WHAT NOT TO WEAR: MLA INTERVIEW EDITION Susannah Cleveland Mark A. Puente Misti Shaw

DONT BE ONE-DATE DEBBIE. One-Date Debbie, Sixteen Magazine, 11, no. 2 (July, 1969): 21.

GUIDELINES Have at least two interview-ready outfits available at all times.

Be dressed for the interview from the moment you arrive. (You are probably not Michelle Obama.) GUIDELINES

Dress for the climate.

GUIDELINES Select clothes that are tasteful and that dont distract from your professional qualifications.

GUIDELINES very fit bodybuilder ( ) Check your fit.

THE BLAZER QUESTION Ladies, you dont have to wear a blazer. For reals.

GUIDELINES Practice wearing your interview clothes.

GUIDELINES But Im a cataloger. -pettyartist, frumpy

GOOD (OBVIOUS) ADVICE Before you have an interview scheduled, consider: 1.Do you have clothing appropriate to the position, industry, company, and department in which you are seeking a job? 2.Is this clothing in excellent condition: clean, neat, in impeccable repair, and not obviously dated? -Marco Dorio, The Complete Idiots Guide to the Perfect Job Interview ([New York: Alpha Books, 2009): 52

SO-SO ADVICE In the real world…an employers decision to hire is to a significant degree influenced by feelingsand one of those feelings is that you will fit in. So go ahead: walk in the door already suited up as a member of the team. -Marco Dorio, The Complete Idiots Guide to the Perfect Job Interview ([New York]: Alpha Books, 2009): 53

DANGEROUS ADVICE Dress as if you already work there. ( actual librarian at work)

DANGEROUS ADVICE Dress for the job you really want. Dressed as dean

BETTER ADVICE You want to dress one level above what you would normally wear on the job every day. -Katy Pietrowski, Career Cowards Guide to Interviewing (Indianapolis: JIST Works, 2007), s.v. Build Your Confidence Inside and Out, e-book.

FOR REFERENCE Find some good and relevant advice in: Barkley, Daniel. Live and In-Person: Get Ready to Meet the Entire Library Family. In How to Stay Afloat in the Academic Library Pool, edited by Teresa Y. Neely and Camila A. Alire, Chicago: American Library Association, e-book.

AND FOR INSPIRATION

JUST SAY NO!!!! To pleated, too-long Dockers with a blue polyester blazer

SLEEVES TOO LONG Get a tailor!

WELL- FITTED SHOULDERS Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand…

WATCH YOUR PATTERNS! Dont be afraid to show a little bit of flare

WATCH YOUR PATTERNS! Novelty ties are NEVER a good idea

FACIAL JEWELRY/TA TOOS Depends on context, but consider balance

SHOW YOUR FLAIR Scarves: Not just for Art Librarians

SHOW YOUR FLAIR Professional does not mean boring.

PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD Invest in some shoe trees

PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD Invest in some shoe trees

WARDROBE AND OTHER TIPS visual/ visual/ interview/ interview/

WARDROBE TIPS

POTENTIAL PITFALLS: SWEAT If you sweat a lot, avoid polyester Choose natural fabrics when possible Clinical strength deodorant is NOT prescription strength Choose Certain Dri for OTC prescription strength If you do sweat through your sleeves, relax. It happens!

POTENTIAL PITFALLS: LEGS Slingbacks are dangerous. Unlined skirt with tights creates static. Wear a slip! Wear your dress/tights combo to work for a test run on static. Nude sheer hosiery is JUST FINE. Lawyers, CEOs, and other professional women still wear them.

If its good enough for Princess Kate… Its good enough for us.

POTENTIAL PITFALLS: ILL-FITTING CLOTHING Avoid the shmedium shirt Slim-fit shirts arent the only option Or: size up, and have the shirt tailored. This is a standard job for a tailor

POTENTIAL PITFALLS: ILL-FITTING CLOTHING Avoid bosom button gap. Solution 1: Have a tailor sew invisible snaps for reinforcement. Solution 2: Leave unbuttoned, wear cami underneath. Solution 3: Size up, have a tailor take in with darts and reseaming.

A SHIRT TAKEN IN… Seams were added in back… Could also be done in front, under bust

POTENTIAL PITFALLS: ILL-FITTING CLOTHING Poufy voluminous tuck-ins can be fixed with tailoring! before after

POTENTIAL PITFALLS: ILL-FITTING CLOTHING Fix floppy collars with collar stays

POTENTIAL PITFALLS: ILL-FITTING CLOTHING If your shirt comes with plastic stays, swap them for metal If your shirt doesnt come with inserts for collar stays, get them installed by a tailor If you really want to look sharp, use stays with magnets This is best for the shirt-no-tie look.

COLLAR STAYS WITH MAGNETS

FINISHING TOUCHES Iron your clothes, especially the knee creases from the hanger. The shower method doesnt work on most wrinkles. If you wear aftershave, bold deodorant, or lotion, apply it at least 20 minutes before your first interview meeting. Let it fade… If perfume makes you feel great, wear it sparingly. Use the Outside Grandma method: Grandma says if you can smell yourself outdoors, its too much perfume. Dont hurt Grandma.

Tide sticks work. White handkerchiefs for brow sweat, spills, scuffs, vampire bites, and more. Carry a scarf to hide giant food globs or beverage stains. In winter, consider packing bottle of Static Guard. Consider packing dry shampoo (spray kind) to add body/life to limp hair in event of bad water pressure. MITIGATING DISASTERS

A small travel umbrella. If you have pets, pack a lint roller, or be extra vigilant in de-linting before you pack. Women: pack a spare pair of hosiery if youre prone to snags. If you guzzle coffee and tea, pack breath mints. NEVER GUM DEAR GOD NEVER GUM. For your interview, carry a bag with a few pockets to stuff some key items:

MITIGATING DISASTERS Consider a travel emergency kit, which includes: safety pin needle, black/white thread, black & clear buttons 1 each of Tylenol, Benadryl, Immodium, Pepto Tide stick Wisp disposable toothbrush & breath mint Band-aid Multipurpose towelette

EMBRACE YOUR INNER BEYONCÉ/JAMES BOND Confidence reigns supreme. Wear what makes you FEEL like a winner, like a baller, like you deserve that job. No one loses the job because of button gap or floppy collars. Play that motivating song, look in the mirror, put your hands on your hips, flash your best Blue Steel, and stomp down the hallway that you definitely own.

FEEL *THIS* CONFIDENT