I have a job interview! But... what to wear?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Eeee! I’m really excited about this. I’m a graduating uni senior in Michigan (the state with the highest unemployment rate in the nation) and I’ve been rather concerned about job prospects.

I’m a Computer Science and Humanities (i.e. English at my uni) major and I would like to go into technical writing. A job opening was faxed to my uni’s career services office last week, so I emailed them my resume (they said to email or fax, no snail mail) and I have an interview set up next week!

That means I have to acquire emergency interview attire. I’ve been really low on funds these past 5 years in school, so I haven’t been able to buy an interview suit yet. Thank Og for this year’s tax return, heh heh.

But can anyone give me some advice? Here’s some pertinent info (ask me more details if needed):

JOB:
Position: Technical Writer
Place: Small patent law firm
General area: Metro Detroit, Farmington Hills (this is mainly for anyone familiar with the area; the whole Farmington Hills/Novi/etc area is filled with business people, as opposed to blue collar factory jobs, etc)
Extra info: Some engineering training is necessary, full-time, excellent pay and benefits

ME:
Sex: Female
Glasses: Yes
Boobs: God yes (meaning: they are really noticeably big, and I know I shouldn’t make a, erm, show of them)
Build: Boobs and hips. Overweight but I still have curves
Hair: Long. It’s to mid-back, with a few “face framing” pieces that are too long to do their job. I wanted to get my hair cut before interviews, but that’s not possible.

WHAT I ALREADY KNOW:

  • One pair of earrings (I have 4 holes in each ear; I’m definitely taking them out)
  • A suit is the safest bet
  • Small purse to match shoes
  • Nude hose
  • Conservative/light makeup and nail varnish
    Any advice? I’m figuring I definitely should go more conservative since it’s a law firm, even though I’m not applying to join them as a lawyer.

I’d like to go suit shopping today, so hopefully some Dopers will be bored on Saturday and help me out. :slight_smile:

[sub]And any grammatical/spelling/etc. errors in here have no reflection on the fact I’m applying for a Technical Writer position. That is my disclaimer.[/sub]

2

Dark grey suit and skirt, white blouse open just enough to… Hey, those boobs are gonna get you hired unless you do something horrible to mess it up. Look like you’re trying to dress modestly and you have no idea how that Wonderbra got on in there.

3

Unless you’re trying out for a job as a stripper, conservative is always the way to go. Doubly so for a law firm. Dark suit and white blouse is classic. You can add colour once you get the job.

Sounds like you’re on the right track. A little cleavage (particularly if a guy is interviewing you) can’t hurt. Sexy sells.

Good luck.

4

I agree with the suit. I’d recommend against the cleavage, since if I were you I wouldn’t assume that it would be a heterosexual guy who is interviewing you.

If you have a portfolio or briefcase, you might want to take that instead of a purse. Oh, most people think of this these days, but just in case you haven’t, don’t wear perfume.

Best of luck.

5

Your outfit (suit etc.) sound fine. Make sure your suit fits you well. IMHO, a nice but less expensive suit that fits well looks nicer on women than a more pricey suit that’s the wrong size/cut.

Wear a watch. No one will really see it or care–but you’d hate to have to ask what time it is as you’re running around interviewing or to have someone ask you and not have an answer.

How nervous are you about needing a hair cut? I don’t think your hair really matters all that much, but if you’re going to be nervous about it (thinking all the time about how you wish you’d had it cut), just pull it up.

Other than your outfit, do you have a nice notepad/portfolio thing? You’ll want to take notes during the interview and have somewhere to stash extra copies of your resume on hand. Also, if you’re like me you get all excited/nervous during interviews and forget a couple key points/questions you wanted to raise. I always make sure I jot them down in writing ahead of time so I don’t have to rely on my interview-addled brain.

It sounds like you’ll look just fine. Have fun shopping and planning your wardrobe. Just don’t get so caught up in what you’ll look like that you forget to do the other preparations like researching the company, thinking up questions you want to ask, and thinking of your key selling points.

Good luck!

6

I’m female, and I’ve worked at Morgan Stanley and Price Waterhouse. I meet with clients and prospects all the time, and I know what makes a good impression. Client meetings and interviews are not that different. I’ve done a million campus interviews and interviews for entry-level professionals.

Spend $15 on a string of fake pearls - you’d be amazed how far that will take you in appearing conservative and polished. Or borrow them from a friends mother.

Shine your shoes before your interview.

Make sure your shoes are a darker color than the hem of your skirt or your slacks.

Darn it, keep your hair out of your face on an interview. Your mother was right!

When you arrive at the interview site, ask immediately if you can hang up your coat, before your interviewer comes out to meet you. Never carry your coat into a meeting or interview, if you can help it. If you do, you look like an outsider. If your coat is already hung up in the company coat closet next to reception, you look like you belong there when your interviewer comes out to greet you.

Don’t bring a purse AND a briefcase to an interview or to a meeting, ever. It confuses people. Purse or briefcase, put it on the floor, not your lap.

Wear your cadet suit - navy or black suit, white shirt.

Don’t sit in a chair facing a window with the light facing your eyes.

If you can adjust the height of the chair a little, do so. Act tall. Sit up straight. Suck in your gut. You rock! They want you to work there!

Before you go into your interview, know EXACTLY where your resume, pen, and paper are. That way, if you reach for them, you will appear organized.

If you’re worried about needing a haircut before your interview, then get one. Give yourself every advantage. Remove any disadvantage you can. You don’t need to be worrying about your hair in an interview.

Good luck. You may need to have a few ‘practice’ interviews before you land your first adult job. I know I did.

7

We learned in one of my law classes that dark blue is the most “trustworthy” color.

8

Dress to impress.

A straight, tailored, simple black or dark navy blue suit, skirt knee length or ankle-length, with a nice white blouse (not too frilly or revealing); plain heels, not strappy or sparkly; nude hose. The jewelry should be simple, gold or silver, and your hair should be at least pulled back into a pony-tail, if not nicely done up.

I think that covers it. :slight_smile:

9

If you have a nice department store in the area, I’ll tell you a secret; personal shoppers are not just for rich people. You can go to Nordstrom’s or Saks or several other places and say, “I’m looking to spend X amount of money on an interview suit for this situation. I’m thinking (skirt suit, three piece, whatever). I also need shoes and a blouse or two.” The people there will find you some options in your price range, make sure they fit, and give you free alterations. If you’ve never bought these things before, these people can be super helpful.

BTW, I really, really like J Crew’s suiting, personally. I’m 25, and it’s very hard to find a suit that looks very professional and put-together but that dosen’t look like you hit your mom’s closet. I’ve got one black suit from them with a skirt and pants that looks super-tailored and snazzy but not like I bought it in the Juniors section, and another in parchment that I might have to exchange the jacket on.

10

You’ve been given pretty good advice here. You’re interviewing at a small patent law firm, which translates to “conservative.” That means a suit, and a conservative suit at that. As for color, pick a color that looks good on you. Some people can’t do a black suit, some don’t look good in gray or navy, so look for a well-tailored suit in a conservative color that fits you well. (I know it goes without saying, but nothing trendy – no faux fur, for example.)

Don’t do excessive cleavage, unless you’re looking for a date rather than a job. You will have a better feel for this, but in your part of the country, I suspect you’ll need to wear a skirt rather than a pantsuit (I’m in California, where women can wear pants!). Pick a flattering skirt length, but definitely not too short. Consider how far it will ride up when you sit.

Heel height should be two inches or so – definitely not anything too high. And if you don’t have time to get your hair cut, pull it back in some fashion so that it doesn’t distract you.

The bottom line is that you’re dressing so that your appearance will take a back seat to your resume, experience and personality. While you’re interviewing, look around and see what other people are wearing, so that when you get the job, you’ll know what the dress code is like. Remember that it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed for your interview.

Good luck!

11

This is really great news! Congratulations on the job too!

12

Follow the good advice listed above.

Don’t buy a fabulous and expensive interview outfit that leaves you without enough leftover dough to start a basic work wardrobe when you get the gig.

Don’t take a skinny girl shopping with you, the advice and opinions can be less than helpful, and I’m local, next time e-mail me and I’ll go shopping with ya! :smiley:

13

Sweet, I’ll remember that!

Oh, and ParentalAdvisory, I didn’t know that my boobs were such good news, hee hee.

Thanks to everyone here. I went to about 6 or 7 different stores today and I came back home to check this thread periodically. I went to mostly stores where they have overstocks for less (so they’re not with bad stitching or anything).

For $240, I bought:

  • 2 new, better-fitting bras
  • 1 beige camisole
  • 1 black suit: 2 button jacket and knee-length skirt. The skirt doesn’t have a slit in the back and instead has two small pleats in the front (3 inches long/tall, tops). The pleats fold inward, so it still is a straight skirt and it adds just a touch of individuality
  • 2 pairs nude pantyhose
  • 1 silky knit material (not t-shirt knit, more like a very fine gauge ‘slippery’ sweater) white shell
  • 1 white button down shirt (not too crazy about this because the collar doesn’t lay quite right)
  • 1 extremely light lavender button down shirt (I like this more than the white button down)
  • 1 new wallet
  • 1 new purse (small black leather, without any fancy doodads)
  • 1 pair black leather shoes (2" heel, pointed and squared-off toe, if that makes sense)
  • fake pearls (that was a great idea, CBCD, they look great!)
    I think that’s a pretty good haul! I knew I definitely wanted a traditional suit instead of one with pants; I’d feel more comfortable and (IMHO) look better.

I was shocked I found things that fit over my chest. Thank God I was able to get the suit jacket and skirt broken apart (the top and bottom are a size apart), but it took me 5 stores or so to find any shirt that wouldn’t look like the chest button was about to pop off and take out your eye.

My plan is to wear the suit with the white shell and pearls (the white collared shirt looks a bit off and a bit like I’m trying to stuff a lot of shirt material under the jacket; unfortunately I had to buy big enough to fit over my boobs). The purple shirt I think I would save if there’s a second interview. It’s not really purple; it’s an extremely pale pale pale lavender. Do you think that would be good, or too “snazzy” for a second interview?

14

I think a shell or some other knit option often looks better than a button-down shirt under a woman’s suit. It’s one of those things you just have to try on and see.

For future knowledge, get to know a good alterations place. Where I live, the ones with no air conditioning and two little old Korean ladies seem to be good (if slow) and very inexpensive. You can get better deals on work clothes if you know what can be altered and how, and clothes that fit well (and are the right length vis a vis your shoes) always look much, much better than pricier clothes that don’t fit.

15

Great job bargain hunting!

I like the sound of the shell top, but will the pearls be sorta invisible against the white? Is the collar more like this or will it look more like this one?

And check your email!

16

I think the white shell sounds lovely! Also, I think the lavender shirt will be fine for a second interview. It sounds really pretty! Don’t wear the shirt with the collar you don’t like. If you don’t feel comfortable in it, you’ll be fidgeting with it all day.

One tip: bring that 2nd pair of panty hose with you. If you bring them, you’ll probably go the entire day without running your hose. If you don’t, you’ll snag them getting out of the elevator before your interview has even started.

Not that I’d know anything about that… :rolleyes:

17

You’re welcome!

Start wearing your pearls regularly a few days before your interview. Catch yourself in the mirror. Not only the pearls look great, but YOU look great. Hey, you look like the kind of person this law firm would want to hire, don’t you?

Be what you wish to seem.

Doing this will grove your confidence to prepare for your interview.

Fortune favors the prepared…

18

Just wanted to pop in and say that my job interview is today at noon!

And QueenTonya, thanks for the email! I’m definitely replying to it after the butterflies in my stomach have flown away. :slight_smile:

19

I’m a-borrowing that string of pearls idea when I start looking for a real job soon.

20

:: Sigh ::

Well, it’s been a week, and I haven’t heard back from them. I called on Tuesday like he said to (if I hadn’t heard from them by then) and left a message since he wasn’t there. He hasn’t called back. :frowning:

Oh well. At least it was good practice, or something.