The Minnesota Private Colleges Job and Internship Fair was a success! It was held at the Convention Center this past Tuesday (and Wednesday) with well over a hundred Gusties in attendance. It was a great day – it was so exciting to see you all come in nervous and leave with the thrill of an upcoming interview or holding a job offer. Indeed, Gusties were shining!
I spent most of the day holding down the fort at the Gustavus table. From this perspective I got an eyeful of apparel – Most good, some not so good. Here are the fashion lessons to be taken away from this year’s Job Fair.
For the ladies:
Almost all were dressed in suits (either with pants or a skirt) – Great! This is exactly what you should be wearing – A Job Fair is basically a series of short interviews so you should dress as you would if you had been called in to speak with a company. A couple women missed this memo and dressed in pants, a cami, and a tee over it. Next year, I’m sure they will show up in a blazer and pants. There were several who were wearing highly tailored suits with piping or other subtle but distinctive accents – they also looked wonderful. If you need a touch of personality to your outfit, a more stylized suit or suit pairing (blazer over a dress) works well.
Do:
A couple things that I saw and wouldn’t reccommend for a job fair – leggings and boots with skirts. One woman was wearing cropped leggings under a black mini skirt, with ballet flats. You could try a look like this once you are in the office (in an artsy environment) but it was too casual and unique for the Job Fair. Her school ended up asking her to take off the leggings, leaving her with bare legs… bringing me to my next point – Don’t have bare legs! I’m not suggesting “nude hose,” but the quasi-sheer black tights worn by most of the women in skirts was a perfect solution.
Don’t:
I also saw a surprising number of high-heel, knee-high boots worn with skirts at the fair (bare legs and all…). If you would consider wearing it with your Halloween costume, definitely pass on wearing it to the Job Fair. This is not the impression you want to make.
Don’t:
For the guys:
You guys generally looked fabulous as well! Very sharp. Of the few guys I saw not wearing a suit, they were still in dress pants, a dress shirt, tie, and nice sweater over it. Some guys were sporting cufflinks, which I loved. These are the perfect way to distinguish yourself and add a touch of your personality to a suit. Cufflinks come in just about any form you can imagine. Do a little research and you’re sure to find a pair that fit your style.
Do:
As far as adding personality goes, some guys were trying a little too hard. You want to stand out at the Job Fair using your resume, attitude, and demeanor; not through some outrageous outfit. There’s plenty of time for the employer to get to know you – Don’t make them make an instant judgment based on your clothes. For example, some guys were wearing outlandish or cartoon-covered ties (even more distracting than the ones below). Stick with a professional one. You’ll have plenty of time to make “fashion statements” once you land the job.
Don’t:
Along this same line, only up a notch or two, were the guys in various hats. They were clearly trying to be different and say something about themselves to employers. While the motivation is good, the execution is not. Stay away from all headgear – it can be seen as disrespectful (remember how you can’t wear hats in some classes? Same idea…).
Don’t:
I’m looking forward to Job Fair 2011 – It was great to see you guys looking your best and impressing so many recruiters. Congratulations!