interview attire - suit vs. pants/blouse?

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
S

sunnex3

PennWe c/o 2016!
10+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2009
Messages
1,229
Reaction score
1
Points
4,551
Location
West Philly
  1. Veterinary Student
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
so i have a couple interviews coming up soon at tufts and at penn.

i own NOTHING suitable for an interview, especially since my attire lately consists of either scrubs or sweats, so i need some help in what i should be buying.

i read a few previous threads from last year about interview attire, and it seems that a pant/skirt suit is OK but i do have some nice houndstooth slacks (and also a pair of grey slacks) that are very office-ish looking...if i were to buy a blouse to wear (or a dress shirt, whatever you want to call it) along with a black blazer or something solid colored, instead of a matching suit combination, would this be appropriate? i would be extremely uncofmortable in a suit (i would feel really overdressed).

in terms of shoes i was thinking a pair of kitten heels with a pointed toe...

urgh. thanks everyone! 😍
 
What you describe sounds fine if you're really that uncomfortable in a suit, but I really think that wearing a suit is a lot more professional and you're certainly not going to lose any points for being too formal. Most people wear suits and all of the interview workshops my school has given have said to wear a suit. Granted, my undergrad does not have a vet school attached to it, but I figure that their pre-health seminars are pretty applicable to med, vet, etc. regardless.
 
You want to be professional and comfortable and what you suggests is perfect. Good luck!
 
For my interview at A&M I wore a cowl neck black shirt with some black slacks and heels- minimal makeup, jewelry, etc. I personally thought I looked professional, and I also subsequently was accepted there. Thinking back the others who were at the interviews with me did not seem over dressed and I don't remember any girls in suits. Not that it's wrong to, I just don't remember any women in that attire that day.

Wear a suit if you want, but if you're going to be "uncomfortable", then don't. You don't need one more thing on your mind before/during/after the interview, even if it is as trivial as what you're wearing. Obviously, go for a professional look (if you've gotten this far, you know what professional generally means) but by all means be confident in what you're wearing whether it's a suit or just a very put together set of dress pants and button up dress shirt or whatever.
 
When someone says "suit", does that mean skirt and and matching jacket or pants and matching jacket? I would do the pants and matching jacket type suit personally. Is the skirt and matching jacket preferred?
 
Bisbee said:
When someone says "suit", does that mean skirt and and matching jacket or pants and matching jacket? I would do the pants and matching jacket type suit personally. Is the skirt and matching jacket preferred?
Click to expand...

A suit can be either skirt or pants. Neither is preferable over the other (see linked thread above for further discussion).
 
I would go with the suit personally, but it doesn't matter if it is a skirt-suit or pant-suit.
 
Just keep it professional, when you say "office-ish" make sure it just isn't too office-casual, just because it would be appropriate for an office environment doesn't necessarily mean it's as professional as it should be for an interview. But there is nothing wrong with doing something a little different from a perfectly matching suit set. 99% of the girls at my last interview were literally all in a black pant/blazer suit set and looked identical. There is nothing wrong with standing out from the pack a bit as long as it is professional. The solid blazer is a great idea to offset a pattern like houndstooth or a colored blouse or heels. Just stick to one "stand-out" item (pattern or color) whatever you decide on and keep the rest basic and cleancut. Sounds like you're on the right track! By all means don't wear something you'd feel uncomfortable in or that does not fit your personality. Good luck! 😉
 
finnerma said:
I would go with the suit personally, but it doesn't matter if it is a skirt-suit or pant-suit.
Click to expand...

I should clarify that when I said, basically "wear a suit and don't think twice about it" earlier in the thread, I was talking about men. (And that's still my opinion - men should wear a suit for their vet school interview. Period.) When it comes to women, I have neither an opinion nor a clue.
 
I bought a pants suit just for my interview. I figured I'll have to get one someday, might as well get one now.

What you're suggesting sounds totally fine as well.
 
I think what you're suggesting is fine, as long as it is actually business attire and not business-casual. Just for kicks, why don't you go out and try on a few suits? A well-fitting suit made of decent fabric can be surprisingly comfortable and can also inspire some serious confidence in the wearer!
 
I think suits are more appropriate (for both men and women), but that is just my opinion. Personally, I wore a medium gray skirt suit with a white collared shirt, black stockings and low, pointed-toe black heels. I felt very comfortable and professional in that outfit.
 
sunnex3 said:
i would be extremely uncofmortable in a suit (i would feel really overdressed).
Click to expand...

You might feel that way when you're playing dress up at home, but you may feel otherwise when you're in a room full of other people who look very sharp. Trust me, you don't want to feel bad on your interview, and I think you'll feel much worse if you feel underdressed. There will definitely be plenty of people there with suits so don't worry about feeling overdressed no matter which interview you go on. Plus, you're entering a profession, so it might be a good time to put on your big girl undies and be okay looking like one too! There's nothing wrong per se with blouse/slacks combo, but you really can't go wrong with a suit. It'll be different with every interview group what proportion of interviewees are in suits, but if 90% of the interviewees on your interview date are wearing suits, the remaining 10% can comparatively look/feel underdressed. When I went on my Penn interview, almost everyone had suits on and the atmosphere on my day was pretty stiff (totally glad I wore a suit). I had my Ohio interview the next day, and the overall atmosphere was much more laid back, and I think I would have felt okay with a less formal attire.
 
Okay, go try on some suits and see how you feel about them. Go nice places that will have sizes to fit you well.

Basically, if this is the room you are sitting in (approximately):

interview2.jpg


370872-26724-31.jpg


Do you feel out of place?
 
LetItSnow said:
I dunno that I'd show up to my vet school interview in whatever that woman is wearing.... (I know that wasn't the point of the pictures, TT.)

Women, would you?
Click to expand...

umm, no. a skirt so short you can't really see it while sitting is not professional. I interviewed at two schools; at both, there was a mixture of suits and other business attire, but the majority of people wore suits. While I definitely wasn't super comfortable (who is when they're interviewing?!) and they were the only 2 days I have ever worn a suit, I definitely would have felt underdressed if I was one of the folks not wearing a suit. Plus, I don't know about anyone else, but wearing a sharp looking suit and heels made me feel kind of powerful, and definitely more confident.
 
Just a reminder for people interviewing in areas prone to snow. If the shoes you are planning and wearing in the interview will result in you falling in snow/ice bring a change of shoes for the campus tours. Even if it doesn't snow while your visiting there may well be snow on the ground. And Tufts is sadly consistent and usually gets at least one decent snow storm during interview time!

And I agree with others--if dress pants, nice top make you feel comfortable they are good enough to interview in there is no law that says "All must wear suits to enter"!
 
And please bring a suitable jacket or layers. Don't be "that girl" shivering and whining if you have to go outside for the tour. Jackets are your friend!
 
cowgirla said:
And please bring a suitable jacket or layers. Don't be "that girl" shivering and whining if you have to go outside for the tour. Jackets are your friend!
Click to expand...

So glad I did this. I wore a suit (nice one that was cost-friendly to my insufficient funds) with a purple blouse-y tank top under it. I wore heels & also brought flats, snow boots, and a heavy jacket (I was a girl scout, as a result, I always come prepared). Tufts was frizzling - I stowed my stuff in my parents' car.

My $0.02: dress in whatever's comfortable FOR YOU. My fashionista sisters and mother scoffed at what I wore (they wanted me to wear higher heels). I shrugged and said: "This is who I am. If my interviewers don't like it, I probably don't want to be there anyways. I also don't want to trip in stilettos, thank you very much!":laugh:
 
kaydubs said:
So glad I did this. I wore a suit (nice one that was cost-friendly to my insufficient funds) with a purple blouse-y tank top under it. I wore heels & also brought flats, snow boots, and a heavy jacket (I was a girl scout, as a result, I always come prepared). Tufts was frizzling - I stowed my stuff in my parents' car.

My $0.02: dress in whatever's comfortable FOR YOU. My fashionista sisters and mother scoffed at what I wore (they wanted me to wear higher heels). I shrugged and said: "This is who I am. If my interviewers don't like it, I probably don't want to be there anyways. I also don't want to trip in stilettos, thank you very much!":laugh:
Click to expand...
Agreed! I see interviewees here stumbling around in way too high heels on their campus tours and they look ridiculous. Make sure you're comfortable.
 
thanks everyone for the responses 🙂 i think i'll decide to go with a suit (whenever i find time to buy one before my interview next friday! :scared:)

i'm thinking of buying a pair of kitten heels (like maybe 1.5 inches in height max) or some pointy toed flats in a patent leather, to make them look more fancy.

in terms of the tour, does anyone know if it's acceptable to change for it? like for tufts, i have my interview at 10am then after that is all the "events" -- i would preferably like to change into a comfy (but nice looking) sweater with jeans and my tall boots.

for penn it would be more difficult since i don't know whehter i'm interviewing or touring first...

i just got a wisdom tooth pulled yesterday so i'm out of commission for a couple more days in terms of shopping which sucks...i'm coming down real close to the finish line for finding clothes! anyone have suggestions on where i should start looking? i was thinking of starting at j.crew and banana republic.
 
I would go to Macy's or Bloomingdales or somewhere like that to look for your suit.

Not sure about changing for the tour, etc. I don't think I would....
 
At Penn the tour is before the interview and no you should not change for Penn's tour.
 
sunnex3 said:
thanks everyone for the responses 🙂 i think i'll decide to go with a suit (whenever i find time to buy one before my interview next friday! :scared:)

i'm thinking of buying a pair of kitten heels (like maybe 1.5 inches in height max) or some pointy toed flats in a patent leather, to make them look more fancy.

in terms of the tour, does anyone know if it's acceptable to change for it? like for tufts, i have my interview at 10am then after that is all the "events" -- i would preferably like to change into a comfy (but nice looking) sweater with jeans and my tall boots.

for penn it would be more difficult since i don't know whehter i'm interviewing or touring first...

i just got a wisdom tooth pulled yesterday so i'm out of commission for a couple more days in terms of shopping which sucks...i'm coming down real close to the finish line for finding clothes! anyone have suggestions on where i should start looking? i was thinking of starting at j.crew and banana republic.
Click to expand...

Check out the link I posted - it's last year's "interview attire" thread.. quite a few people discuss changing for their tour!
 
bunnity said:
At Penn the tour is before the interview and no you should not change for Penn's tour.
Click to expand...

My year, half the class had the tour first and the other half had the interview first and we didn't know which until we got there. Either way, there was no time to change between, but for our tour you don't really need to. If the weather's bad, they might not even take you outside. (At least if you do the small animal interview. Not sure how it works for the people who tour New Bolton.)
 
sunnex3 said:
in terms of the tour, does anyone know if it's acceptable to change for it? like for tufts, i have my interview at 10am then after that is all the "events" -- i would preferably like to change into a comfy (but nice looking) sweater with jeans and my tall boots.
Click to expand...

For Tufts, I guess you could. They have a few sessions here and there for financial aid and tours, and you can choose which ones to go to depending on the time of your interview. So yes, there would be time to. Unless it's like snowing out, I personally wouldn't do the jeans and sweater thing, but that's just me.
 
Minnerbelle said:
For Tufts, I guess you could. They have a few sessions here and there for financial aid and tours, and you can choose which ones to go to depending on the time of your interview. So yes, there would be time to. Unless it's like snowing out, I personally wouldn't do the jeans and sweater thing, but that's just me.
Click to expand...
I changed "a little" at Tufts. I mean a lot of people changed their shoes especially since there was fresh snow on the ground. I took off my suit jacket and added a sweater and a winter coat...

At Penn, there was also snow on the ground, and I was kind of cold without my winter coat. And my year we also had groups switching off interviewing and touring. There might have been 3 groups though... but my memory is shot..
 
I went on multiple interviews the past two years I applied. I also thought I would be uncomfortable and overdressed in a suit, but I was surprised by how comofortable I was and by how many people actually wore a suit. I do not suggest dressing in jeans and a nice blouse as one girl did the first year I applied and interviewed at Western.....it makes me wonder if she got in???😕
 
DVMDream said:
I went on multiple interviews the past two years I applied. I also thought I would be uncomfortable and overdressed in a suit, but I was surprised by how comofortable I was and by how many people actually wore a suit. I do not suggest dressing in jeans and a nice blouse as one girl did the first year I applied and interviewed at Western.....it makes me wonder if she got in???😕
Click to expand...

oh don't worry i would never wear a nice shirt and jeans for the interview 😀

i meant more for the events that are before/after the actual interview, i.e. at tufts they have that whole slew of events after my interview...
 
In terms of finding a suit, I'd also recommend Ann Taylor Loft. I think my suit is from there and I really love it--fits well and has a little bit of personality while still being "traditional" enough to fit in anywhere. They also tend to have cute tops for underneath also. (I tend to wear cute tops as opposed to tuck-in button-down shirts under my suit jacket, just because I feel a lot more comfortable not having to worry about whether my shirt is coming untucked or whatever.)
 
LetItSnow said:
I should clarify that when I said, basically "wear a suit and don't think twice about it" earlier in the thread, I was talking about men. (And that's still my opinion - men should wear a suit for their vet school interview. Period.) When it comes to women, I have neither an opinion nor a clue.
Click to expand...

I completely agree that all the guys should be wearing suits, but I was wondering if any of the other men on here have a lot of trouble finding suits that fit well? It seems like every jacket that fits me around the chest is way too big around the waist. I know I can get them altered, but that is pretty pricey and I don't want to spend like 50% of what the suit costs on alterations. Any suggestions for good places to get a suit that might fit better? Or should I just start eating a ton of junk food and put on a few pounds...
 
Minnerbelle said:
For Tufts, I guess you could. They have a few sessions here and there for financial aid and tours, and you can choose which ones to go to depending on the time of your interview. So yes, there would be time to. Unless it's like snowing out, I personally wouldn't do the jeans and sweater thing, but that's just me.
Click to expand...

Tufts was the only interview I had. And I brought boots. But maintained my suit. I mean, I have awesome purple boots. Who wouldn't wear them to run around at Tufts??? (I think that's when they surrendered to accepting me 😉 ) It's been love ever since 😀 sunnex, you might feel "like the odd [wo]man out" if you change into jeans & sweater. Parents wore whatever (my dad wore a college t-shirt and khakis, but for him, khakis indicates "a step up") but about 98% of the interviewees wore suits etc all day. (the 2% were the people I didn't see cause they came for their interview and split).
 
alright alright, how about keeping my suit on but changing into a comfortable (but cute!) pair of embellished silver flats? just so i don't slip and fall on my butt and make a fool out of myself 😀
 
degenkamp said:
I completely agree that all the guys should be wearing suits, but I was wondering if any of the other men on here have a lot of trouble finding suits that fit well? It seems like every jacket that fits me around the chest is way too big around the waist. I know I can get them altered, but that is pretty pricey and I don't want to spend like 50% of what the suit costs on alterations. Any suggestions for good places to get a suit that might fit better? Or should I just start eating a ton of junk food and put on a few pounds...
Click to expand...

I don't know a lot of guys (any?) who wear suits untailored. It is almost impossible to look good in a suit otherwise. Either find a place where tailoring is included (usually more upscale) or suck it up and pay the tailoring cost. A suit is going to last you a looooong time, so consider it an investment in your career and life.

It is not your body that is the problem, it is your expectation.
 
StartingoverVet said:
A suit is going to last you a looooong time, so consider it an investment in your career and life.
Click to expand...

So very true. And with suits, it does show if you get nice pricier ones vs. on the cheap, esp after a couple of wears. Definitely don't break the bank and buy something that you can't afford if you're really broke. But I would personally get the nicest suit you can afford. This is a suit that you can wear to any conferences you go to while in vet school, as well as internship/residency/job interviews post-graduation. You'll be even more broke after paying vet school tuition, so I would try to muster up the cash now and get it over with. Don't treat it like a pair of scrubs you go out and buy just because you need it. As much as I'm against the "$$ here and there will be a drop in the bucket compared to tuition so you might as well" mentality, I think this is one of the few places where it is justified.

Ann Taylor is a reliable place to find nice professional wear. And they have a pretty good variety of sizes (their petites fit me really well). They might be a bit pricier than you were thinking about spending, but I think it's worth it.


And sunnex, changing shoes should be totally fine. And the colder/snowier it gets, the more it's appropriate to choose warmth over appearance once the interview's over. If it's a nice clear day in the 40s, I'd suck it up. But snowy/stormy day below freezing, I'd wear whatever is most comfortable. No one will care at that point.
 
degenkamp said:
I completely agree that all the guys should be wearing suits, but I was wondering if any of the other men on here have a lot of trouble finding suits that fit well? It seems like every jacket that fits me around the chest is way too big around the waist. I know I can get them altered, but that is pretty pricey and I don't want to spend like 50% of what the suit costs on alterations. Any suggestions for good places to get a suit that might fit better? Or should I just start eating a ton of junk food and put on a few pounds...
Click to expand...

I didn't find alteration to be 50% of the cost!! I spent a lot of money a while back buying a suit at a well-known locally-owned place. Fancy schmancy. And the suit is just so-so. I skimped and bought my last one (my interview suit, actually) at Men's Wearhouse... and it's an awesome suit. I think you just need to be willing to do some hunting around.

But no matter what, you need to plan on alterations. A suit needs to fit perfectly, and nothing off the rack is likely to do that. And there's no getting around that it will cost a fair bit. But remember, a good suit will last a really long time and you'll wear it to weddings and funerals for the next decade.
 
sunnex3 said:
alright alright, how about keeping my suit on but changing into a comfortable (but cute!) pair of embellished silver flats? just so i don't slip and fall on my butt and make a fool out of myself 😀
Click to expand...

I wore black patent flats to all 3 of my interviews. 🙂

I don't do heels very gracefully.

Every time I have to put them on, I am grateful that I'm going into a profession that allows me to wear Merrells or boots every day. 😍
 
oy, did not know expensive suits were until i started looking today. looked at nordstroms, ann taylor loft and banana republic. found a suit at ann taylor loft (it is on hold) and a suit from banana republic with a sleeveless blouse (which is also on hold).

i'm in LOVE with the banana republic suit. it's a pant suit in a really pretty dark navy color with some sort of microscopic pattern (it's not a solid navy, but very close). :biglove: but together with the blouse the total price is gonna come out to ~$350 😱

this is the link for anyone who actually wants to see what it looks like and give me an opinion 🙄 http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/outfit.do?cid=41936&oid=OUT22565

with this blouse underneath: http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=43005&vid=3&pid=716210

the ann taylor loft suit is around $200 (much more reasonable) but still heavy for my wallet...

i'm planning on looking at tj maxx and macy's later on wednesday (a whopping 2 days before my interview! :scared:) getting very nervous that i'm not gonna find anything!
 
I opened up an Ann Taylor credit card account and got ~20% off my total purchase. (it may have been 10% and then a coupon I had- don't remember.) But I saved a small fortune.

One and only time I ever used the credit card, but I guess it will come in handy if I ever need more professional looking stuff. I try to avoid having a ton of store credit cards, but I couldn't resist saving that much money on the suit when I was so broke.
 
sunnex3 said:
oy, did not know expensive suits were until i started looking today. looked at nordstroms, ann taylor loft and banana republic. found a suit at ann taylor loft (it is on hold) and a suit from banana republic with a sleeveless blouse (which is also on hold).

i'm in LOVE with the banana republic suit. it's a pant suit in a really pretty dark navy color with some sort of microscopic pattern (it's not a solid navy, but very close). :biglove: but together with the blouse the total price is gonna come out to ~$350 😱

this is the link for anyone who actually wants to see what it looks like and give me an opinion 🙄 http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/outfit.do?cid=41936&oid=OUT22565

with this blouse underneath: http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=43005&vid=3&pid=716210

the ann taylor loft suit is around $200 (much more reasonable) but still heavy for my wallet...

i'm planning on looking at tj maxx and macy's later on wednesday (a whopping 2 days before my interview! :scared:) getting very nervous that i'm not gonna find anything!
Click to expand...

The suit looks nice. I wouldn't buy the shirt for two reasons: 1 - it's too expensive and you could find a shirt that works anywhere for much cheaper and 2 - I think it is a little too low cut. (I am paranoid about these things seeing as I'm rather umm...."blessed" on top....)
 
cowgirla said:
I opened up an Ann Taylor credit card account and got ~20% off my total purchase. (it may have been 10% and then a coupon I had- don't remember.) But I saved a small fortune.
Click to expand...

This is when it's very nice to know someone really well who works at one of these retailers. I have a sister who works at banana, and used to work at ann taylor. Once in a while she'll send me a family and friends discount offer for 50% off 5 full priced items, and it helps soooooo much! Also helps that discounts for both brands extend to all the other brands under the same parent company (loft, gap, etc...). That and getting hand-me-downs from this retail savings sister as well as my better established sister prevents me from going to school naked.

She said a lot of her co-workers at ann taylor were young professionals who only worked 1-2 shifts a week just for the discounts. They didn't make much in wages but the amount they saved, esp for those who needed a ton of professional wear, made it totally worth it. If I had to do it all over again, I think I would have worked just part time for the holiday season and stocked up on clothes the winter before applying.
 
heylodeb said:
1 - it's too expensive and you could find a shirt that works anywhere for much cheaper and 2 - I think it is a little too low cut. (I am paranoid about these things seeing as I'm rather umm...."blessed" on top....)
Click to expand...

Agreed on both counts. And esp for reason #2, I feel like you need a very particular boobage to make it work. Too busty, and it's a bit much. And too flat, and the low cut gets even lower in a very unflattering way... and it accentuates the flat. Also, for an interview I personally wouldn't go with any kind of prints, but that might just be personal preference (wow, looking back on this thread I sound like such a conservative fuddy duddy). But if costs are an issue, the blouse would be the best place to cut down on that.
 
Minnerbelle said:
This is when it's very nice to know someone really well who works at one of these retailers. I have a sister who works at banana, and used to work at ann taylor. Once in a while she'll send me a family and friends discount offer for 50% off 5 full priced items, and it helps soooooo much! Also helps that discounts for both brands extend to all the other brands under the same parent company (loft, gap, etc...).
Click to expand...

Jealous. My little sister works in a church. My only female cousin has a job that involves carrying a gun and lots of paperwork. I need more useful relatives! (or maybe friends outside the vet world lol)
 
twelvetigers said:
The problem with suits:
My butt changes size and they don't.
Click to expand...
Oh i hear ya! As someone who doesn't have very many occasions to wear suits, I splurged on one just out of high school, and still have it. And I'm someone who easily gains 20 lbs and loses 20 lbs in the course of one year. Both for job interviews at the end of college and for vet school interviews, I had to force myself to shrink back down to fit! Through all of this, I realized that where there's a will, there's a way. And sadly enough, I've learned that I have the ability to massively shrink when I want to... so I've gotten into a sad habit of allowing myself to live a very unhealthy lifestyle 🙁
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

FelineFine30
Interview practice buddy!
Replies
4
Views
762
FelineFine30
FelineFine30
happyyellowturtle
How to go about finances - Loans vs Savings
Replies
10
Views
935
FelineFine30
FelineFine30
pancakesandwaffles
UMN vs Auburn vs Illinois
Replies
9
Views
723
_rae_
_rae_
HorseObsessed
Auburn vs. UF vs. Cornell
Replies
13
Views
837
breezywonton
breezywonton
D
Midwestern vs Minnesota
Replies
10
Views
540
_rae_
_rae_
Top Bottom