Knock 'em Dead, Kid- (Now with WORKING links)

On 12/10/06, HS wrote:

HI!

Firstly, you're a great writer and have been reading your writing on Sepia Mutiny and on your blog.

Secondly, congrats on the new job.  I"m job hunting myself and I know what a difficult process it can be.

Thirdly, you sounded very normal on the interview, which is a good thing. You sounded like a nice wholesome mature girl which is good!  I also liked what you had to say and I think that you really represented a lot of us in your thoughts - that they could have made the doll better but a part of you was excited that they had a doll out at all.

Fourthly, and most importantly, I have a question that only you can answer: I had an interview where I wore my business suit (as I do for most interviews)... I met the whole office team (which is quite small) and everyone was super nice and friendly.  The office is business casual, for the most part. Well things went well, and I'm invited back but I have to make a presentation for the second round.  Now, what should I wear?  I only have that one suit, and it's a nice quality suit, but that's all I have?  Should I wear it again?  Or should I buy another coloured shirt that I can wear under it.  Or, should I wear nice business casual clothes instead so I fit in with the rest of the office and am more familiar with them?  I know that only you can answer this question because you've been interviewing and have had to go back to make presentations and stuff.  I would really just appreciate your honest answer for what you think that I should do. 

Best of luck at the new job and I hope that your sister gets better.

warmly,

H

Hi H,

Wow, thanks for all the kind words and for your unwavering faith in me-- I'm sure I'm not the only one who could answer your question, but I'm delighted that you think so well of me.

1)  Thank you!

2) Searching for a new job SUCKS.  My best wishes for an end to your hunt-- until Wednesday of this week, I was right there with you and miserably anxious. 

3)  Awww, thanks. :)  I was completely stunned to hear myself, I know, I keep writing that, but that's because it's still true.  I know that I have a proclivity to giggle, I didn't realize I would do it on NP-freakin-R!  I was using my "grown-up" and adult voice (hence the "deeper" sound), but apparently, I couldn't mask the immaturity which suffuses everything about me. ;)  Anyway, you're very kind to tolerate insignificant insecurities. :)

4)  First, congratulations on making it to the second round!  Go You. :)  I always feel like it's better to be over-dressed than under- (like you couldn't tell from the 3,000+ pictures) though part of that is just a function of personal comfort; like most mammals, I feel better when I know I look nice.  When I interviewed at a casual (yet creative and therefore stylish) place I wore a cashmere sweater, slouchy, brown, menswear-inspired wool trousers, a silk scarf as a belt (since they were low-rise and flashing thong might be my biggest nightmare during an interview) and really adorable heels which were the same pink as my sweater.  It was by no means business casual (which I associate with khakis?) but it looked lovely and more importantly, I felt lovely which translated as confidence.  I liked that outfit so much, I wore it or a variation of to two other interviews.  It's not like the other two companies could tell it had been recycled. ;)  If you feel that way in your suit, by all means, wear it again.

When it came to the job I ended up getting, which was the job I wanted most, I didn't wear a suit.  I wore a black cashmere sweater with black chalk-stripe trousers and black boots; I should also tell you that I glumly chose that outfit out of pragmatism because the windchill was in the 20s and so I think everyone was dressed a bit more schlubby than usual.  Had it been 20 degrees warmer, I would've worn this shirt under a dress similar to this. I was interviewed off-site for security reasons, but the two people I met were both in button-down-oxfords and chinos so it seems like it will be a business casual environment.

I don't think there's anything wrong with wearing the same suit with a different blouse; a decade ago (!) during my last year of college, I wore the same BR suit I had snagged on clearance to several interviews, each time with a different Hermes scarf.  Most people noticed the scarf vs. the suit anyway, which is generally what happens if you wear something well-cut which suits you (sorry! pun not intended).  Unless the weather is unbelievably bad, I'd stick to dressing up vs. down.

I hope that helped?  Please let me know how everything turns out for you, so that I can uncross my fingers when you send me good news. :) Best of luck and thank you so much for thinking of my sister.  You're a kind soul and I hope you end up getting all that you wish for and more.

Sincerely,

Anna :)

:+:

See?  I'm getting better about writing back. :)  I know, that's little consolation to those whom I owe um...let me check my starred GMail...yowza...138 emails.  I couldn't sleep and was up at 5am, hence the immediate reply to H.S.  To everyone I flaked on in comparison...sorrrrrry.

Comments

[aliceinherwonderland]

That was sweetness on both sides of the email. :)

I love dressing up. But these days I have to work on looking older :( (and I am hating it) I am 30, 5'2, and a future chemistry high school teacher. I still get mistaken for a high school student when I visit high schools for my field experiences (inspite of dressing in business casual). :(

Anna,It'd be awesome if you could post pictures with your formal wear and the scarf.I never know how to wear a scarf even though I love them.I am always afraid,it'd make my neck disappear and make me look shorter than what I am.I am 5'2".Love your blog.

[A N N A]

@#$%?&{#?}+&%#$

NOW the links work...

I will try and dig up scarf photos :)

[8675309]

links STILL don't work, yo

[A N N A]

try now...JENNY

[aliceinherwonderland]

Anna, those are the cutest heels. You must have looked picture perfect in the cashmere sweater and those heel. :)

[tamasha]

I am so curious about where you interviewed! I'm a teacher and could NEVER have shown up to an interview in those shoes. I suppose I could wear them to work (and have worn similar, only to want to amputate my feet at the end of the day - heels like that are not so teacher-friendly), but even then...

Maybe it's because to me, heels=sexy, and that's not what one goes for when interviewing at schools. ;)

[A N N A]

tamasha, i was wearing dressy trousers, all of which seem to be cut super long, so i HAD to wear heels lest they drag on the filthy ground and then upset my germ-phobic self. only the toes were visible-- you couldn't see the out of season/too summery heel or the fact that i was hosiery-free, as all CA girls prefer to be.

[tamasha]

OMG! My uptight NY sensibility taught me no open toes for interviews. A friend of mine works in a company that's toe-free even in the SUMMER!!!

Ahh to be a laid back Californian...

[lurker]

I'm confused...the shoes you linked to here

http://static.flickr.com/49/145056612_1b598c9b14_o.jpg

are not open-toe. Or did you mean that most of your shoe was covered, so that all one could see was the rounded toe of the shoe?

Wow, you guys sound like real losers

[lurker]

Wow, you guys sound like real losers

...and yet, you chose to join this conversation. What does that make you?

[Ani]

Awww... that was sweet!

[Janeofalltrades]

I second the "better to dress up than down" suggestion. It doesn't matter if the person who are interviewing with is wearing a burlap sack. You are the one still looking for a job so you want to look your best. After you land the job of your dreams you can bust out your own burlap :-)

And a dark basic suit that suits well can be rocked over and over again and no one will notice. The key is to wear different colors under and accessorize differently each time.

Come to think of it I don't own a suit. I swore after Goldman that I will never work for a company again that made me wear one or that prevented me from open toe stiletos in the summer!!