Interview Attire...The Endless Debate

[idahoequestrian]

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Hi everyone! I just wanted to clarify what should be worn to a veterinary school interview. I assume a pant suit or skirt suit, but there has been some debate about that. Apparently Texas A&M doesn't want women to wear skirt suits because they're "unprofessional", but I hadn't heard that elsewhere. Has anyone already had an interview, or received some information as to what to wear? I thought this would be good for all of us who are facing interviews in the next couple of months.

 

[NStarz]

Hi everyone! I just wanted to clarify what should be worn to a veterinary school interview. I assume a pant suit or skirt suit, but there has been some debate about that. Apparently Texas A&M doesn't want women to wear skirt suits because they're "unprofessional", but I hadn't heard that elsewhere. Has anyone already had an interview, or received some information as to what to wear? I thought this would be good for all of us who are facing interviews in the next couple of months.

Hi! There's a huge thread going around here now about interview attire. Maybe TT will give you a link!

Oh wait, here it is. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=694720

It was on the first page. You may want to do a search for questions you may have in the future. A lot of what you may be wondering may have already been addressed 🙂

 

[fromthebox]

There is already a thread with lots of debate on the subject here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=694720

On the topic of A&M, It was discussed in the Read Before you interview thread:

Here's what A&M has to say about interview preparation. This is pulled from their site so I'm assuming it's written by someone at A&M. A lot of it pertains specifically to interviewing at A&M, however it does have some good general tips.

Vet School Interview Preparation Advice

The interview is a very important step in the selection process. It allows the school to learn more about you as well as allowing you to learn more about the school. ​

.Dress:..Dark pant-suit (no skirts ladies, they are unprofessional).
. Ladies: Closed toe shoes with modest heel if any.
Guys: shoes and socks that MATCH your suit (no black w/blue or brown or any combination thereof, and no white socks period!)

Be early to your interview to give you time to relax, and scope out the second floor of the med sciences library a few days before to give you an idea of your surroundings and make you more comfortable.​

There will be three interviewers on one side of the table with nametags, you sitting on the other side alone. Shake all their hands when you go in. Don’t be worried by their frantic scribbling of notes, they’ll write stuff down no matter what you say. Not writing anything down means you’re not interesting to talk to so you want them to scribble!​

Questions: These are some common ones you’re almost guaranteed to get, for a more comprehensive list check out the links below. ANY question is fair game!!
Jot down notes in the weeks before your expected interview date (start in November) on how you would answer them. Only notes!! Do not try to memorize responses because they will sound rehearsed no matter what and if you forget any part and freeze you will look like a fool. Know what topics you want to cover and let the rest fill itself in.
PRACTICE TALKING! Practice ahead of time to learn how to ‘fill in the rest’. Talk over a radio or TV (you won’t feel quite as silly talking to yourself and it will get you used to projecting your voice clearly come interview time). Say your response spontaneously at least three different ways; you won’t memorize one response and you’ll know how to adjust if you don’t say it quite how you wanted to because you’ve done it before!
Do not tell them what you think they want to hear. If your response doesn’t align with the rest of your answers, or with your essays especially, they will notice and disregard your answers as not being genuine.
Review your essays because they will ask about them.
Know what you did last summer (and everything before that) because they’ll ask you about them. If you don’t recognize an activity when asked about it they’ll suspect you made it up.

Ø Why do you want to be a vet?
Ø What are your motivations?
Ø What is the difference b/w animal rights and animal welfare?
Ø What other kinds of jobs can you get as a veterinarian?
Ø What might you want to specialize in?
Ø What are some of the best/worst parts of private practice?
Ø Vet school is an intensive, stressful place. How do you deal with lots of pressure?
Ø What are 5 qualities of a great vet?
Ø What is the most challenging class you've ever had and why?
Ø Euthanasia questions, what would you do in a certain situation?
Ø How will your hobbies pertain to your profession?
Ø What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
§ Perfectionism is NOT a strength!
Ø How would you describe yourself?
Ø How do you deal with conflict situations?
Ø What was the last book that you read?
Ø *If you were tied with one other person for the last spot, what would you tell me to convince me that I should pick you over the other person?
Ø Do you have any questions for us?
§ Make sure you do in fact have some!

.http://www.wm.edu/so/prevet/interview.html .
.http://www.piercecollege.edu/faculty...questions.html .
.http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/studen...nterviews.html .
.http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/Careers/doc...eQuestions.pdf .

Thank your interviewers for their time and consideration at the conclusion of your interview, regardless of how well you think it went. And ALWAYS write each one a personalized thank you card! They interview hundreds so mention something unique that you discussed during your interview to jog their memory. And they may compare with your other interviewers so don’t write them exactly the same. Thank you cards are expected, so even if you don’t write them, you can bet everyone else did! Turn them in to the admissions office to be distributed to your interviewers since you don’t have addresses.

Final word of advice: RELAX!! You are expected to be nervous; jumbling one or two answers is not the kiss of death. Be yourself and be honest, you’ve already proven yourself on paper, they want to evaluate your personality and potential as a colleague. Taking a breath before you answer to calm your nerves is fine! Be confident in your abilities, without being arrogant, and convince them why you deserve to be there, the rest will take care of itself. Good luck!

I am wearing a pantsuit because I find them to be more professional. I wouldn't say they are unprofessional, but for me, I would feel too girly. Hope this helps!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I don't think they mean skirt suits that go to the knees or beyond, I think they mean short skirts - know what I mean? But that IS odd I admit...I have never thought of long or mid length skirts as unprofessional. Oh well.

Personally (and this is just me) I think the best interview attire is dress pants and a very nice sweater or blouse. The whole pants suit and blazer almost seems...a little over-done. I would react more favorably to someone dressed professionally (ie, like a vet in a clinic) but not over-doing it (like you are interviewing for a posh job on Wall Street.

Other things I heard:

No lipstick. Really, Gloss if you must. Go very light on the makeup

Low heels and closed toe, like they said

Avoid anything too form-fitting (obviously).

If you are going to wear a knee-length pencil skirt, wear pantyhose.

No problem with jewelery, as long as it isn't too flashy. A necklace and small earrings are plenty.

Hair doesn't really matter, as long as it is neat. Down if you can keep to tamed, but having the just the top part pulled back may look better.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Yeah that IS really weird. I was told by the pre-health committee (which mostly means pre-med but whatever) that pant suits are totally acceptable for interviews in most cases, but to wear a skirt suit for conservative schools... 'cause you know, women shouldn't be wearing pants. This is advice coming from a feminazi school.

 

[Vet Engineer]

Last year at my A&M interview I saw several girls wearing knee-length skirts with a blazer and it wasn't an issue. I know it's easy to freak out about these little things, but in reality your appearance probably won't make or break your potential acceptance (unless of course you show up in pjs). This may sound bad, but dress like you're going to a funeral. Most interviews are during the winter so I would think most everyone would be wearing dark suits anyways. In addition don't load on the perfume. Don't wear day-glo nail polish. Keep the makeup natural looking. Wear heels if you want, just make sure they don't look like you could use those for your night job... (I wore 2-inch black pumps and no one cared, but I'm also rather short) Don't wear excessive, gaudy jewelry. You get the idea...

 

[idahoequestrian]

Thanks so much Vet Engineer! Much appreciated (and wise!) advice. And for the record everyone, I'm going with a black pencil skirt and black blazer, with a nice dark fuschia top underneath. Black tights and low heels. Let's do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)

 

[Coquette22]

Wear heels if you want, just make sure they don't look like you could use those for your night job... (I wore 2-inch black pumps and no one cared, but I'm also rather short) Don't wear excessive, gaudy jewelry. You get the idea...

And don't wear them for the sake of it, if you can't walk in them. It's hard to be confident and poised when you're worrying about falling over. 😉 This is why I stuck to a lower heel (1.5"-2" I think) even though I'm short and could have used some extra height.

 

[drwildlife]

This is a wee off topic but, mostly related since it's attire. But, what do you guys think should be worn to a symposium? I'm going to the exotics symposium at the University of Missouri-Columbia. It's a little less casual than the APVMA because veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and pre-veterinary students attend this. Any ideas before I make a fool out of myself?

 

[idahoequestrian]

This is a wee off topic but, mostly related since it's attire. But, what do you guys think should be worn to a symposium? I'm going to the exotics symposium at the University of Missouri-Columbia. It's a little less casual than the APVMA because veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and pre-veterinary students attend this. Any ideas before I make a fool out of myself?

If it's fairly formal, I'd wear an outfit similar to an interview. A nice blazer with dress pants or a skirt and low heels or flats should definitely be acceptable (I'm assuming you're a woman). Just look professional and put together. And you can always adjust what you're wearing based on what everyone else is wearing...maybe you can lose the blazer and only wear a blouse. I'm sure you'll look fantastic! That sounds like a great time!

 

[Mohorsegirl]

I'm wearing a bikini and hoping there are no females on my interview committee.

 

[idahoequestrian]

I'm wearing a bikini and hoping there are no females on my interview committee.

Good plan. Work with what you've got

 

[Ben and Me]

I can't believe they would post something like that on their official website?

"No scribbling means you're boring to talk to"? What in the world?

FYI, skirt suits are considered MORE formal in the business and law world (obviously not "I forgot my pants" skirts). My mother always wears a skirt suit to court for that very reason. I also wore a skirt suit to Mississippi State for that reason. I wore pants to Penn and Minnesota, as northerners tend to be more relaxed about the whole skirt vs. pant thing.

Who knows though -- Texas is a whole nuther ball game. 😉

As for the zoo symposium, I would NOT wear a skirt. I spent a summer volunteering in a zoo and heard lots of ridicule of women who showed up for zoo interviews in skirts. Just not done in that world.

 

[Mohorsegirl]

I can't believe they would post something like that on their official website?

"No scribbling means you're boring to talk to"? What in the world?

FYI, skirt suits are considered MORE formal in the business and law world (obviously not "I forgot my pants" skirts). My mother always wears a skirt suit to court for that very reason. I also wore a skirt suit to Mississippi State for that reason. I wore pants to Penn and Minnesota, as northerners tend to be more relaxed about the whole skirt vs. pant thing.

Who knows though -- Texas is a whole nuther ball game. 😉

As for the zoo symposium, I would NOT wear a skirt. I spent a summer volunteering in a zoo and heard lots of ridicule of women who showed up for zoo interviews in skirts. Just not done in that world.

I always heard that you should dress conservatively in your interviews, and that pants were more conservative for women than skirts...

 

[Ben and Me]

Could be a regional difference, but I'm not making this up... 😉

http://www.quintcareers.com/dressing_at_the_interview.html

http://www.creeksystems.com/womens_dress_etiquette.pdf


However, for veterinary school interviews, the whole skirt vs. pants thing really doesn't matter IMHO -- but it does still matter in some areas of the world. There are still judges in the South who don't want female lawyers wearing pants in their courtroom. Ridiculous, yes, but also true. 🙄

 

[Coquette22]

I could see that in some parts of the world, skirts would definitely be considered the more conservative option, especially if you consider that conservative = traditional, rather than conservative = modest. Just look at women's formal wear. No matter how nice she's dressed, a woman isn't usually considered to be in formal wear if she's wearing pants.

 

[PrimalMU]

IMHO, just look nice and use some common sense. Business attire is good, but I don't think a suit is necessary. I remember at my interview half the guys who were wearing suits looked uncomfortable/awkward. For example, to my MSU interview (remember that their dress code for guys requires slacks, button up shirt, and a tie) I wore khakis and a dress shirt with the top button undone. I wasn't overly dressy, but I was dressed nice enough while still being comfortable.