A Week in my Co-Worker's Style

If you didn't know already, I am an engineer. Being an engineer, and working in an office in general, doesn't always provide the most exciting of atmospheres on a day to day basis and, due to my aversion to the mundane, I periodically need to create opportunities to entertain myself (and those around me). In October, it was dressing up for Halloween. I actually succeeded in getting a few people in my office to join me in dressing up.  I was a scarecrow.

 

Somewhere along the way in the past few weeks to months I got it in my head that I wanted to dress up as a few guys at my job, not to be spiteful or mean, I just thought it would be fun. I picked 5 guys that, to me, have very distinct styles and pieced together outfits from my closet, with the help of my husband, that I though represented their individual styles...

My first project was Thomas:

I would describe Thomas' style as a cross between metrosexual and hipster.  He's usually the dressiest guy in our office, looking like a clothing ad from GQ Magazine. In the picture above I actually think I'm dressed more like the usual Thomas than Thomas is (I blame it on the fact that he came in earlier than usual that day, so he was a bit more casually dressed than he would have been if it were a normal day).

I'm wearing an American Rag button up and paired it with a tie from my husband's closet. I chose black jeans because they helped me create a stylish outfit but keep it young and fresh. The shoes were the closest I could find in my closet to loafers. And although I don't believe Thomas wears loafers, they're the closest thing I have to men's dress shoes, plus I thought they completed the outfit.

Next up, Anthony:

I'm not quite sure I can articulate Anthony's style in words because I don't really know what to call it. Anthony's style is very simple, he usually has a neutral base with a pop of color. I went with the grey men's sweater from Banana Republic with a coral polo underneath and paired it with (my version of) a simple black dress pant. Anthony alternates between blue jeans and dress pants so I could have paired this outfit with jeans too if I wanted. The shoes I'm wearing are black booties from Target, mostly to make me taller like Anthony. 

 If I had it to do over again I probably would have gone with a purple polo, I dont think I've ever seen Anthony in a red shirt, unless it was an OU polo...


Wednesday was Brad:

We almost matched that day!

I would describe Brad's personal style as eclectic, although he doesn't necessarily dress eclectically from day to day. I should actually say that Brad has eclectic pieces that complement his style, his most notable, the bow-tie.  Any time I've ever seen Brad dress up for an event, meeting or just to feel snazzy around the office, he is sure fire to be wearing a bow-tie. He also has a wooden bow-tie that he's worn to work! (Hence, eclectic pieces..) I don't actually own a bow-tie and neither does my husband, so for this outfit I just made a bow and tied it around my neck using ribbon. I actually made two (the other shown below), because I can get pretty indecisive, and ended up going with the lace. Both will soon be re-purposed into hair bows for one of my nieces.

For my 'Brad-outfit' I wore a floral denim button down and paired it with a khaki colored sweater over it. Brad is pretty casual and goes for stylish comfort so I paired that with a pair of blue jeans and my canvas Tom's. And of course, the bow-tie finish.

Next, Cody:

For Cody, I had to take it a step further and assume a character. The most notable thing in Cody's style is his beard, and if you can't tell Cody's a ginger.. Being that I am obsessed with craft projects and also being weird, coupled with the fact that I have little shame and don't embarrass too easily, I had to do the beard..

I made the beard using cotton balls that I dipped in a bowl that had water, orange food coloring and paprika. I blow dried the cotton balls with my hair drier and proceed to hot glue my beard into fruition. For Cody's clothing style, he is very casual so I decided to go with a tee similar to one that he wore often (his said "keep calm, and chive on") and paired it with jeans and black sneakers. The beard definitely made the outfit though..

Last but not least, big boss-man Phil:

Yes, Phil is our boss. He was undoubtedly the outfit I was most excited to wear all week, which is why I saved it for last. Unfortunately, Phil was out of the office that Friday so he didn't get a chance to see me dress up as him, sadface. Phil's style is pretty simple, mainly because he's like an urban cowboy. He's usually in a button down, polo, or sweater and that is always, always paired with a pair of blue jeans and cowboy boots so it was pretty easy to choose my outfit.

For the top, I went safe with one of our company's Nike Golf polo's and paired that with a pair of blue jeans with a semi-worn look and my brown boots, which are not actually cowboy boots but they were the closest I was getting without buying a pair.

Dressing up as some of my male co-workers was the little jog I needed to get me out of my little wintertime funk. It's really easy to let the stresses of adulthood bog you down so it's good to remind yourself  to have fun in whatever you do, even at work! I hope my co-workers found my tribute to their style as entertaining as I did. Hopefully no one shows up in a skirt & blouse next week dressed up as me...

xoxo,

Cass

Random fact for the day: 

On this day (February 9) in 1971, pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige becomes the first Negro League veteran to be nominated for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Job Hunting and Interview Tips

It’s official, summer is here. And with that comes the search for a summer job to occupy your time and hopefully add to the stash of money you have hidden away in your closet. Or maybe you’re looking for a summer internship or even a full time job after graduation. Whatever your search entails, here are some tips to help you land that interview and job. It doesn't matter if you are a teenager looking for your first job or a college graduate in search of full time work, everyone could use a reference on improving your job hunting skills.

1.      Start looking now. The best time to look for a job is today. Well, let me amend that statement; it is good to stay alert and be cognizant of potential job opportunities. You never know when your shot will come so you need to stay ready for it. If you are in high school looking for a summer job it is good to start looking about a month or two before the semester ends. If you are a soon to be graduate looking for a full time professional position the best time to start seriously looking and getting interviews is around October. First, this shows companies that you are serious about your job search and that you are forward thinking if you start your job search that early in the game. This also gives you enough time before graduation to scope out companies and do your research to find the right fit for you, which leads us to the next tip.

2.      Do your research. This is crucial to landing not just a job, but the right job.  Whether you are looking for part time summer work, an internship, or a full time position, researching the companies and positions that interest you will go a long way.  Companies want to know that you care, not just about finding a job but doing a good job and one way to display that is by putting the work in to conduct worthwhile research. Researching a company and having the ability to display your knowledge of the company and position you are applying for is a great way to show initiative, which is looked at highly favorably. It shows that you have the ability to think and to make decisions on your own.

3.      Get the word out. More people you inform of your job search the more opportunities for networking you create. Networking is not a bad word, or it doesn’t have to be. I will admit, I used to associate a negative connotation of selfishness and self-serving attitudes to the concept of networking but when you really understand it, it is actually a whole different animal.  Networking is nothing more than a connection that mutually benefits both sides. Clear cut, I know. Let’s use an example, for instance, if you are in a college club and they pay for the students to go to a banquet for a professional association. This would be a perfect opportunity for the students attending to connect with the professionals also in attendance to learn more about companies in a specific industry and gain contacts. These contacts could then lead to future job opportunities. On the other side, another example of networking is your mom introducing you to the spouse of one of her coworkers who is looking to fill a position in a field that you happen to be interested in.. See? It’s not all bad. Also make sure to take advantage of your school's Career Services center if you are in college. That is one of the best ways to connect with companies to find the right job for you.

4.      Dress like you mean it.  When you finally receive that interview, you should walk in as professionally dressed as the occasion calls for.  Usually this means a suit and tie (or blouse for ladies) and nice shoes.  If you are a teenager applying for a summer job that option is probably not necessary, (unless you just really want to impress them…) dress slacks and a nice shirt and tie for guys and a business skirt or pants and blouse for ladies are good options. If you are applying for a full time position or internship, your best bet is a suit. However if you do not have the suit and cannot afford to buy one, the option of dress slacks and tie or blouse is still applicable. Here are some examples: 

Bottom line: do not, under ANY circumstances walk in to an interview wearing jeans, t-shirt, or tennis shoes, even if you have to borrow clothes from a friend. But you already knew that, right?

5.      Be prepared. Review your resume and make sure it is up to date. Also, make sure to familiarize yourself with what is on your resume and be prepared to give detailed accounts on some of the activities and roles included in your resume.  You should also practice. Practice practice practice. I can’t say that enough. We’ve all heard the saying practice makes perfect. Well, in this case, practice makes better, which is what we are going for.  Mock interviewing and practicing your interviewing skills will be an immense help when you finally have to face the real deal. You will already be rehearsed on how to approach some of the potential questions thrown at you and because you already got most of your jitters out with the mock interviews. That isn’t to say you should come to your interview with some rehearsed script that you spit out to the hiring manager but practicing will help you come in to the interview much more relaxed and will allow you to be yourself.

6.      Show off. Not in the arrogant, “I’m all that” kind of way; but it is perfectly fine to play up your strengths in an interview. I think it is pretty much expected. While a hiring manager doesn’t want to hire some arrogant know-it-all, they do want to see that you have confidence in your abilities and can speak on leadership roles you have assumed.  Leadership roles can be found in a number of places, whether it’s past employment positions, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, holding a position in a club on campus or organizing events on campus or at school. These are all highlights you can point to in your interview to display your dedication, hard work and responsibility.

7.      Be yourself.  Don’t walk into that interview room trying to be someone you think they want to see. Employers want to know what they are getting so transparency is key. I’m not saying to start throwing all of your flaws on the table for everyone to see but it is important to remember that hiring managers are not dumb.  Fabrication can be seen from a mile away so it is best to be yourself and if they like you, great! If not, you probably wouldn’t have liked working in an environment where you didn’t fit in anyway. Their loss.

8.      Follow up. After your interview it never hurts to pass along a letter thanking your interviewer for the interviewing opportunity. In this time you can also reiterate some of your strengths and why you would be the ideal fit for the position.  This helps to keep you on the employer’s mind after the interview and lets them know that you care enough to take the time to thank them.

I hope these tips help. If you are a teenager looking for a job click here for a video talking about some of these tips. If you are a college student or graduate, click here for interview tips.

Stay cool kids,

xoxo