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Saturday, September 21, 2013

Dressing for the job you WANT, not the job you HAVE.

This is a re-post from my old blog True Story. I posted it while in college, it was originally intended to help my fellow theatre students prepare for South Eastern Theatre Conference. SETC is a four day conference for theatre people, including interviews for designers and technicians and auditions for actors and dancers. Our university took a group of students every year so that we would have the opportunities to get summer jobs and make connections.

One of the things that drove me crazy about SETC was that almost no one knew how to dress well. The actors always looked nice, but the technicians and "behind the scenes" folks were always sloppy. This is generally the case with theatre. Sorry to say, but its true. I believe that EVERYONE should dress for the job they want and not the job they have (thank you Stacy and Clinton!)

Whether you like it or not, what you wear speaks volumes. You are judged by what you wear, and first impressions count! Especially in the job-seeking community.

I have a few notes about this post. a) it was before Pinterest, so if you want some really great inspiration check out Pinterest. b) it was written specifically for my fellow theatre students, but that doesn't mean that it isn't applicable for other young professionals. c) I do not have the rights to that info-graphic, not sure where it is from.

I think this is great information. Hopefully its helpful!

XOXO,
Coco


Here is my original post:

Dressing for the Job


Many of people have been asking me what to wear for SETC and USITT and Portfolio Review Day. I thought I would post something about the research and expediencies I have had on this subject.

First of all, I would just say go for something professional. Colors and styles are up to you. You want to express your personality, but a refined version of you.You want to look like you are taking this opportunity seriously and therefore you should dress as such.

Also, with SETC and events like it, where you will be there for a few days and need to be professional the whole time, it is better to pick things that are interchangeable and items that you can mix-and-match well. Pick either black, brown, or navy and that's your base color. Then pick your other colors and pieces to match the base. Then you can bring one pair of shoes (very comfortable shoes, because you will be walking a lot) and one bag, only a few accessories that will match everything. You should bring one casual outfit, like jeans and a nice blouse, so that if we go out you will have something to wear, but even this should be nice. The city will be full of SETC people and you will run into them everywhere you go.

If you are working on building your professional wardrobe (which everyone should have), you should look for items that are built well, fit you well and that are timeless (not trendy). You don't want to hide behind your clothes and you don't want your clothes to speak for you. You want something that will not be distracting to what you have to say.

Basics for women:
  • Pencil skirt/A-line skirt
  • Dress pants
  • Oxford blouse (white is good) or dress blouse of sorts
  • Blazer
  • Vest (everyone knows how much I love vests!)
  • Cardigan sweater
  • Fashion scarf (not intended to keep you warm)
  • LBD (people says not to wear a dress to an interview, but I don't agree. If the dress is professional, no party dresses PLEASE)
  • Sensible (and comfortable) heels
  • Sensible (and comfortable) flats
Basics for men:
  • Suit (you can break it up, wearing the pieces separately)
  • Tie (they are not that hard to tie, get over it)
  • V-neck sweater
  • Trousers
  • Dress shoes/loafers (though, I do love a good suit and a pair of Chuck Taylors!)

If you want more search the web! There aren't a lot of search results for "What to wear to a theatre interview" so instead look for "What to wear to an arts interview," or "What to wear to a fashion interview," Check out these sites:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2184627_dress-interview-art-gallery.html
http://www.collegefashion.net/fashion-tips/how-to-dress-for-a-job-interview/
http://www.fashionunder100.net/2009/09/savvy-stylist-casual-job-interview.html
http://www.durham.edu.on.ca/s_links/schools/dce/Images/dresscode.gif
http://blog.modcloth.com/2009-10-22-closet-confidential-putting-it-all-together

1 comment:

  1. Coincidentally, I was just reading an article (from a financial journal) that cited a University of Chicago research study that found that 80% of the reason employees are chosen during the interview process is due to appearance. Wow, Corey you are spot on once again!

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