Written by Sarah Dixon and Delilah Pope<\/p>\n
For many upperclassmen, now is the time to start upgrading their wardrobe from student to professional. Whether you\u2019re preparing for interviews, internships or your first job outside of college, knowing how to dress for success is a crucial skill in the post-graduation \u201creal world.\u201d<\/p>\n
For those entering specialized fields, there are often specific dress requirements. Lisa Engel, an associate professor of nursing, offered special insight into what students should expect when entering the healthcare field.<\/p>\n
According to Engel, the approved color of scrubs may vary between hospitals and job descriptions, but there are certain standards of dress which translate throughout the field in regards to professionalism, and scrub quality can be a large factor in professional appearance.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can get super duper cheap ones at Walmart, but they don\u2019t hold up their shape and look good as long,\u201d Engel said. \u201cAnd even though students, when they get into nursing, wear hospital scrubs, (they need to have) them look neat and nice and fit properly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Engel also stressed the importance of comfort in choosing the right fit of hospital scrubs and advised that floor nurses choose scrubs that will stretch and move while performing patient duties. According to Engel, a student should expect to pay around $40 for a pair of scrubs, but noted that a single pair should last a few years, if rotated properly.<\/p>\n
Butch Gardner, director of Career Services, offered similarly cautionary advice students planning to enter the corporate world, as tattoos extreme piercings, as well as perfume and accessories, can potentially distract from the content of an interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want the total attention of the person doing the interview,\u201d Gardner said, \u201cso those are some things that we tell all the students that come in here for mock interviews. We talk about what to wear and tell them to avoid too much perfume or flashy jewelry or the big huge purses.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Gardner, the expectations of business casual attire will be slacks and a dress shirt or polo, while business professional will incorporate a necktie or a suit jacket, and which is appropriate will depend on the industry and position.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe standard of dress really does vary with the industry. You\u2019ve got some industry professionals that are a lot more formal than others,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cA classic example is accounting professionals; they\u2019re generally a lot more formal, than, say, IT.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gardner noted that for companies with a casual Friday policy, employees are allowed to dress in jeans, but cautioned that T-shirts or torn and tattered clothing are never appropriate.<\/p>\n
For facial hair, the rules are much less rigid.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s really not an industry standard for that. There are some professions that are a lot more open to facial hair than others,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cI would advise anyone going into an interview to know the culture and do their research on the industry, the organization, and know what\u2019s acceptable and what\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n
public relations major Madeline Jones said that her look has changed over the last four years as she has become more confident in her own style, and it will definitely continue to evolve post-graduation.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing into Harding, I definitely had to cater my style to the typical freshman trying to fit in and follow dress code,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n
Like Gardner, Jones also stated that one should know what type of dress is expected before going into a new job.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would always say err on the side of being more professional at first,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI learned in my senior seminar class that business professionals are less likely to hire somebody who is wearing trendy, bright, flashy things because that\u2019s just not what they\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senior fashion merchandising major Lauren Pryor has spent a lot of time analyzing clothing choices over the past four years and knows how important it is to be aware of what employers expect.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith each major, your interview outfit will be different,\u201d Pryor said. \u201cFor instance, with mine it\u2019s good to show your style and personality through what you wear to your interview.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pryor suggested that students shopping in the Searcy area should look at the business attire at JCPenney, checking out the sales racks first. She also said it could be helpful to simply ask during your interview what kind of dress they are looking for.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways be sure to ask beforehand,\u201d Pryor said. \u201cSo then you can start collecting things for if or when you get the job, and you can already have things to wear.\u201d<\/p>\n
Overall, our clothes say a lot about who we are and what we do, and establishing a great first impression by dressing like a boss can make all the difference.<\/p>\n
Cowritten by Delilah Pope and Sarah Dixon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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