The other day I had my first job interview. The real adult world wanted to know if I was qualified for a job that I thought I wanted. As it turned out, I appeared rather unqualified for a job that I am fairly confident I would hate.
It all started the night before the interview. In preparation, I raided my yuppie roommates' closets in search of anything appropriately business casual. The end result was a fairly conservative orange blouse, a flattering black blazer, dark stockings and what I thought was an edgy, black-and-white pencil skirt that I had bought in high school for college networking events. Nearly an entire undergrad experience and many pounds later, I was shocked and pleased to discover that, by some small miracle, it still fit.
I stood looking in the mirror to assess my situation. The skirt wrinkled audibly and uncomfortably when I moved, and the blazer confined my elbow mobility. The whole getup felt strange, like a costume. I definitely did not feel like myself. I proclaimed to my clothes-providing roommates that the last thing I wanted in the next five years is a life that forces me to wear a costume to work.
In case you haven't already guessed, I have yet to work a job with a business casual dress code. In fact, the only dress code I have adhered to in a paid position is a staff shirt and nametag; I have spent the last five summers working at a sleep-away camp. On check-in days, I was required to wear shorts with a button and zipper. Tough life, I know.
Lucky for me, at least some of my friends have more formal office work experience. Their wardrobes contain plentiful assortments of blouses, pencil skirts and cardigans - because, really, what other variations on the business casual outfit exist?
In my opinion, the getup and lifestyle that goes with it are rather boring. I have the utmost respect for people who love their jobs and tolerate stifling clothing, but, if there is one thing that reveals my incompatibility with that lifestyle, it is the dress code.
Dressing for the interview made me realize a lot about my own values and where I want a career to take me. I want a job that lets me work outside and teach and learn from people, especially kids. For better or for worse, I don't think pencil skirts and being outside are profoundly compatible.
I know that a lifestyle qualified by restrictive outfits and cubicles will not make me happy, at least not in the near future. Sometimes it is frustrating to live in a society and attend a school where this goal seems to be the norm. Deviating from that attitude and seeking a job that doesn't quite fit the mold is not easy, but I have come to realize just how important that is to me. I feel empowered now to have a solid understanding of what I value in a career. It is only by happenstance that a dress code helped me determine that. Maybe one day I will have a change of heart and find myself interested in a job that requires business casual attire, but I see this as unlikely within the next five years.
So, my first interview was a bit of a flop. But it certainly will not be my last, and it certainly helped shape the path of my imminent job search. I am sure that the next interview will be better, and hopefully, as I get closer to my dream job, those interviews won't require me to wear a costume but allow me to feel qualified and confident as myself.
Eloise Libre is a senior who is majoring in history. She can be reached at Eloise.Libre@tufts.edu
