Dressing for the Job
Following Suit (Extended Version)
Five recently graduated alumni in industries ranging from physics to fashion share the in’s and out’s of dressing to nail that job interview. It worked for them and could work for you!

Be: What did you wear to your last job interview?

“I wore a burgundy-colored straight leg work pant with a matching suit jacket. Underneath the suit jacket I wore an off-white, long-sleeve, button down blouse.  My high-heeled black pumps worked well with the wide-leg work pants. Because I work mainly with men in engineering and physics companies, a taller, more dominant figure projects more confidence.  I wore similar things for all my interviews.”
— Beverly Rogers (2008), Associate Physicist / Research Analyst at August Research Systems, Inc. in Pittsburg, PA

“I wore a black skirt-suit from J.Crew and a pearl colored shell underneath, with hose, black pumps, and pearls. Some of the other women at the interview wore black pants and button-up shirts or something similar as well.  I think it was good to wear a suit because, although it was a "right out of college" position, it showed that I thought of it as a professional opportunity.” 
— Colby Guilino (2008), a Leadership Consultant for Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, which is headquartered in Columbus, OH

“If I remember correctly, I wore my Ralph Lauren navy pinstripe suit with a light blue and white striped shirt with spread collar and a navy and white dot tie. It was definitely different than the style I wore to other interviews outside of the fashion industry since I wanted to stand out and show my creative side and appreciation for the company. It was also reserved enough that it didn’t make it look like I was trying to show off.”
— Wil Fang (2005), a Project Manager in Global Business Processes for Polo Ralph Lauren in NYC

“I wore a grey sleeveless, boat-neck dress.  I was referred by a friend, so I knew going into my interview that the atmosphere in this office is incredibly casual.  I knew I definitely didn't need to wear a suit—which was nice since my interview was in mid July— but I still wanted to look professional.  It was helpful to have had the insight on the corporate atmosphere before going into my interview, though I realize everyone doesn't always have that luxury.”
— Annie Guarino (2008), an Account Manager at Intermark Media in Woodbury, NY

“On the day of my interview, I wore a black suit with stiletto heels boots.  I limited my jewelry to the basic pearls and had on a pair of dark framed glasses.  This outfit was a bit different from my other interviews as it was fairly conservative—you always want to stay on the conservative end of the spectrum when it is your first time appearing in front of employers.  On other interviews, I dressed differently pending the industry. For example, I also interviewed with retails companies like Ralph Lauren and L’Oreal. At my Ralph Lauren interview I wore a white suit, which young women don’t usually wear, but in retail, the dress code tends to be more fashionable than your typical black and white suit. In the end it didn’t hurt me— I got to second round interviews!  I think the bottom line is, as long as you look put together and can present yourself, everything else will fall into place and take care of itself.
— Grace Ma (2008), a Regulatory Consultant for Deloitte & Touche in NYC

Extra Interview with Colby Giulino (2008)

Name: Colby Giulino (2008)
Major: Elementary Education
Current Job Location:  Travels weekly to different colleges and universities in the US and Canada
Company: Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity
Current Position:  Leadership Consultant

Do you dress differently when you travel than when you’re in the office?
We are told to dress "business casual" for our typical work and travel days.  Some of my common outfits include shirt dresses, khaki pants and polos, or longer skirts and sweaters.  I almost always wear flats. I also dress in that attire on travel days... and it helps!  People at the airport and in the plane are nicer to you when you look so presentable.

Any days you dress differently?
I occasionally have meetings with Greek advisers and Deans of students so it is very important that I am even more professional looking on those days.

Were you able to salvage any of your Bucknell clothes?
I was able to use most of the clothes I bought for my student teaching days last fall. 

Any embarrassing wardrobe slip-ups?
One day in San Diego I was wearing this shirt dress that zippered up the side.  I had been wearing it all morning and looked down at one point during lunch and noticed that the zipper had broken and you could see my whole side!  It was a little embarrassing... Luckily I left the school at the end of the week!

Lastly, do you have any work-wear advice?
Pack a Tide-To-Go pen in your work-bag. You never know when you'll spill something on yourself during your lunch-break!!

- Sara Kurz, April 2009

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