Interview attire

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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What if it's a tux jacket and top and green velour track pants? With wraparound shades?
 
cowgirla said:
:laugh:

Mine also has two. I buttoned both of them for my interviews. Like someone said above, I dont like the way the tucked in blouse looks under the jacket, but if I didnt tuck it in, the shirt was longer than the jacket in the back, and I figured that wouldn't go over well 🙂
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My blouse last year was also longer in the back than the jacket, but I absolutely hated the way it looked tucked in so I bought some fabric tape and just folded the blouse under and it stayed in place so it did not peek out from under the jacket and it did not look funny in the front. You would never be able to tell that I did that. It was a neat little trick that saved me from having to tuck in the blouse which I was uncomfortable with and looked bad to me. Just a little tip if anyone needs it for this year. 😀
 
I ironed my shirt under the first time around and pinned it with a safety pin. 🙂

This time, the shirt is elastic and can be pulled up without feeling strange or anything, and my coat is also a bit longer.
 
You guys have me cracking up with the one boob button thing. Now I think I will certainly try to find a jacket with 3 buttons.. I'm set to go shopping on the 14th so I will hopefully get everything there. And I am also thinking the same thing Shadow23 and make my hairdresser show me something easy enough for a fashion ****** like myself, but proper enough for the interview.
 
Dsmoody23 said:
Screw it. I'm wearing a violet track suit and aviator sunglasses.
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Yeah! Rock them aviators!!😎
I basically have my interview attire planned out - black pants suit with 3 or 4 buttons. I'm wearing a silky purple tank top underneath and keeping my fingers crossed. I don't know a ton about attire but I hear it's more about comfort. Sure, you want to give off a great impression, but I'm already seriously considering nixing my 1.5 inch heels for flats to go comfortable.

Now all I need is the interview invite haha:laugh:
 
kaydubs said:
Yeah! Rock them aviators!!😎
I basically have my interview attire planned out - black pants suit with 3 or 4 buttons. I'm wearing a silky purple tank top underneath and keeping my fingers crossed. I don't know a ton about attire but I hear it's more about comfort. Sure, you want to give off a great impression, but I'm already seriously considering nixing my 1.5 inch heels for flats to go comfortable.

Now all I need is the interview invite haha:laugh:
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I saw a couple people wearing flats at my Iowa interview, so if you really dislike heels that can definitely be an option for you.
 
so is it a bad idea to wear 2 inch heels even if they're a thick heel? they're short boots and they look professional and are comfortable but i'm a little worried about the heel being too high...
 
Bah. My shoes have a tall heel, but it's a thick heel, they're tasteful, and I find them incredibly comfortable. Like, if I bought jeans to change into, I probably would still wear the shoes. I think the point is that you don't HAVE to wear heels to look professional, and you probably shouldn't wear stilletos... but otherwise, wear what you like.
 
jscowgirl said:
so is it a bad idea to wear 2 inch heels even if they're a thick heel? they're short boots and they look professional and are comfortable but i'm a little worried about the heel being too high...
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The boots I wore to my Kansas interview and will be wearing to Minnesota have a 3" heel. They don't look super high to me (but then again where I live a 3" heel is practically gym wear haha. I'm always the odd one out in my flat sandals!). I have them in black but if you want to see a link: http://www.dsw.com/shoe/impo+tarra+ankle+boot?prodId=192588

My aunt (who's a lawyer and all about "proper" professional dress) gave them the okay and apparently my interviewers didn't think poorly of them!

Good luck!
 
Hot!

Here are mine again:

clarks-womens-boots-shoes-4152nAtjymL.jpg
 
Mine are similar to yours, TT, without the lace-up details and cut a little lower. The sad thing is, I may be returning those too and getting something more comfortable. Mine aren't impossibly painful or anything but they're not comfortable.

I think I too will have to be bringing alternate footwear from the campus tour. I have some big clunker snow boots that are like tanks so I'll probably just stick with them. Any advice on not getting the bottoms of your pants wet? We have a campus tour at 11, lunch at 11:45 and then my interview isn't until 2:30, which would give me plenty of time to change over but I probably want to be in my suit for the lunch with the admissions director 😕 Thoughts?
 
Ok well mine are pretty similar to those except they're taller. And yeah they're really comfortable plus they're tall enough that I can wear real socks with them and no one will see 🙂
Thanks!!
 
Dsmoody23 said:
Screw it. I'm wearing a violet track suit and aviator sunglasses.
Click to expand...

I am so down with that. I think I've got some sweats with holes in all the wrong places lying around here somewhere.

"So. Whaddya wanna know, eh? And do you mind if I smoke?"

Thanks, Dsmoody23, I needed a laugh.
 
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This might be a stupid question... but is a cheap suit okay?

I was looking for something to wear to a conference I'm presenting at and found a $40 black blazer on sale for $12.99. All I have to do is pick up a blouse for underneath and a new pair of dresspants (mine are a little too tight 🙁 ).

It should be a matching suit right?

I have a pair of dress pants that are gray plaid that I'm planning on wearing to the conference. Something is telling me that a black blazer + white blouse + gray pants isn't as appropriate for a vet school interview as a matching suit.

Is a black suit and teal blouse too outrageous? Teal brings out my eyes and doesn't make me look washed out lol.

Hopefully that day comes :xf:

I LOVE the blazer though. Currently wearing it with dark jeans, gray shirt and bling... I look stylish 😎
 
scarcelyheard said:
This might be a stupid question... but is a cheap suit okay?

I was looking for something to wear to a conference I'm presenting at and found a $40 black blazer on sale for $12.99. All I have to do is pick up a blouse for underneath and a new pair of dresspants (mine are a little too tight 🙁 ).

It should be a matching suit right?

I have a pair of dress pants that are gray plaid that I'm planning on wearing to the conference. Something is telling me that a black blazer + white blouse + gray pants isn't as appropriate for a vet school interview as a matching suit.

Is a black suit and teal blouse too outrageous? Teal brings out my eyes and doesn't make me look washed out lol.

Hopefully that day comes :xf:

I LOVE the blazer though. Currently wearing it with dark jeans, gray shirt and bling... I look stylish 😎
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I had a bright printed blouse on and it looked fine. I saw lots of people at my interview with brightly colored blouses, in fact. As long as it's not a teal suit :laugh:
 
scarcelyheard said:
This might be a stupid question... but is a cheap suit okay?

It should be a matching suit right?

Is a black suit and teal blouse too outrageous? Teal brings out my eyes and doesn't make me look washed out lol.
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Yes, as long as it fits/looks good.

Eh, not necessarily. I had a pair of brown dress pants (like these minus the fact they're maternity pants: http://www.growingmommies.com/pants/dress/brown-jersey-belly-band-dress-pants.html).

I then paired them with a solid brown jacket and it looked good. I got an interview that year at the career fair and got compliments from people about it. Again, as long as it looks good and the pieces go well together, I wouldn't worry about it not coming from a set. People wear all kinds of things to interviews but the important part is to dress professionally and look like you take it seriously.

About color, don't be afraid of it! I much prefer a splash of color if the look of the suit pieces permit it (i.e. don't wear a red shirt if you have a blue pinstripe suit... unless I'm really missing out on something, that just doesn't sound good). Unless the teal you have is super obnoxious for some reason, I'm sure it will be fine.
http://www.growingmommies.com/pants/dress/brown-jersey-belly-band-dress-pants.html
 
Different colour suits can work. My mom had a pair of black pants and a grey tweed jacket with black trim that looked very nice. Ask family/friends, get their opinion if they look okay together. One of the girls interviewing with me was in black pants and a white short sleeved blazer and a grey shirt and looked very nice.

And yes to the colour! I don't like suits with plain white shirts, they look (IMO) too much like a restaurant hostess or something. 😳 I'm torn about my shirts. I have a teal cotton shirt, a dark blue cotton, or a dark purple satin. I wore the dark purple last year, and I like it, but I feel like it's cursed now. :laugh:

And yeah, cheap suits are fine as long as they look good and fit well. I got mine on sale at Reitman's. Cheap, but I look and feel great in it.
 
Coquette22 said:
And yeah, cheap suits are fine as long as they look good and fit well. I got mine on sale at Reitman's. Cheap, but I look and feel great in it.
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I got mine at Eclipse. They also had a black short-sleeve blazer with a tiny blazer that wasn't on sale that looks so CUTE. I'm a reptile though. If I don't wear long sleeves, I freeze.

Thanks for the advice!

Also, Coquette... did you notice anyone with visible piercings? I have 7 ear piercings. 4 are in my lobe... I can take them out no problem. But my other 3, I'm trying to decide whether to go all out and get retainers or if less obvious jewellery will be okay.
 
Didn't notice. I think my tour guide had a couple ear piercings, but I can't remember. One other interviewee had her hair down, so I couldn't see her ears. The other had her hair up, but I was so distracted by the gigantic fake hot pink flower clip that I wouldn't have noticed her ears.
 
Hey guys in this thread, do I wear a tie with my suit?

(UC Davis hopeful)
 
twelvetigers said:
Jumpin the gun a bit there, honcho?

Yes, wear a tie. Maybe wait until you get an interview (like... February or so?) before asking anything else specific, haha.
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Haha, boredom drove me to make my 2nd(and now 3rd!) post on SDN. Honestly, this forum has explained everything I've wanted to know so well that that question I asked above has been the only one I have thought of after a year of lurking. Anyway, thanks.
 
twelvetigers said:
Haha. Well, my point was... for pete's sake, don't stress out over THAT just yet. One step at a time. Don't be shy about posting, though.
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Well you know, it could take some people 8 months to pick out the *perfect* tie. like, i had my interview suit picked out 6 years prior to my interviews. pretty amazing that it still fit.
 
Hah. Well. I dunno. My suit from time #1 didn't fit me for time #2, and my suit from time #2 barely fit for time #3 (and would not fit me now, I am sure). Staying the same size for 6 years is pretty remarkable.

I don't suppose you would outgrow a tie, though.

Okay, so if you find a suit on sale early, sure, go ahead. But it wouldn't me on top of my priority list. :d
 
Lanith said:
Hey guys in this thread, do I wear a tie with my suit?
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Yes. Absolutely yes. Wear a suit and tie. Dark blue, grey, black, whatever you look best in, but straight-up, classic business attire. Don't mess around with anything else.

I actually went and bought a new suit because the only other one I've had for the last decade wasn't very comfortable and was worn. You want to wear a suit that you KNOW you look good in. That alone will help you project confidence.

Personally, I like charcoal, but that's just me. I always think black is too formal, blue looks too ... cheesy (even dark blue), and lighter grey doesn't look serious. But then, I'm a bit more old school.

Minnerbelle said:
Well you know, it could take some people 8 months to pick out the *perfect* tie. like, i had my interview suit picked out 6 years prior to my interviews. pretty amazing that it still fit.
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Yeah, but yer a girl. A guy walks into one store, tries on four suits, and picks out one. How many stores did YOU have to go into? 😉
 
The first time, it took at least 4 hours of looking, and I already knew that JCPenny wasn't gonna cut it for my tiny self. So, I went to Express, Banana Republic, New York & Co., and finally, Ann Taylor. I had success but had to drive across town to another store to get the matching coat.

The second time, I got an Express suit at a bargain/outlet store for under $100. Go me. I *did* buy it in September, so that's good thinking ahead.

Now, I probably could just walk into JCPenny and try things on. Irony.
 
Lanith said:
Haha, boredom drove me to make my 2nd(and now 3rd!) post on SDN. Honestly, this forum has explained everything I've wanted to know so well that that question I asked above has been the only one I have thought of after a year of lurking. Anyway, thanks.
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Totally understand! I have just started my undergrad over (very bad grades the first time) so I am just now starting my second semester and already I am worrying about vet hours vs. animal hours, volunteer experience, rounding out my experiences with something not animal related, my personal statement, my LOR's, and not getting anything below an A- from here on out.:scared:

I'm not stressed at all!!!😱😕

So don't feel bad, I don't call it over-reacting or being a worry wart; I call it being highly prepared for the future.

It's kinda like I'm not short. I'm height impaired or vertically challenged.
 
Barnsey27 said:
Hi everyone!

I've been to interviews already this year and have been to vet school interviews previously (this is my second time applying). Most people do wear suits, so make sure you are dressed up enough that you don't feel under-dressed. Not that anyone on here is dumb enough to do this, but last time I had an interview, a woman wore "nice" jeans and a blouse and her interviewers chastized her for not taking her interview seriously.

Also, another thing I've noticed that's certainly not critical, but something to think about. Most people wear black suits, which are wonderful and I wore a black suit last year, but anyone wearing a color other than black tends to stand out alot. The way I figure, anything you can do to make yourself stand out and get noticed is probably a good thing when hundreds of people are interviewing. Just my two cents! I have a medium-grey suit for this year's interviews and I love it!

Good luck on all your interviews!!
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I think as long as no one goes the route of the powder blue tuxedo to try and stand out, they will probably be good 😀
 
jack-nicholson_joker.jpg


gents, i present to you the stylin' 3 piece
 
I'm bumping this thread mostly for the first time applicants/interviewees like myself who have no idea what to wear.

I've been looking for a suit on the cheap. So far no luck at Dillards, JCPenney and the like. I'm going to try out Ross and TJMaxx on Thursday.

How may of you think a suit is *absolutely* necessary--vs say, a nice dress or a skirt and blouse? I'm only interviewing at Oregon and my bf's sister tried to ease my worries the other day by letting me know that her friend, a staff member at OSU, says that the style there is very outdoorsy-casual (think Patagonia and REI clothes). Then again, that doesn't mean the vet school's adcomm doesn't expect candidates to be looking sharp in a suit, so I won't be taking my chances with cargo shorts and Chaco's.

I don't know. I'm just whining. I hate clothes shopping. Bleh.
 
kernel said:
I'm bumping this thread mostly for the first time applicants/interviewees like myself who have no idea what to wear.

I've been looking for a suit on the cheap. So far no luck at Dillards, JCPenney and the like. I'm going to try out Ross and TJMaxx on Thursday.

How may of you think a suit is *absolutely* necessary--vs say, a nice dress or a skirt and blouse? I'm only interviewing at Oregon and my bf's sister tried to ease my worries the other day by letting me know that her friend, a staff member at OSU, says that the style there is very outdoorsy-casual (think Patagonia and REI clothes). Then again, that doesn't mean the vet school's adcomm doesn't expect candidates to be looking sharp in a suit, so I won't be taking my chances with cargo shorts and Chaco's.

I don't know. I'm just whining. I hate clothes shopping. Bleh.
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I wore a suit and it seemed a good number of people were as well - I found one at Macy's for pretty inexpensive - I figured it was a good investment.

Really a suit for female's is just adding a jacket - so wearing nice pants and a nice shirt I think is perfectly acceptable. What you wear is not going to make or break getting accepted unless you wear sweat pants 🙂

Wear something you feel confident in and is business casual and you'll be good 🙂 Oregon isn't like Auburn where they have a very strict dress code so I'm sure its not at the top of their criteria during interviews.

Good luck!! 🙂
 
kernel said:
I'm bumping this thread mostly for the first time applicants/interviewees like myself who have no idea what to wear.

I've been looking for a suit on the cheap. So far no luck at Dillards, JCPenney and the like. I'm going to try out Ross and TJMaxx on Thursday.

How may of you think a suit is *absolutely* necessary--vs say, a nice dress or a skirt and blouse? I'm only interviewing at Oregon and my bf's sister tried to ease my worries the other day by letting me know that her friend, a staff member at OSU, says that the style there is very outdoorsy-casual (think Patagonia and REI clothes). Then again, that doesn't mean the vet school's adcomm doesn't expect candidates to be looking sharp in a suit, so I won't be taking my chances with cargo shorts and Chaco's.

I don't know. I'm just whining. I hate clothes shopping. Bleh.
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I think the key thing to finding a suit on the cheap is buying the pieces separately, which is relatively easy to do with women's clothing. Buying a full three piece suit is typically very expensive, but there's no reason why you have to buy the full ensemble. Say you find a nice skirt on sale at TJ Maxx. You can easily find a matching blazer elsewhere, and then pair that with a blouse you already have at home. If you're going to go this
route though, stick with a black skirt/blazer. Other colors tend to vary too much from brand to brand, so you'll have a much harder time getting matching pieces.

I think for Oregon you would probably be fine with just a skirt or dress pants and a blouse. As long as it looks professional (no loud colors or ridiculously visible cleavage) you should be fine.
 
Second the above post! I wore a pair of black slacks, a nice shirt, and a black blazer - all pieces bought separately, but worked well together. 😉

Regarding shoes - I stuck with a dressy pair of black flats, because the last thing I wanted to worry about the day of my interview was blisters; I was uncomfortable enough and I didn't want that to be the cherry on top of my stresscake.

And also all of the places I interviewed at had some sort of walking tour, so I was not about to hobble around all day, either. 😉

Remember to wear something you're comfortable in, guys. <3 One of my classmates jokes about how she wore a blouse that had fit her a month before her interview... come the day of it was a bit tight. She says she has no idea how she got in, 'cus during the interviews she was convinced if she moved or even breathed too much a button would fly off and pop one of her interviewers right in the face - so that's all she thought about the whole time!
 
My own note about adding a personal touch to your outfit...

I am normally very, um, "expressive" in my way of dressing? I shop a lot of vintage stores and have a lot of unique peices that get attention (usually in a good way) and its a just a way I express myself. For my interview, I knew that I had to tone it down but I still managed to be "me". I wore a grey pencil skirt, a long sleeve black blouse (to cover up my tattoo mainly because I HATE long sleeves 😀), black tights, and then my own little splashes of me were my purple flats (worked well for KState😉), some tiny little abalone shell earrings, and my vintage purse than I have been told kind of looks like a mini bowling bag. I also opted not to dedecorate my dreadlocks and left the beads and wrap I have in.

My outfit also cost a whopping like $26 bucks because I never spend a lot of money on clothes. My point is you can still be professional, look amazing, feel comfortable, and be yourself. Don't max our your credit card buying a 3 peice suit. As long as you look like you are taking your interview serious I don't think it matters. I was most comfortable being myself...this is me...take it or leave it. Hopefully they take it! 😀
 
Not sure what size you are, but Lane Bryant has some reeeally cute suits for under $100(pants and jacket/blazer). I'm not sure but I think the lowest size they go is 14? (don't quote me on that!)
 
At my interview, most of the girls wore suits (aka separates pieced together). A couple wore dresses with blazers and others wore skirts and nice tops.
 
kernel said:
I'm bumping this thread mostly for the first time applicants/interviewees like myself who have no idea what to wear.

I've been looking for a suit on the cheap. So far no luck at Dillards, JCPenney and the like. I'm going to try out Ross and TJMaxx on Thursday.

How may of you think a suit is *absolutely* necessary--vs say, a nice dress or a skirt and blouse?
Click to expand...

A suit is not "*absolutely*" necessary. You want to look composed and professional. If you can do that without a suit, great. The biggest error would be to stand out in a bad way -- too flashy, too showy, too sloppy, etc.

I think one of the most important things is wearing whatever you feel makes you look awesome. The confidence and whatnot shows.
 
There was a surprising amount of ladies at the Kansas State interview who were wearing suits thus last Saturday. I wore a chocolate brown skirt suit with a light tangerine tank under it. I have a PR background so my business wardrobe is extensive, but I have bought suits at both Macy's and Burlington Coat Factory for reasonable prices. Some people were wearing dress slacks and nice blouses. I wore flat ballet shoes to the interview and during the walking tour but stuck a pair of brown patent leather heels in my handbag which I slipped on before the interview. Just be comfortable, conservative but above all, be yourself.
 
I'm going to sort of contradict some of this and say just wear a suit. You're not going to look dumb or out of place in a suit. A pair of dress slacks and a nice top is probably ok, but at least looking at the interviews I've been to (ISU, Ohio State, Mizzou) you're going to be the odd one out. Plus Mizzou said the following about interview attire, "You should dress commensurate with the importance to you of entering the profession of veterinary medicine." I just personally wouldn't risk it, worst case scenario you look better dressed than everyone else 🙂.
 
I got my very first suit for my vet school interview. It was on big sale at Macy's. I hate shopping too, but I made myself do it. I'm glad I did- I've used the pants numerous times since.

I think you could get away with nice pants and a blouse, but to me the suit says "grown-up professional" more than just dressy pants/blouse. (Not knocking on those who wore them, just my opinion.) Plus you will absolutely have use of it in the future.
 
CRISIS!!! So my miniature self does not fit into suits! I spent all day shopping, and express size 00 pants did not fit! (I am normally a size 00/24) Also express xs shirts looked as if I borrowed my boyfriends shirt 🙁 I have one pair of pants that fit me, they are black, just a different material from my blazer. I also have a suit skirt (goes to my knees) which I can wear. Not sure which is more appropriate? Or to solve my crisis, where can I find dress pants which fit (preferably in grey)?

Also would you recommend a typical button down shirt with a collar, or a nice shirt underneath my blazer?
 
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