Woof. It's 8 o'clock Friday night and all I want to do is sleep. I had a very long and tiring day. If you're a private school teacher, you probably know about these hiring fairs that are held in the late winter/early spring each year to match teachers with schools. The company which has found me my last two jobs is based in Boston, so they always have a Boston conference and I went this year. Because of the economy (I hope) and the fact that I have to limit my options to the greater Boston area, I only had two interviews today (it's an all-day event) and one tomorrow. The school that I was really interested in before granted me an interview and it went okay, but I don't think I did my best and the interviewer pulled kind of a dick move on me. Another school, which I'd kind of mentally eliminated, I had a great interview with, so... we'll see! Either way, although I had to wake up at dawn, it was kind of nice to shimmy on my "professional teacher (please trust me with your students)" look:
When meeting people you're trying to impress, I think it's nice to physically show how erudite you are
There isn't much to this outfit. The grey dress is my favorite professional dress and it's pretty much only job-appropriate, so I was pretty happy to pull it on for the first time since last spring. Grey tights and black flats completed the ensemble.
I'm so paranoid about dress code now (last year I had to wear hose, a dress/skirt, and no BOOTS every single day of the school year) that I made sure to wear an outfit that my old job wouldn't find objectionable, just in case. That being said, there were SO many female teacher hopefuls wearing boots that I'm excited for the possibilities of going a little wild tomorrow! Woo!
Also, can I just say? Teachers are a fashionable bunch. There were so many awesome outfits/hairstyles/glasses in the conference today that I regretted not having my camera with me.
Also? This is embarrassing, but I totally asked my interviewer (at the school that I'm super-interested in, for which the interview didn't go THAT well) about dress code. What? Better to know these things before finding out too late that you have to wear stockings in June!
Grey dress: Banana Republic, remixed
Grey tights: Gap, remixed
Black flats: Me Too, by way of DSW, remixed
I love that you asked about dress code! It's good to know those kinds of things and provides an insight into the tone, tenor and vibe of the workplace.
ReplyDeleteYour dress is great, it's a true essential style, I think!
Aww, thanks! I think it's important to know about dress code, but I do think I weirded out the interviewer a bit. Especially since I don't think I impressed him that much in the first place!
ReplyDeleteWhat did the previous school have against boots? I've never heard of such thing. In any case, you look very professional and I would hire you...
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your interviews, and good on you for asking about the dress code! For anyone who has ever been burned by showing up to work in a nice, but sleeveless shell top in the middle of summer and was told that they would have to change, this is a completely legit question (ahem, not that I learned this from experience or anything).
ReplyDeleteI ask all my potential employers at the interview what type of dress code is enforced and if there are any specific items that are verboten. Better safe than sorry!
Good luck with your interviews. I would totally trust you with students, in fact, you could teach me to speak Spanish! Good call on asking about the dress code. I always ask about vacation time. Prioritays.
ReplyDeleteIt's always good to ask about dress code. At my job now, I asked and my boss laughed and said, "just be sure to be wearing clothes."
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
I like the dress, it's nice to have a 'go-to' outfit for stuff like this. I have have to work on that...
ReplyDeleteAre you going to bring your camera tomorrow and take pictures? Because if you did that would be AMAZING for those of us that need some help. But it would also be maybe a little creepy taking pictues of people without them knowing and putting them on the web. Just saying...
Good luck!
Hope you interview went well. love the outfit and glasses!!!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Stella
http://www.jadore-fashion.com/
Thank you, Terri! Yeah, apart from insisting that we wear hose and skirts, we weren't allowed to wear boots. I wonder if our (80-something-year-old) headmaster (and his Draconian wife) thought they were unprofessional and/or slutty? Every once in a while, someone would sneak in a pair and there'd be many hidden high-fives all around.
ReplyDeleteSarah, Allison, and Katie, the three of you have completely taken away my fear at the inappropriateness of asking about dress code. I mean, obviously I'm gonna dress professionally at a boys school, but...I still need to know what gives, right?!
Thanks Miss B! Alas, I did not think to bring my camera with me. And you're right - it would've been slightly creepy, especially as we were all a grumpy bunch at 7:30 this morning!
Thank you, Stella, and welcome! I hope you stick around!
I always ask about dress code. I talked about it on my blog a bit last time I was interviewing but it's a big deal to me. I need to want the job and they need to want me and if I can't feel good in the dress code we might as well both move on! <3
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent dress and I wish I owned it!
ReplyDeleteErin, I actually remember you talking about dress code in your blog. Yeah, I mean, it seems like such a little thing, but it becomes so hugely important, you know?
ReplyDeleteThanks, SFE! It's my go-to work dress!
It's totally appropriate to ask about dress code, especially if you phrase it in terms of getting know the sense/feeling of the school as a whole.
ReplyDeleteLove that dress, btw. I have the same one (though it is in my "take to tailor" pile). It's perfect for commuting and looking professional as it never wrinkles! :)
Yay, dress twins! It is a marvel. We'll see how the "dress code" question panned out for the guy. It's possible he's never had someone ask him that question (I think there are only 4 or 5 women on faculty at the moment)! :)
ReplyDeleteIf there are so few women on the faculty, perhaps you'd be able to help them develop their dress code for women, even if not formally, but based on what you find both professional and suitable to your personal style. Seems like you might have some leeway there. Could be fun.
ReplyDeleteHuh. I never thought of it that way - that's an interesting idea! I'm just gonna gun for boots... I really missed that last year!
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