

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For this week’s blog post, my friend and fellow blogger Poonam and I had a photoshoot highlighting different outfits for interviews and the workplace and talked with each other about our experiences around work attire . Our good friend Harry made a guest appearance. Enjoy!

B: Describe your outfit choices and for what situations or occasions they would be worn.

Poonam’s work party outfit

P: The black skirt/ white top combination is what I like to think of as a perfect work party outfit—I feel like there are frequently social events for staff outside of office where you have a little bit more liberty with your outfit choice. While it is a great opportunity to ditch the corporate wear momentarily, you still want to be mindful of how you present yourself. The flowy skirt in this outfit really jazzes things up and makes the outfit fun but still appropriate.

Poonam’s comfortable outfit

I really like the peach top, Capri pants, and flats combination for one huge reason: COMFORT. I know friends who have felt social pressure at work to wear heels, but personally I don’t last more than a few hours before collapsing. There are so many tiring aspects of working a long day—your outfit just shouldn’t be one of them. This example is great for jobs where you’re on the move and being seated isn’t really an option. I know this summer, when I would be overseeing and scrambling after events on campus, this type of outfit was my savior. I looked put together AND my feet were still intact at the end of the day.

“The Classic”

The last outfit (striped top, black pants, heels) is “the Classic” work outfit. Not much to say about it besides the fact that it is wonderfully appropriate in the traditional sense of work attire—classy, professional, and mature. Throwing on a black blazer completes the look and gives the entire outfit an extra edge.

B: I’m a student and don’t have a lot of money to spend on professional attire. How do I stay cost effective and cute?

P: Sales! Every article of work clothing I own is from the sale section of a department store. Just have to be a determined and persistent shopper. Places like Ross and Target are also incredible for decently priced work attire. Moreover, I have found that having two pairs of pants and a skirt is totally sufficient for many combinations of outfit bottoms—it’s all about the mixing and matching.

Poonam and me all dressed up!

B: Halloween is around the corner—what the scariest clothing mishap you’ve ever had?

P: Nothing too horrendous that I can think of; the worst was one day this summer where I tumbled down the stairs of Steele in my heels and then had to put them back on to meet a client. My ankle was throbbing and I couldn’t exactly stand straight. It was a bit embarrassing to be wobbling around– but all is well that ends well, right?

Poonam, Harry, and me in our dress robes

B: Besides getting dressed, what’s the most intimidating part of an interview?

P: The questions you didn’t see coming. I’m always afraid about the questions not really related to the position but more like “If you could go back in time and meet one person, who would it be?” I usually go into an interview feeling prepared and confident about the position itself and my qualifications, but for some reasons, questions like this that put you on the spot to be creative tend to throw me off a bit.

B: In an ideal world, what would your work attire be?

P: Relaxed and comfortable. I don’t particularly love dressing like Condoleezza Rice on a daily basis (too much effort and planning), so a work environment that embraces the contemporary business/ semi-professional look would be super ideal. I would be thrilled with a job where dark wash jeans were perfectly acceptable!

 

OWN IT.

Dear Readers, What do you think about these outfits? Would you wear them to work or to work related events? Have a great week everyone!

Photoshoot and Interview Featuring Bryn!

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This week’s blog post guest starts the one and only Bryn Morgan! We had a hilarious photoshoot in the Browning Living Room and interviewed each other on issues related to work attire and such. Keep your eyes peeled for a surprise visitor.

P: Describe your outfit choices and for what situations or occasions they would be worn.

B: All of the outfits you see in this post are ones I wear working as a Senior Interviewer interviewing prospective Scripps students for Admissions. The Scripps Admissions office is relatively relaxed and I would say most staff members wear business casual on a day-to-day basis.

Bryn’s basic business casual

This first outfit is basic and works well for my job in Admissions as well as interviews that don’t require more than business casual. I wore this outfit for a recent interview. While I love this pink top (it has a fun back!), a variety of other nice tops could be substituted to make a whole bunch of outfits. I’ll talk more about this later, but these black shoes and black trousers are comfortable and professional-looking staples that I wear all the time. For outfits like this one that are made up of blocks of color rather than patterns, I always like to have a necklace or some piece of jewelry like the gold one I’m wearing in this photo to keep things interesting.

Born Shoes, GAP trousers, shirt from Marshalls.

Outfit #2

I have to confess that while I do wear this blouse and skirt often, I have yet to wear these heels in Admissions. I think heels are fun but my feet do not, so when given the chance I usually forgo anything platform for flats. I like this outfit because it’s a little more  formal than the first while remaining colorful and fun (the quality of the picture isn’t high enough for you to make this out, but the pattern on my blouse is multicolor hearts). I don’t know what it is about pencil skirts, but I throw one on and automatically feel twice as professional!

Shirt and skirt from Forever 21, shoes from Urban Outfitters when I worked there and got a fantastic discount.

Bryn in a flowy and fantastic-for-warm-weather outfit and me!

This last outfit is one I have been wearing a lot recently as the temperature seems determined to remain excruciatingly high. It’s flowy and comfortable but still put together. I have a number of more flowy knee-length skirts like this one and they have seemed so much more appealing than pencil skirts or trousers in this weather! Also featured here is my blue and green wooden painted fish necklace that I found at a yard sale and love wearing to Admissions. It reminds me to lighten up every time I see it and has been a great conversation starter. I wore it to a recent interview as Lesley in CP&R had told me during my mock with CP&R that sometimes it’s okay to see individuals’ personalities come out.

Born shoes, skirt from Forever 21, shirt was a hand-me-down.

P: I’m a student and don’t have a lot of money to spend on professional attire. How do I stay cost effective and cute?

B: I talked a bit about how I was able to revamp my work appropriate wardrobe for working in Admissions on a budget in a blog post a few weeks ago and will elaborate here. Basically, I spent the most on two staples: my pair of black Born flats and black GAP trousers. I knew I would wear both items very frequently, and thought that  having comfortable, supportive, and well made shoes that I could wear all the time and will (hopefully) last for quite awhile was worth it. From there, Marshalls and Forever 21 were my saving graces. Inexpensive, cute, and work appropriate clothes abound in both stores, at least this season, and I was able to get a good number of blouses, sleeveless tops, and pencil and flowy skirts for a very reasonable price. Find fun jewelry at yard sales and Goodwill to add some pizzaz to your outfits.

P: Halloween is around the corner—what the scariest clothing mishap you’ve ever had?

SURPRISE

B: What comes to mind is just the other day in Admissions when I looked down after being there for about an hour and realized my blouse was on inside out. Luckily, the staff is extremely sweet and Meg, who fearlessly leads us from the front desk, and I laughed heartily together as I dashed into the bathroom to change. I’m sure now that you’ve asked me this question something truly scary will happen soon…I’ll report back.

P: Besides getting dressed, what’s the most intimidating part of an interview?

 

B: I really love interviews. I loved college interviews the first time around so much that I applied to interview prospective Scripps student four years later. What usually concerns me most is the possibility that I might not be able to get as much across to my interviewer(s) as I would like. For example, in a recent interview I had so much to say about a question they asked that I was disappointed  I was only able to communicate a fraction of it in the short 25 minutes the interview lasted. But I just do my best to let my personality and passion for whatever it is I’m talking about come out, and try not to worry!

In an ideal world, what would your work attire be?

Before I actually had to dress in professional attire 5 days a week in Beirut this summer, I thought I would hate feeling constrained to certain styles and items of clothing. It turns out I love dressing in professional attire and have especially been enjoying putting together outfits for Admissions this semester. In the future, having the flexibility of business causal would likely be preferable to wearing suits every day of the week, but I am delighted to find out that I don’t at all mind dressing up for work as it definitely leaves my options more open than if I were against being part of a workplace with a dress code.

Dear readers, we could do with some laughs and would love to hear your scary stories of clothing mishaps in interview or work settings!