Battle Kitten: Ascension

[Severine]

7 hours ago, fleaball said:

Okay, people who adult better than me: the email with the interview times for Tuesday says “please come dressed in professional attire.” Does professional mean a proper suit (jacket and pants bought as a unit) or just a blazer and nice pants? Or is there even a difference beyond the set obviously being the same color vs bought separately they’re mix and match? I’m pretty sure I have pants that fit but I the jacket I have definitely does not, so I’m trying to figure out what exactly I need to buy. Google isn’t helping to solve this mystery right now and I’m not sure if it’s because there’s no actual distinction or if I’m just too goddamn tired to comprehend things. 

 

obvious assumptions: the reminder could have just meant “don’t show up in yoga pants,” nice shirt goes under jacket. Also I don’t even know if “jacket” and “blazer” are interchangeable or if they’re two different pieces of clothing altogether. 

 

I swear I’m going to bed but I had to get this out of my brain first. 

 

The main things that determine how 'dressy' an outfit is perceived to be, in my opinion, are (a) fabric (b) style of cut (c) neatness and (d) coordination. 

 

It definitely doesn't have to be a suit set that was bought together, but you want it to be coordinated. That can mean the same colour (that's the simplest) but it doesn't have to. So like, for example, I have an outfit that's black dress pants, a light grey shirt, and a blazer with grey and black stripes. It ties together in a rational way but I bought all the pieces separately. I also often pair dark grey dress pants with a black blazer and various shirts. All that being said, I think a matching top and bottom are perceived as dressier, generally, than a bottom and top of different but coordinating colours. But for the purposes of this interview I would seriously doubt it'd make a difference.

 

A pair of dress pants and a blazer in the same colour are a wardrobe staple for business, because you can add almost any nice shirt and it works. So if you have dressy pants that you like, I'd say the most practical thing is to aim for a blazer the same colour because it'll be really versatile. Take the pants shopping with you, because not all greys, blacks, etc. are the same and you want to make sure they're close enough to not look weird.

 

FWIW I have a few blazers and I don't know if they'd be too big for you but you're welcome to borrow one if you can't find anything you like while shopping.

[fleaball]

Well that was awkward as fuck. It well well. Ish. Like nothing terribly awful but she was almost 15 minutes late calling and then it was less interview and more informational again? She was obviously trying to make sure I'd be a good fit but she didn't really have anything new to tell me and as a result I didn't really have any questions to follow up with, because the questions I have at this point are more about the day-to-day stuff at the branch. Blah.

 

New question: do I guess at this woman's email address to send her a quick thank you? Or is that weird? I have no contact information for her but the recruiter's email is first.last@bank.com so I was going to try that. 

 

Thanks for the fashion advice y'all. Will respond after I try to sleep a little more before therapy.

[Sylvaa]

3 hours ago, Severine said:

A pair of dress pants and a blazer in the same colour are a wardrobe staple for business, because you can add almost any nice shirt and it works. So if you have dressy pants that you like, I'd say the most practical thing is to aim for a blazer the same colour because it'll be really versatile. Take the pants shopping with you, because not all greys, blacks, etc. are the same and you want to make sure they're close enough to not look weird.

 

This. 

 

Since it is a commercial position, I personally would go the suit route for the interview. If you can find mix and match in the same color, then that should be acceptable (as it's usually pretty difficult to tell if the colors match). I know it doesn't count for much, but I generally go with dressing based on who you interact with, so  B2B = suit, C-suite / executives = jacket & pants (don't necessarily have to be a suit), general public = nice pants and sweater set, internal folks only = nice pants and dressy blouse. 

[Severine]

3 hours ago, fleaball said:

Well that was awkward as fuck. It well well. Ish. Like nothing terribly awful but she was almost 15 minutes late calling and then it was less interview and more informational again? She was obviously trying to make sure I'd be a good fit but she didn't really have anything new to tell me and as a result I didn't really have any questions to follow up with, because the questions I have at this point are more about the day-to-day stuff at the branch. Blah.

 

You sound kind of underwhelmed by this, but to me it sounds like a good sign? Like they've got some level of presumption that you can do the job and it's a matter of confirming that rather than deciding between a bunch of possible candidates.

 

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New question: do I guess at this woman's email address to send her a quick thank you? Or is that weird? I have no contact information for her but the recruiter's email is first.last@bank.com so I was going to try that. 

 

I would give it a try, yeah. Worst case scenario it bounces back. Just keep it super brief.

 

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Thanks for the fashion advice y'all. Will respond after I try to sleep a little more before therapy.

 

Hope your brain lets you sleep!

[fleaball]

14 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I can answer some of those questions. The easiest one first. For men's clothes, a jacket refers to the coat part of a suit, made from the same material as the pants. A blazer is traditionally Navy Blue with brass buttons, and is worn with nice pants that don't have to be exactly the same as the blazer. It has come to mean something cut like a suit jacket but that isn't the same materiel as the pants. I don't know if the same naming convention applies to women's professional clothing.

 

Nice pants, shoes that match a good shirt and a jacket that goes with it are professional. You could get away with nice shirt nice pants, but if they're considering you for a higher position you might want to get a jacket.

 

13 hours ago, NeverThatBored said:

I'd say jacket and blazer can be used interchangeably here, though I'm not known for my fashion know-how. 

 

But what Tank said is definitely right - any nice pants/shirt combined with some kind of jacket/blazer should be fine. Nobody will care if it's a matching suit set. A lot of people don't even bother with the jacket, but it's much better to be safe than sorry and just wear one if you can. 

 

12 hours ago, Jean said:

What they said. Also, if it helps, you can google the bank and watch what their staff is wearing on their photos, this is usually a good clue of the higher end of their dress code (people may dress more casually the rest of the time).

 

Also, good luck and fingers crossed.

 

6 hours ago, Severine said:

 

The main things that determine how 'dressy' an outfit is perceived to be, in my opinion, are (a) fabric (b) style of cut (c) neatness and (d) coordination. 

 

It definitely doesn't have to be a suit set that was bought together, but you want it to be coordinated. That can mean the same colour (that's the simplest) but it doesn't have to. So like, for example, I have an outfit that's black dress pants, a light grey shirt, and a blazer with grey and black stripes. It ties together in a rational way but I bought all the pieces separately. I also often pair dark grey dress pants with a black blazer and various shirts. All that being said, I think a matching top and bottom are perceived as dressier, generally, than a bottom and top of different but coordinating colours. But for the purposes of this interview I would seriously doubt it'd make a difference.

 

A pair of dress pants and a blazer in the same colour are a wardrobe staple for business, because you can add almost any nice shirt and it works. So if you have dressy pants that you like, I'd say the most practical thing is to aim for a blazer the same colour because it'll be really versatile. Take the pants shopping with you, because not all greys, blacks, etc. are the same and you want to make sure they're close enough to not look weird.

 

2 hours ago, Sylvaa said:

This. 

 

Since it is a commercial position, I personally would go the suit route for the interview. If you can find mix and match in the same color, then that should be acceptable (as it's usually pretty difficult to tell if the colors match). I know it doesn't count for much, but I generally go with dressing based on who you interact with, so  B2B = suit, C-suite / executives = jacket & pants (don't necessarily have to be a suit), general public = nice pants and sweater set, internal folks only = nice pants and dressy blouse. 

 

Cheers, y'all. I should have mentioned I usually do black pants and black jacket for interviews by default, so at least I have that going for me. It sounds like I'm going to be hiding in an office (cubicle?) somewhere and never interacting face-to-face with customers, so hopefully I don't need to deal with a jacket after that. (Also means I can't cheat and google what employees there wear, because it would be different for the branch employees. Boo.) But you all made me feel better that I don't have to go out and buy an actual proper suit set right now.

 

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FWIW I have a few blazers and I don't know if they'd be too big for you but you're welcome to borrow one if you can't find anything you like while shopping.

Thanks! Usually blazers are what I have the easiest time buying so I'm crossing my fingers I can get at least that done easily lol. But I'll let you know.

 

7 hours ago, Bean Sidhe said:

Yay flea. Good luck in the interview today. Fingers crossed.

I am 0 help on the fashion thing. I swear, when I get to that point, I am going to have to take someone to take me shopping since I generally suck at trying to look nice.

You got this. And hopefully this leads to freedom.

When I got my internship in DC, roommate dragged me shopping and I basically just stood there while she walked around, grabbed things, and shoved them in my arms. It was efficient lol.

 

1 hour ago, Severine said:

You sound kind of underwhelmed by this, but to me it sounds like a good sign? Like they've got some level of presumption that you can do the job and it's a matter of confirming that rather than deciding between a bunch of possible candidates.

Yeah that's a possibility. The one thing that put me off a bit was that she was like "well this has nothing to do with what you went to school for. Are you going to miss that? Why are you leaving it?" I was like "well, Boston's international enough that I can always volunteer and join language groups if I really want to, but my master's field is more related to psychology/sociology/people than politics, so I can do anything with it." And she seemed iffy still. I don't think it's going to hurt me massively but I'm grumpy about it. The she went on to say that she's worked with the same boss for 21 years, following him from one place to another etc., so she's always curious when people change fields. I really wanted to be like "why are you even doing interviews when you're clearly so out of touch with the reality of employment these days? You're an exception to the rule at this point." 

 

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I would give it a try, yeah. Worst case scenario it bounces back. Just keep it super brief.

Yeah it's basically going to be "thanks for speaking with me today. I appreciate your time."

 

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Hope your brain lets you sleep!

Did not. Epic fail.

[Severine]

33 minutes ago, fleaball said:

Yeah that's a possibility. The one thing that put me off a bit was that she was like "well this has nothing to do with what you went to school for. Are you going to miss that? Why are you leaving it?" I was like "well, Boston's international enough that I can always volunteer and join language groups if I really want to, but my master's field is more related to psychology/sociology/people than politics, so I can do anything with it."

 

I think that's a great answer to that question.

 

Now it's all about Tuesday right? You said it was a couple hours? Will there be a lunch? I hate having to eat in front of people at interviews but if you do just order really strategically to get nothing messy and nothing that'll stick in your teeth 

[fleaball]

1 hour ago, Severine said:

 

I think that's a great answer to that question.

I also added something about how it's important in international business and could be useful if I move up in the bank. Because why not, right?

 

1 hour ago, Severine said:

 

Now it's all about Tuesday right? You said it was a couple hours? Will there be a lunch? I hate having to eat in front of people at interviews but if you do just order really strategically to get nothing messy and nothing that'll stick in your teeth 

1-3pm, blah. I doubt there will be a lunch involved. It's basically just 3 back-to-back interviews with the person who'd be my supervisor and 2 team leads. I'm actually already planning on grabbing lunch at sweetgreen after though. It's a super awesome salad place that I got hooked on in DC but they don't have locations outside of Boston proper and it makes me sad because it's not worth going in town for a salad haha.

[fleaball]

I accidentally fell asleep with the fat cat and then my father woke me up to get cat litter out of my trunk and now I’m too tired to do anything but too awake to go back to sleep, plus it’s only 7pm. Rage. 

[Severine]

We should totally go to Sweetgreen next time we meet in the city. I've never tried it. 

 

Also woooo you're going to rock this. And you have the weekend to prep/prepare.

[fleaball]

25 minutes ago, Severine said:

We should totally go to Sweetgreen next time we meet in the city. I've never tried it. 

Wooooot. I just checked to see what the least pain in the ass location would be and they’re in Harvard square now too! Or there’s a couple downtown that look T-accessible for you, but I wouldn’t advise trying to park near any of them.

 

25 minutes ago, Severine said:

 

Also woooo you're going to rock this. And you have the weekend to prep/prepare.

Yeah as of right now I’m not nervous or stressed or anything. Mostly I’m just like “ugh two solid hours of wearing real clothes???”

[Sylvaa]

8 hours ago, fleaball said:

Mostly I’m just like “ugh two solid hours of wearing real clothes???”

 

I totally feel this! #nomorerealpants!

 

Although, I've started to view my suit jacket like my battle armor, and it's been kind of great.

[fleaball]

I’m sitting at the hair place and istg my face looks so much fatter in their mirrors than anywhere else. I am not pleased. 

 

(Prepare for tons of random posting while I sit here forever for this dye to set.)

[Sylvaa]

3 minutes ago, fleaball said:

I’m sitting at the hair place and istg my face looks so much fatter in their mirrors than anywhere else. I am not pleased. 

 

(Prepare for tons of random posting while I sit here forever for this dye to set.)

 

I swear to goodness they have the worst mirrors at places like that!  But yay for self care and getting your hair dyed! (Note: I am sitting at the airport, so I feel you).

[fleaball]

19 minutes ago, Sylvaa said:

 

I swear to goodness they have the worst mirrors at places like that!  But yay for self care and getting your hair dyed! (Note: I am sitting at the airport, so I feel you).

Haha it’s less self care and more “I have a job interview next week and my hair is like 4 different colors” lol. Although yeah, I usually do notice I feel a lot better after getting it done. I really want to just let it all grow out and just never have to dye it again, but it’s going to be such a process because it’s a combination of like white/gray/silver. And the color stays really well in the dyed parts, so really I’d have to cut it super short to make it work. Womp. 

 

But yeah. There’s got to be something up with these mirrors. I know I’m super fat, that’s not a surprise. I just don’t know why it’s so much more prominent here.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

2 minutes ago, fleaball said:

 

But yeah. There’s got to be something up with these mirrors. I know I’m super fat, that’s not a surprise. I just don’t know why it’s so much more prominent here.

It's probably the location of the mirrors in relation to where and how you are sitting. You are seeing yourself in a different way than normal. Usually when we are looking at ourselves in the mirror we are standing up and maybe even leaning a little forward, which is a much more flattering angle. When I see pictures of myself sitting, I always look heavier than I do in the mirror.

[Sylvaa]

4 minutes ago, fleaball said:

But yeah. There’s got to be something up with these mirrors. I know I’m super fat, that’s not a surprise. I just don’t know why it’s so much more prominent here.

 

 

So the mirror thing can be related to lighting also. A good salon (or even halfway okay) should have lighting designed to let the stylists do their job well (because dyeing hair can really be complicated in like "regular light"). So while at home or even outside, you'll have shadows and different temperatures of lights. 

 

Basically, the stylists need a specific kind of perfect lighting storm to be able to help them get your hair the way you want it. Crappy mirrors is the price you pay for pretty hair.

[Severine]

3 hours ago, Sylvaa said:

Basically, the stylists need a specific kind of perfect lighting storm to be able to help them get your hair the way you want it. Crappy mirrors is the price you pay for pretty hair.

 

I have also noticed hair salon lighting is super unflattering. I never really thought much about it but this explanation completely makes sense. 

[fleaball]

Blahhhhhhh it is not the color I wanted. I know I said in April that I need to stop going to her but I didn’t want to deal with finding a new place to go right now. It’s not terrible-looking but it’s definitely not what it was supposed to be. She said the same when she was washing it out too. But whatever, it’s not hideous and it’s not gray. Now I just need to focus on losing weight ASAP so I can chop all my hair off and let it go gray without looking terrible. 

[fleaball]

Womp, nothing in my closet fits and I should have gone shopping before now. Story of my life. 

[Severine]

Still plenty of time to shop, though. Shopping just sucks. But hopefully this time it'll be worth it.

 

 

[WhiteGhost]

A little late catching up with this thread but there is so much awesomeness happening in here that I can't not comment

 

First of all, congratulations on the interviews.  The first one sounds like it was great and the second one sounds like it was with the assistant to the EVP.  In most cases this kind of interview is just for the EVP to get a feel for who you are and what you are like so that when they need to come to him/her for the hiring decision they aren't completely clueless.  Or it was that HR needed a second person to interview you and the only person they could get on short notice was the assistant, in which case it really has very little impact because they just need someone to agree with what HR has already decided.

 

With regard to everything else, the stuff everyone else has told you is spot on, so listen to them and you will be just fine  

[fleaball]

2 hours ago, Severine said:

Still plenty of time to shop, though. Shopping just sucks. But hopefully this time it'll be worth it.

 

 

Yeah, I’m not insanely worried, just dreading the actual shopping. Plus I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to buy all

new everything. (Don’t get fat, kids!) I’m going out driving earlier than usual tomorrow so hopefully I can stop somewhere on my way home. Kohl’s is open til midnight on Sundays (why???) so if nothing else, there’s that. We have to be at the hospital for my father’s colonoscopy at 7:15am Monday so I’m trying not to leave it til then because I probably won’t sleep much.

 

28 minutes ago, WhiteGhost said:

A little late catching up with this thread but there is so much awesomeness happening in here that I can't not comment

 

First of all, congratulations on the interviews.  The first one sounds like it was great and the second one sounds like it was with the assistant to the EVP.  In most cases this kind of interview is just for the EVP to get a feel for who you are and what you are like so that when they need to come to him/her for the hiring decision they aren't completely clueless.  Or it was that HR needed a second person to interview you and the only person they could get on short notice was the assistant, in which case it really has very little impact because they just need someone to agree with what HR has already decided.

 

With regard to everything else, the stuff everyone else has told you is spot on, so listen to them and you will be just fine  

Thanks

[fleaball]

Lawl. Getting up early did not happen because sleep did not want to happen. Of course 

[fleaball]

I am cry. Lyfting took forever. It’s 12:15 and I just got home. Eating some food now and then attempting to sleep before my alarm goes off at 5:45. (We don’t have to be at the hospital, which is 3 miles away, until 7:15, but we’re leaving no later than 6:15 because traffic is unpredictable and it could for reals take us that long to get there.) I didn’t have time to go clothes shopping today, so I’ll be doing that Monday night. Cryyyyyy.

 

so much procrastination and timing fail. 

[Severine]

Noooo eleventh hour shopping is the worst. I hope everything goes smoothly with your dad's procedure and you're able to find stuff you like quickly at some non-insanely-busy store.