To jacket, or not to jacket? Are sleeveless tops out of the question? What says young-but-serious-scholar-who-is-approachable-but-also-#BOSS? How do I dress to match my CV?
(Dress: Mango )
This week we’re talking about the long-winded cousin of the résumé: the curriculum vitae. Oh is she exhaustive, the C.V. But despite appearing like she’s done a lot and knows a lot, who is she, really?
Coincidentally, that might be a question that recruiters and search committees ask when they’re reading through your documents. The C.V. is only a limited, albeit undoubtedly impressive, version of you, but what else? Honestly, chances are they’re wondering not because they’re genuinely interested in who you are but because there are so many candidates who seem qualified for the job and they need a distinguishing factor.
As with any first impression – whether that’s applying for jobs, a first day at work, a big presentation – there’s only so much time people are willing to spend to get to know us, and only few places where they can find that information. Because our designated time and space is limited, it’s important to maximize our data points. And the more opportunities to provide data points, the better. So, if we’re invited to an interview, rather than repeating information and dressing to “match” your C.V., why not complement it, and say something new?
Ask anyone about what to wear to an interview and they’ll probably tell you what you already know: Stick to neutrals as to not distract. Tone down your appearance so that your words can speak for themselves.
Well, here’s my unpopular opinion: Find that one thing that makes you feel good and put it on. A bold necklace? Why not. A lacey bra? Go for it.
Interviews and evaluative contexts in general are nerve-wracking as they are, why can’t we allow ourselves something to help us feel confident and own the scene? Especially if we’ve already conformed to the quiet of neutrals, then we should really be able to speak loudly in other ways.
But there’s more reason behind me say this.
The assumption that your words and your performance will speak for themselves is at its core classist, sexist, and racist. While it may seem well-meaning, it’s actually quite dishonest advice. People might say this because they somehow believe that our words and our performance are the only factors being evaluated, but we all know and should discuss more openly the glaring reality of unconscious bias. And of course, among some of the people who are most affected by unconscious bias are women of color. (Read more here.) It doesn’t matter how many workshops you’ve attended on this, we will still continue to make conclusions about people based on their appearance and the little we know about them. While we might be able to catch ourselves in the act/thought, to say that we are not biased is outright denial that leads to no progress.
So, on the other end of that, when you’re the one to be evaluated, how do you take ownership of those opinions about you? We need to be transparent about the venues in which those judgments take place, and where else but the canvas of our bodies? This brings me back to dressing for the interview in a way that tells people who are you beyond the C.V. It’s fine, we can wear the neutrals. But what surprisingly element can we bring? What new information can I provide to distinguish myself from others?
How do we go beyond the C.V. and disrupt those conclusions already made about us in those limited lines?
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