What to wear to your business school interview

I recently sat down with Earl Raehsler to get some practical advice for prospective students who have made it to the next phase of the admissions process. Earl is the Assistant Director of Admissions for the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, so this advice is coming straight from the source! He’s shared some sound advice on how to prepare for your big interview at the GSM, which I have summarized for you here.

Before I dive in to specifics about wardrobe, however, I thought I’d share an extremely important piece of insight I got from Earl – if you take anything away from this blog post, it should be this: the admissions team is looking first and foremost for candidates who can tell their story in an engaging and authentic manner. Ultimately, Earl and his team are looking at the person you will become two years down the road if you are accepted. They are evaluating you today, but also what you will look like to job recruiters when you graduate. Savvy candidates will keep this in mind every step of the way!

And now, on to the fashion! Read on to learn specific tips that came up in our conversation.

Job interview outfits can be fun!

I'm going on a visit to the headquarters of one of my favorite online retailers next week and I have to say it's been pretty fun trying to figure out what to wear. Those of you that have been reading my blog since the beginning might remember how tortured I used to be about getting dressed for job interviews, business school events and business life in general. I had this strange notion going into business school that I would be forced to conform to the kind of corporate culture that I'm allergic to. Since then I've realized that is not the case at all!

I should say this is mostly due to the fact that I'm interested in fashion and other creative industries, where wearing a suit is not required. In fact, at many companies, particularly in the tech world, showing up wearing a suit will actually make the WRONG impression. The career website at Amazon actually states "A suit and tie won't impress anyone here." So, yeah, I'm not exactly trying to work on Wall Street. But I think there is definitely a bit more leeway in how people dress in general for job interviews and professional life than there used to be. And that makes me happy!

Anyway, that was the impetus for this post. The photos in the collage above are all from Stockholm Street Style. I think these looks are polished and interesting. They have character, which I find to be the best part of dressing for any occasion. 

xoChr


Images via here. 

Business School Attire: Dressed for Work

Speaking of business attire, Refinery 29 nailed it with these looks in their "Ankle-Boot Outfits For Work (& Play!)" story today. I wear ankle boots a lot (almost always with dresses), and while I might not look quite as pulled together on a daily basis, it's certainly a goal to strive for!

Check out the full story on Refinery 29.

xoChr

Obsessed: Peter Pilotto for Target

How gorgeous are these looks by Peter Pilotto? To me, this is by far the most exciting collection presented by Target in collaboration with any designer. The items will be available in early February, so it remains to be seen how these stunning prints will translate (look/feel) to the actual fabrics, but I am totally obsessed.

I'm actually not a huge prints person, but I can see a lot of the more casual pieces fitting in well with my student lifestyle. I'm most excited to inject some excitement into my business attire. There are so many office-appropriate looks that would stand out for job interviews or work wear. He's taken the pencil skirt to a whole new level.

We'll see what my student budget will actually allow...but here are a few of my favorite items:

Like I said, obsessed.

xoChr

(images via fashionista)

Business School Attire: Dressed for a Job Interview

Full disclosure: I'm supposed to be studying statistics and can't seem to find the motivation. Sorry Professor E!

So instead of studying I pulled together an example of something I might wear to a job interview...depending on the company of course. I think this look is somewhat conservative with so many dark colors, but it's still very polished and represents my personal sense of style.

A lot of websites and guidance counselors will tell you not to stand out. Don't wear jewelry, lipstick or color -- that sort of thing. I tend to disagree with all of this advice. I have never lived my life in a way to blend in, and I don't intend to start now! But I understand the sentiment. I think the underlying premise of all that advice is that you shouldn't look like you're going out to da club -- you should look professional.

I think as long as you look polished and appropriate for the type of company, there's no reason to hide your personality! There's absolutely nothing wrong with someone thinking of you as the well-dressed candidate, especially if it sets you apart from the sea of boring suits that are vying for the same position.

What do you guys think of this outfit? Does it come across as professional to you? Does the lack of blazer make you think it's too casual? I'm still struggling with the whole blazer thing...

xochr

PS click on the photo to see the origin of the items in the collage

Business School Attire: Dressed for Classes

Hi guys! I took a few minutes to put together an example of a look I'd wear for class days now that I'm in business school. I didn't really have to adapt my wardrobe at all since most of us aren't too worried about looking business-y in class. We're just there to absorb knowledge from our professors and get through the many to-do's of our day.

I plan to do a lot more of these posts to share how I have been dressing (or plan to dress) for various events related to business school. Let me know if you have any questions/thoughts/ideas about how to approach dressing for certain events. I feel like I overcomplicate this stuff sometimes, but I guess that's the whole point of this blog!

xoChr

Zara peter pan collar dress / Topshop shoes / Topshop black satchel bag / Karen Walker Eyewear sunglasses / Tom Ford plum lipstick / Butter London gold nail polish

Business School Attire: Scholastic Style

Have I mentioned yet how much I have been enjoying the weather in Davis? I hate to harp on such a trivial topic, but the freedom I've felt from the death-grip of black tights has been tremendous! I think you have to live in San Francisco to truly appreciate why it's such a big deal, but let's just say there's nothing like wearing a dress bare-legged from morning to night when you're used to covering 90% of your skin in layers of warm clothes from November-August. I was even bare-legged on Saturday when it rained! FREEDOM, I SAY!!

Above are a few street style photos from around the web that I really like as transitional summer-to-fall outfits. I'm not sure what the business school dress code will be like, but I'd copy each of these looks if I had time to actually go shopping :) For now, I am stuck browsing all the pretty things online. Be sure to check out my Back to School board on Pinterest to see these shots and more!

xoChr

PS school starts so soon! I'm so excited...I'm so...scared...
PPS anyone? anyone? :)

Back to (Grad) School Fashion

I've been having a blast daydreaming about outfits for school. It's been so long since I've had such a marked transition as this one, and we all know every major transition in life calls for a fresh set of clothes. Plus, Davis is A LOT warmer than San Francisco, which means I'll soon be free of tights (at least for a while)!

In reality I don't expect my day-to-day wardrobe to change allllll that much, but I am really excited to stock up on staples like these perfect Jeffrey Campbell flats. And while an oversized PS11 Tote that costs more than a month's rent in Davis isn't so realistic to use as a book bag, I still think it fits quite nicely with my back to school aesthetic...

xoChr

Scarf / Dress / Shoes / Bag

Bussiness School Attire: When Panic Suits Me

Adding to the stress of my bschool application process was the dreaded interview. After giving out a little yelp of excitement that I’d made it past the first filter, I realized that I had nothing to wear. I like to appear pretty polished on a daily basis, and wear dresses with oxfords, cardigans, blouses, and so on, but I don’t own a business suit—and (fingers crossed) never really hope to.

I searched online to mixed results. Some sites said, yes, you must absolutely wear a business suit! Others said to just make sure you look professional, but don’t wear lots of jewelry or color. Wear black, navy, or grey. Make sure your clothes look clean and new. Business casual is a must. 

I was spiraling into a sweaty panic over what to wear, but I hadn’t just spent six months in GMAT and essay writing hell to show up to an interview looking out of place!

So I went shopping, tried on every single piece of business attire at Ann Taylor, J Crew, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, yada yada yada. I tried on suit sets in every color and style. I tried on cropped blazers, long blazers, blazers with three buttons, blazers with one button and everything in between.

At some point I realized that I am diametrically opposed to the woman that these clothes are designed for – both physically (my shape), and intellectually (my sense of self). None of them flattered my body. I tried on those slacks that hug your butt and then balloon out so your shoes are hidden, which basically just highlighted all of my "problem" areas.  More importantly, none of these looks made me feel confident. I felt like a poser in someone else’s skin—someone I didn’t even want to be!

So I called a friend, and she said “forget the suit sets, just get some cool black slacks, a printed blouse and an oversized dark blazer.” Oh. Duh.

She totally snapped me out of it, just like that. I ditched Ann Taylor, and it really was that easy once I realized who I was again. I don’t dress for utility and I don’t like following rules. I get dressed every day because I love fashion. So in the end, I found a way to look appropriate while maintaining my identity. I even wore a chunky necklace, NBD.

Bussiness School Attire: Thoughts on the Modern Woman and Business Attire

So here’s the thing. I come from a punk/indie background; I’ve lived most of my life allergic to suits. My dad is a self-made entrepreneur. I’ve never seen my parents answer to a boss. My brother owns his own business, so do my uncles, my cousin, quite a few of my friends. And so do I for a little while longer. 

Until now, I’ve lived most of my life as an employee in corporate settings, working my way up the corporate ladder. Even still, I have a septum piercing, spent years playing in punk bands and had ombre hair before your hairstylist had ever heard of it. I don’t relate to a lot of my coworkers’ personal sense of style. I have always been the “quirky” girl in the office.

But I’m starting business school in a couple months and, as you might imagine, the question of “what to wear” has been filling me with anxiety! To me, business attire seems stifling, formal, un-fun. Ill-fitting slacks, skirt suits, nude stockings, sad, un-sexy pumps.  

Yet for the *modern woman, there’s this sense that you can be a creative, interesting dresser and still be a strong, respectable business person (just leaf through Elle or visit R29). Somehow I rarely see this in the “real world.” I have a lot of successful friends that are stylish, but they aren’t exactly executives or upper management types.

So my question is this: is it possible for me to retain my personal sense of style without standing out for the wrong reasons? I need to get to the bottom of this! How much can I get away with and not alienate myself or not be taken seriously? Is this even really an issue or am I just making a mountain out of a molehill?

I have a bschool event coming up in a few weeks… let’s see what happens.

xoChr

*Everyone just loves to talk about the modern business woman! Have you ever watched an episode of Project Runway? They are constantly dressing this mysterious modern woman. Maybe I just don’t know any? Maybe I’m actually secretly more of a traditional woman? But the nose ring... you see? It’s confusing!

images: pants © jcrew.com // alexa chung’s legs via stockholm streetstyle