Dressing the part... 8

[VeritechVF11]

ok, i'm just breaking into the job hunting process, fresh out of college, and i've been doing a bit of research in the way of resume writing, what to do/not to do in an interview, etc.
my field of study is in electronics technology and i'm looking for work as either an electronics test technician or a maintenance mechanic of some kind, preferably for heavy, industrial-type machinery. third choice would be a field service technician for home audio/visual equipment.
anyway, getting to my question... well, i'm female and i have extremely long hair (to waist) and i keep coming across these 'tips and tricks for a successful interview' on various career help sites that say not to wear your hair in a pony tail or some even say not to wear it braided to an interview. thing is... for the type of work i'm going to be interviewing for, aren't i going to come across as just a bit too 'girly' or fragile and just altogether not prepared to do the type of work related to any of said positions if i wear it down?
i'm rather small and people tend to misjudge my mechanical abilities enough as it is without my adding to the assumption that i'm to pristine to get my hands dirty by my dressing 'proper'... right?
i mean, is that right?
i'm worried that going by the book here will actually damage my chances and it seems to me that i'd have a much better shot at landing the job and even being taken seriously if i go in there with a pony tail and a baseball cap on rather than let my hair hang down loose, where it'll constantly be getting in the way, and i'll be constantly flipping it back over my shoulder to get it out of the way and yadda, yadda, yadda.

but then again, an interview is an interview and there's a certain style and demeanor expected of the candidates, right?

so i just don't know.

and i know this is a totally ridiculous question but where better a place to ask it than in a tech-oriented forum where experience in the tech world abounds, so i'm asking you all, what do you think i'd be better off doing? pony-tail, pony-tail through baseball cap, french-braid, plain braid or down? and cutting it off is not one of the options.

 

[HgTX]

I don't interview much but I do have to dress "professionally" on occasion (meetings with big shots, chairing conference sessions, etc.).

I don't think that what you wear to the interview needs to be something you could also wear to the field or on the shop floor. Skirts are STANDARD professional women's wear. If you don't like skirts, go for a pantsuit, but there is nothing wrong with showing up for an interview in a skirt. The reason long hair needs to be put up is because for some reason restrained hair (french twists and the like) is considered to be more businesslike. (I could deliver a big feminist lecture on semiotics and sexuality but I won't.) But I suppose it doesn't hurt to avoid skirts if you're really afraid of seeming too feminine. I'd think, though, that demeanor would carry a lot of weight in that department as well.

Of course cutting it off should not be an option. Sadly for men, short hair is a social norm and men have to cut it off. However, there are more and less stylish cuts, even for long hair, and people are judged by that.

Shoes: nothing wrong with flats. I don't own anything higher than a boot heel. My usual dress shoes are probably similar to the paddock boots--I bought them in Amish country. Heel's about 1". I also have flats, for when I'm not in the mood to tie laces or I think I need to look a little more conventional.

Shirt: the men might not notice if it's a man's shirt, but if you happen to have a woman interviewing you, you're screwed. They make women's oxfords which probably fit better at the wrist anyway.

I got away for a long time with black jeans and cheap silk untailored blouses as my "formal" wear; in fact, that's what I wore to my first and only job interview. I don't feel comfortable about that now, though. I've bitten the bullet and found some non-jeans slacks that I don't hate. I have long skirts and short skirts. (The short ones are more businesslike.)

My problem when I first started working was not what to wear to the office but what to wear in the field. I needed to go shopping for things that weren't T-shirts, and had a tough time figuring out what today's hard-hat woman wears, since I hate polo shirts. Short-sleeved cotton shirts seem to work.

In general, though, women in hard-hat fields are a novelty, and it's up to us pioneers to set the bar as low as possible!

Hg

 

[IRstuff]

Just a caveat on the length of skirt.

I assume that you're referring to slightly below the knee to maybe midcalf?

There are connotations associated with various lengths of skirt.

TTFN

 

[HgTX]

Skirt lengths keep going up and down. I've seen micro-miniskirt pinstripe business suits, and those are Not Cool, at least not in engineering. But for a long time, the standard women's suit was just *at* the knee, or hitting the very top of the knee (no thigh showing to speak of).

These days styles are longer. The short skirts I see in stores now would, depending on the height of the woman, hit somewhere between the top and bottom of the knee. Lots of mid-calf skirts, too, but a hemline cutting across the thickest part of the leg can look bad on a lot of women. (We can't look too girly or too sexy but we're not supposed to look dumpy either. It's the disadvantage of not having a standardized uniform like men do; even in these Atkins days when I hear men discussing weight loss more than women do, you never hear a guy asking, "Does this suit make me look fat?")

Connotations of skirt length also can be shaped by what's on the top half. Are there buttons? How many of them are buttoned up? Is there a v- or scoop neck? How low? How fitted is the tailoring? How heavy is the makeup? And heading south again, how sexy are the shoes?

Men definitely have it easier.

Hg

 

[MadMango]

Easier? Do you know how hard it is to find a black polo shirt that matches khaki dockers... oh. Never mind.

Ray Reynolds
"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949
Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[IRstuff]

wasn't thinking along the lines of following fashion, but more along the lines of avoiding the ultra-low or ultra-long skirts.

Interestingly, our local Costo has cut back on women's clothing and increased the amount of men's clothing. Presumably because women generally want to try things on, while men are more likely to find the right size and move on.

TTFN

 

[HgTX]

I wasn't sure which way you were headed and jumped to the wrong conclusion. Yeah, I consider my long (ankle-length) skirts to be more high-end "business casual" than formal businesswear. I'll wear them to meetings & conferences but not to the most formal situations. (I used to wear them to the office till I devolved into jeans & T-shirts...) Even with the long skirts, though, they can't be evaluated in isolation. Long skirt plus blazer is very different impression from long skirt plus blouse.

Hg

 

[toolmantwo]

For VeritechVF11
How did the job hunting work out?

For the group in the thread, Have you preformed the interview of other women? And if so what did you notice or see as good ideas and bad ideas?

This might be useful hints for others.

Thanks, John

 

[IRstuff]

"preformed?" ;-)

TTFN

 

[crossframe]

Preformed: Formed ahead of time.

 

[toolmantwo]

performed

OK, it is a Monday give me some slack. Well we also use preformed (progressive forming of metal in a die before the final form) as "In house language" here.

 

[bumpjones]

Be yourself if you have to 'phony up' for the interview then chances are you won't like the job if you get it.

 

[melone]

bumpjones, I couldn't disagree more. I wore a suit to my interview, and jeans every day after. I love my job!

I always have thought about it like this: Dressing the part demonstrates that you have the most basic of social / professional skills. There are very few things (in business) that are more important than your interview. If your interview (your first impression) isn't important enough for you to dress up, then your prospective employer will feel that it isn't that important to hire you.

Just my 2 cents....

 

[IRstuff]

Dressing for the environment is hardly a "phony up" situation.

While flouting convention can work in some instances, going to an interview in a bathing suit not only shows a lack of the skills mentioned by Melone, but also shows an utter disregard for your companies sensibilities, rules and attitudes, e.g., it's a mark of rudeness and arrogance.

TTFN

 

[GregLocock]

I've always dressed up for interviews, even though my preferred working gear is T shirt and shorts in summer (OK so the AC in our office struggles in summer). You are displaying your capabilities at an interview, one of those is to make presentations to other professionals. Even I put on a tie for presentations (well, sometimes).

Now, if I were interviewing someone and they were wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, it wouldn't bother me, but I'm not the only interviewer.



Cheers

Greg Locock

 

[ruggedscot]

Be yourself if you have to 'phony up' for the interview then chances are you won't like the job if you get it.

Hmmm phoney up ? Yeah like if you dont you think that you will get the job ? Lots of companies expect you to dress the part for any interview and if you dont then that shows a lack of respect and understanding of the situation. People expect a basic level of understanding of corporate practice and an interview in jeans and baggy tee shirt dont make the required impression and the 'unsuccesful' letter will soon arrive. Its kiddology I know and we all play the part, but it is the way that it works.

The original post here was about a female going to an interview for a position in a field based job, so I think that going casual wouldnt work, The company being interested in how you present yourself and this being apparent in your choice of presentation at the interview. Is the interview in the office or are you expected to give a practical demonstration ? This would make a difference but if it was the office Id say smart leaning to casual but in no circumstances jeans and tee shirt and def no baseball cap.

Rugged