Exact Approximations

Monday, August 13, 2007

Advice on Advice

I saw a Legal Recruiter today. Nice enough girl. I wore my standard interview skirt-suit. Recruiter Lady gave me some "tips" for my upcoming Thursday interview:

1) Earrings: No danglies. I was wearing light blue earrings that matched my suit and they hang about 1/2 inch from my ears. She told me to get studs, if I insist on wearing earrings.

2) Hair: I wore my hair down today, after putting it in rollers and getting some pimp wavy glory. She told me to wear it back in a tight, not loose, bun.

3) Suit: The suit I wore today is black, with small, barely noticeable, light blue pinstripes. Underneath the coat, I wore a light blue shell. She told me to wear an all black suit, with a simple white blouse underneath. Also told me to wear nylons, which I already knew. I simply was not about to wear them in 110 degree weather just to meet Recruiter Lady. She was lucky I even wore a suit. I seriously considered nice slacks with a blouse, sans coat.

4) Standard jewelry: Most disturbing tip received. Recruiter lady told me not to wear my engagement ring to interviews. "You can wear it after you get the job", she said in a transparent attempt to encourage my discomfort at this piece of advice. WTF: why would a potential candidate be faulted for being in a serious relationship?

I see the value of the nylons, that one's a given. I kinda see the value of the bun... the earrings threw me. Most of all, the whole "don't wear your engagement ring" thing threw me to a land far, far away.

What does anyone think about this? If you have tips on interview appearance, please, God please, someone share of your wisdom. Because after talking to Recruiter Lady, I am so totally lost.

~~ Freak Out ~~

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4 Comments:

  • Get a 2nd opinion. Go to a different head hunter! I am sure there must be more than one lady recruiter in your area.

    Don't let the first thing that you hear freak you out!

    By Blogger Crazy East Coast Uncle, at 7:14 AM  

  • The ring thing is this. If they see an engagement ring that might think (1) you may leave to get married and not come back (2) Get pregnant and not come back. They have to invest time and money into training you and then keeping you. As for the earings - too dangling says you may not be serious enough for them. Dangling is of evening not the office. Hair - To look as professional as possible. This is not your law office, of the office you used to work. Once you have been established you can do whatever you like just not when you interview. You need to project very serious. So that's my opinion for what it's worth.
    Loony Tunes Aunt

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:58 AM  

  • I've heard of this before, and I agree with LTA on the reasoning behind it. But I don't agree with using it against you during the interview process. It does seem very un PC. But really, what would you rather have? A job, or every interviewer aware of the fact that your engaged and and proud of it?
    But yea...lamo....
    CECU...your silly sometimes! "Get a second opinion"

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:03 PM  

  • How funny...I knew someone in law school who bought a cheap "engagement ring" herself just to wear to interviews with BigLaw...her theory being that it would demonstrate her stability or some such.

    I honestly don't think it matters one way or another. If the interviewer is backward enough to think engagement ring = impending babies and law firm leavin', they'll assume that anyway merely on the basis of your gender.

    As for attire and the rest, go professional. I do think the suit was fine; I always went for a dark-colored suit and an inoffensive top underneath, but I didn't make distinctions between navy or black or pinstriped or gray or always wear a white shirt.

    By Blogger Make Mine a Triple, at 4:41 PM  

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