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Sales of note for 8.30.24
- Nordstrom – Summer Sale, save up to 60%
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Bergdorf Goodman – Final Days Designer Sale, up to 75% off; extra 20% off sale
- Boden – 20% off
- Brooks Brothers – Extra 25% off clearance
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off (ends 9/2)
- Madewell – Extra 40% off sale; extra 50% off select denim; 25% off fall essentials
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Rothy's – End of season sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear in the big sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- White House Black Market – Up to 70% off sale
Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Anon for This.
Just had my first review and it went really well! I also got an unexpected merit bonus! YAY.
anonymous
YAY! congratulations!
desi inside and out
great job!
Must be Tuesday
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing your good news.
la vie en bleu
Wooo!! HiveFive!!
Anonymous
Good for you!!
Anon for This.
Thanks! I have a lot of self-doubt, so I had to share my validation!
Blue Anne
Good work! :)
Edusnob
I have an interview next week for a job I’m really excited about at a great organization. When I found the hiring manager on LinkedIn, I saw that her only education is a widely known but widely disrespected online college (you know the one).
My reaction to this is so snobby, but part of me is now wondering about the rigor/prestige of the position. She seems to have worked her way up, starting in more blue-collar/admin type roles, but now has a great resume. Meanwhile, I have less work experience but two ivy degrees that I pride myself on.
I’m less interested in whether this is a red flag – I truly think it isn’t – and more interested in how to get the f##k over myself. Ideas?
Zelda
How long have you been in the working world (genuine question, no snark)? If you’ve been in the working world long enough, you’ll realize that some of the best employees are those who don’t have prestigious degrees and some of the worst are those who did. To a large extent, a prestigious degree (I have 2 myself) is mostly about signaling and the farther along you are in your career, the more important your experience/technical skills and intangible qualities such as drive, creativity, and leadership skills become. Getting to know more people outside of your ivy league bubble will help you realize that the skills/traits that make good employees and good leaders are everywhere, not just in prestigious universities.
This is one of many articles that discusses why Google discounts the value of prestigious degrees in its hiring process http://qz.com/180247/why-google-doesnt-care-about-hiring-top-college-graduates/
Bonnie
This. In my field, those without prestigious degrees are better at the job.
Ellen
Yay! Great pick, Kat! I love Kate Spade and this wallet. I hope it is high quality leather, tho, b/c I bought a knock off on Canal Street that turned out to be really cra**ppie! FOOEY on knock-off’s!
As for the OP, remember NEVER to be an educational snob. No one care’s where you went to school AFTER you get a resume with job expereince. Your first job may depend on your schooling, but trust me, once you have some experience under your belt, the fact that you may have gone to a prestigus school is realy NOT that important. Here you say this woman went to an on line school. Well she may have had good reason to do that–mabye she had to work and raise a child at the same time so she could NOT go to a fancy school.
My dad told me NEVER to rely on the fact that I gradeuated from GW, and when I got to big for myself, he reminded me that GW was NOT Georgtown U. I have NEVER forgot that lesson, and now, no one even care’s where I went to school now that I am an EQUITY Partner and head of our WC group! What they all want now is simpel. The manageing partner want’s RESULTS! He has no interest if I went to GW, Georgtown or even Towson State U. He wants me to bill 7500 hours if I can and that is what pays the rent, and get’s us new furniture and chair’s that do NOT have petrified farts contained in the seat’s that come out whenever it get’s warm. FOOEY!
So my recomendation is to be earnest, and NOT to tout your degrees, b/c you have yet to do anything with them. Show her that you want to learn from her, and it does NOT matter where you went to college or law school. The men I know with Ivy degree’s expected me to bow down to that, but trust me, I was NOT impressed with that — or anything else about them. Even my Alan, who was workeing on his CPA, did NOT go to a name school. Of course he turned out to be a looser, but I would NOT have dated him (let alone let him have sex with me) if he had an ivy league degree. Best of luck on your interview, but remember to be HUMBEL, like me, and you will go far. YAY!!!!
Godzilla
Slow clap fake Ellen, slow clap.
Allie
This is vintage Ellen, not a fake! Godzilla, you should know better!
Jo March
Agreed!
raise high
Be a proud GW alum, Ellen! Go buff and blue!
Anon
Why do you think you are so much better? Don’ t say it here, but write it down privately and think about it. There are some field, like finance and law, where an ivy degree is a plus. But in most, people really don’t care about your degree – and having a degree from a particular place doesn’t mean you’ll be any good at your job. It means you’re good at school.
Anon 2
I know someone who has a three degrees from an online diploma mill.
I get one on-line degree. Busy working people, on-line classes, etc. Who knows — maybe you did 2 years at Oxbridge and got pregnant and had to finish from your living room while you were nursing?
But >1 diploma mill degree says greedy or just doing it to tick a box needed to apply for a job or land a promotion.
A lot of life is credential-driven. If you don’t have a high school diploma or GED, you just get frozen out of things. I think a BA is the new GED for a lot of job — just gatekeeper and not a meaningful accomplishment. I’d ignore the issue here — it probably let a qualified person get a job or keep a job or get promoted.
Anon
I know more than one person who has >1 diploma from an online institution because they earned the online degree while simultaneously serving overseas deployments. I will respect the heck out of anyone who does that.
PhD
+ 1 Anyone who has had to work at the same time as go to school, maybe even while raising a family has my respect. It’s not easy at all.
Anon 2
I get that. And there are a lot of good online programs.
And then there are credentials that you can basically buy. In the case I was mentioning, I think the guy was insecure and wants everyone to call him Doctor. I half think that he might think this is how degrees are.
I got a degree while working and it was the worst four semesters of my life. Awful.
Sacha
Education has merit, most Ivy degrees have merit, but hard work and commitment to a job/career/industry can be just as important. The hiring manager has more degrees than Steve Jobs and more jobs than the woman who constantly appears on my Linkedin with the tag line “Educated at Harvard University.” Perhaps the woman did not have resources to go to an Ivy or any other college (and graduated from a high school where no one ever went to an Ivy), worked her whole life to learn the business of this organization, and got a degree on the side in the only way she knew how, while holding down a job doing what you want to do after getting two Ivy degrees. Doesn’t that say a lot about her? I’d say she gets at least as much credit up front as the legacy Exeter/Princeton grad who started a jewelry business with her trust funds. I know who I’d rather have evaluating me for job readiness and prefer working with. The relevance of a degree varies greatly on a case by case basis. Go meet her. Learn about the organization and the role she is filling. Then make a decision.
anon
1000+ Great answer.
Edusnob
Wow – thanks for such a thoughtful/thought-provoking response
PhD
This is a really great answer. It’s great to have a good education but you still have to go out there and prove your worth to the world. Some people have done amazing things even though the opportunities that life dealt them were not prestigious or might be considered “lower-tier”.
trainstation
Like you, I worked hard in school and am proud of my education. I know, however, that my parents were hugely supportive of my education and that if neither one of them had been a college graduate, or if they had thought all college degrees were interchangeable, I probably would have taken a different path.
I know someone like your hiring manager, and respect her immensely. Her parents were blue-collar immigrants from central Europe. She’s a graduate of a small college and started her career with an entry level job. Frankly, I doubt her parents were sophisticated enough about American culture to help her much with her education. Twenty-five years later her immense initiative, intelligence and practicality have led her to a position where she is literally the only person (out of ~150) without a graduate degree.
Anon for this
We have a fairly large entering class of new hires every year. Minimum requirement is a bachelors. Some have just an undergrad degree, many have masters, and a few are JDs or PhDs, and they graduated from all kinds of places, from state schools to Ivies to the military academies. I find no difference among them based on where they went to school (although the former military insist on calling me “ma’am” and that is not at all our corporate culture) and a substantial and readily-apparent difference based on how much prior work experience they have. Some of the Ivy grads have been terrible, and some of the “not great” schools’ graduates have been fabulous. I suspect that the Ivy graduates who are awesome would have been awesome had they been graduates of “lower tier’ schools; their awesomeness got them into the Ivy, it wasn’t created by the Ivy. As a manager and supervisor, I frankly do not care at all where someone went to school and generally cannot tell; I need to know if they have good judgment, good interpersonal skills, and can learn the job quickly (because other than basic writing skills, nothing you learned in college is applicable to the work you would do for me). Ivies and similar often help students learn how to interview and network, but very soon after joining the workforce, I think work history and references are much more important than where you went to school.
Brunchaholic
I love this discussion, and I think it’s an important lesson both for the well educated and the “not-so-well” educated.
I’ve met more than a few people who have (completely unnecessary) chips on their shoulders due to their insecurity about their degrees. I think it makes them seem out of touch and causes them to discount their own achievements when they really have no reason to. And on the flip side, it’s irritating to meet people with massive egos solely because they went to fancy college ___. I think that BOTH points of view are problematic not just on a personal level, but for one’s professional success, too.
There are numerous above comments that outline the many reasons that someone might have a less prestigious degree than they “could” get, and I could add a few more reasons of my own from the experience of people I know. I think it’s a basic enough fact of life that people’s educational backgrounds are tied to so many factors, that it makes one look out of touch with reality to draw serious conclusions about a person based solely on their educational background. (More of a general comment than an attack on the OP.)
August
If it helps you, I work for a fortune 100 company with thousands of PhDs from prestigious universities all over the world. However our well respected and well liked CEO has a BS degree from a not so well known state university and no other educational qualifications.
Anonymous
OP, a lot of people go to state school for financial or other reasons–not because they can’t get into a higher ranked school.
Personally, I have an undergrad degree from a very average state school. I was accepted to two Fancy Name Brands, but thought at the time I wanted to be a teacher, which wouldn’t justify six figures of debt. Plus, I wanted to stay near my family to help with a sick relative. When a local state school offered me a full ride plus stipend for living expenses and books, I accepted. For four years I worked while attending classes to help save money for grad school. In the end I decided teaching wasn’t for me. I ended up going to law school (choosing a T20 scholarship over the T14s) and was very glad not to have any undergrad debt hanging over my head. After seven months of working, I had paid off all my law school loans. Eighteen months out, I had a 20% down payment for a house with a sizable safety net in the bank.
Many of my coworkers have Ivy League undergrad and law degrees, and you’d be shocked at how many snide comments I’ve gotten about my resume. But you know what? I still think I made the right decision. I’ve had no problems with the job itself (heck, law is much easier than going to school and working at the same time!), and I’m financially more secure than most of my coworkers. And, as an aside, I actually found law school to be much less challenging than my undergrad. Just a different perspective.
lucy stone
I have this wallet in a non-ombre and love it!
Wildkitten
Same – and it’s held up really well – I’ve had it a few years and it still looks brand new.
Ciao, pues
Anyone had their thyroid removed? I have to have this done and am curious about recovery stories. How long were you out of work? How much pain were you in/ what pain meds did you take and for how long? I also have a baby at home so feel like I need to be really realistic about how down for the count I will be.
Coach Laura
I haven’t but my husband had his out at age 50. Our kids were teenagers. He only missed less than a week of work and didn’t take all of his hard pain meds (codeine or similar). After a day or two I think he only took the meds at night. I had a neck surgery (discectomy and fusion c5/6 which is a front-of-the-neck surgery) and I only used the meds at night after five days – but that was a more intense surgery with a bone graft taken from my hip that hurt more than the neck wound.
If you have a baby, I’d suggest a night-nurse if you can’t get your mom or other friend to stay the night. You’ll need a full night’s sleep plus daily nap or two. Get frozen meals or take out and a housecleaner/laundry person for a week. Good luck!
SuziStockbroker
I had half of mine out in my early 30s.
I had it done on a Thursday and was back at work on Monday. Would not recommend (especially if, like me, general anaesthetic kicks your butt). But I definitely wasn’t laid up for long.
Mind you, I wasn’t a new mom either.
Monitor your levels very carefully afterward. I gained 15 lbs within 6 weeks and couldn’t get enough sleep. Had to change docs to get my dosage upped. There is a huge range of “normal” and while my levels were still “normal”, they were definitely not normal for me. I also found out later, when I was doing research on fertility that I would have been unlikely to conceive at the “normal” levels my first doc said were OK.
Good luck.
Constant Reader
To piggyback off of this…has anyone alternatively had RAI done instead of a thyroidectomy? At a crossroads with my doctor for Graves’ Disease where they want to either a) give me RAI or b) take the thyroid out.
Lobbyist
Please, Constant Reader, update with what you decide to do. I’m in remission for Graves so don’t have to do anything but if it comes back I suspect that’s what they’ll want to do. In Europe you can stay on methimizole your whole life but here they prefer to zap or remove your thyroid and put you on synthroid.
kc
My mom had RAI and takes synthroid daily, and she has for the last 40 or so years. It hasn’t bothered her. It definitely solved all her issues with her thyroid and the inability to gain weight.
Ciao, pues
Thank you for sharing your stories! Much much appreciated.
desi inside and out
Im on a bag search. I work a few blocks from where I park. I use an old canvas messenger bag to carry my small clutch purse/wallet, my phone, my lunch, some paperwork, and a book/ipad.
I love the bag, as I used for many years, but I am looking to upgrade it to something that I can use daily, but carry to professional meetings/if necessary.
Suggestions? Id like to stick with messenger style rather than tote, and I’d like to also go with something sturdy, but not nylon. I have mixed feelings about leather (because I think that I’ll ruin it).
Since I use this like every single day, I am open on price, if I really really love the bag.
Help?
TOS
I’ve opted through a few totes (not messenger) and have a lifestyle that I thought would destroy a leather bag. I bit the bullet and got an LL Bean, um, Town & Country?, leather tote. It has held up well through a year of bringing the occasional file home, and occasional workout wear, in addition to all that you mention. I have a larger size, and there are some smaller, non-leather options with a zip-top and enough shoulder/arm clearance that walking .2 miles to the car works well.
desi inside and out
thanks. I’ll check them out.
Financial freedom:) I need to share...
I just had a personal money check-in with myself. I am a 2008 law school grad who started at a small firm right after the crash with ZERO savings and a bunch of debt. Right now I have only $50K in school debt but $600K in cash and investments, which will be up to $850K by May of next year due to scheduled stock vesting. OH and I just signed a lease for the apartment of my dreams.
I am kind of thinking “holy smokes, where did all this money come from?” And what do I do with it? My plan so far: bail from my grinding job after that vest. Perhaps travel for a year. Buy a small condo for cash. Take a way lower paying and lower status job – maybe become a secretary. Live my life:)
Anon 2
When you leave your job, can I have it? And congrats!
roses
Congrats, that is exciting! But definitely pay off that 50K in loans first unless you have an interest rate lower than what you’re gaining from your investments – don’t want that hanging over you in your new job!
g anon
No seriously where did it all come from?
Anonymous
Right? Don’t be such a tease. Salary? Rent?
Financial freedom:) I need to share...
Honestly, just saving my paycheck. I am single and come from a middle class background (parents made under 6 figures combined). So I never developed the taste that a lot of my peers have.
I made ~$115K my first 3 years out of law school (no bonus or increase for class year), then income started escalating so I now gross double that. My rent has held steady at around $1500/month in higher CoL major cities. I rent nice but small 1-bedroom apartments. I buy nearly all my clothes and furniture used and don’t have expensive habits. I haven’t owned a car since law school and take public transit everywhere. I didn’t even own an i-anything until last year!
My remaining law school debt is all between 2.5 and 3.375%. So I feel better hoarding cash and investing vs. paying those off right now.
anon a mouse
Why oh why do you still have student loan debt?!?
Anon
Up $250K in 1.25 years due to scheduled stock vesting, and you’re only 7 years out of school? Good lord, woman, did you go straight in-house with Apple and take most of your salary in stock prior to the 7-1 split?
Financial freedom:) I need to share...
Ha! No:) Just a lot of deferred comp built up over 5 years.
Carrie...
I like your style.
You did everything right.
It is really worthwhile to live simply, within your means, and to save save save. Your pay off could be a lifetime of security starting at a young age. Your plan sounds fabulous. I suspect that you still may need/want a career that keeps you stimulated and is worthwhile, so keep your mind open to the possibilities and get ready to step off the running wheel.
RDC
+1 and congrats!
bm
Am I the only one who is just REALLY over Kate Spade? I used to love it, but now it just seems really….tired?
Shoes
Nope, not the only one. Maybe it has to do with my location (DC) but I see the bags everywhere and most of the time they stick out like a sore thumb because they’re such a bright/unique color. I sold my 2 Kate Spade bags back in the fall. While I sold them because I wasn’t using them at all, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t influenced by it’s huge presence.
Pretty Primadonna
You are not the only one. And, unfortunately, I am ready to move up to the next “bucket” in handbags, but my wallet is not.
Wildkitten
Same. I sent some of my KS stuff to my cousin who is in college, and am going to send some more to ThredUp so that at least my closet will have space, if not yet my budget. I don’t need to hoarde as many party purses as I used to use.
Bonnie
I still like some Kate Spade but am over the weekly surprise sale.
E
Nope. I’m over it too. Caveat: I love my current wallet which KS discontinued over two years ago for no reason because it’s perfect. I found another one new through a resale shop and bought it as a replacement but I haven’t felt the need to replace the original one (well I’m getting there). The Cobble Hill Ellen purse is a wonderful cross body bag but my 2nd one did not hold up very well at all in the last year. I’m really disappointed/soured by that because I treated it pretty decently. It should not be showing the wear it currently does.
and sigh i was hoarding a different KS cross body that i haven’t taken the tags off but probably will. i dont plan to buy any more though. I’m currently using the Marc Jacobs too hot to handle sia crossbody and it’s held up so well
E
ugh and with that, i like the shape of this bag: http://www.katespade.com/cobble-hill-little-harris/PXRU5149,en_US,pd.html
there arent a lot of small/medium crossbody bags out there that i like. one that size or cobble hill ellen sized with an outside zipper is perfect
Wildkitten
But on the other hand, they have this shape of a bag: http://www.katespade.com/love-birds-heart-tote/PXRU5654,en_US,pd.html coming to a surprise sale next month…
Tina
Have you looked at Rebecca Minkoff bags? Avery or Mini Crosby might be what you are looking for:
http://www.rebeccaminkoff.com/mini-crosby-crossbody-7
http://www.rebeccaminkoff.com/avery-crossbody-4
penchant for pens
What’s your favorite pen and why?
for me, currently, it’s the Zebra Flight, Pilot Acroball, and papermate inkjoy (in order of preference). And the Uni Jetstream (which I have lost!)
I like ball-point viscous ink. I don’t like gel or liquid ink because of smear issues. I sometimes will use a Sharpie pen or similar for sketching, but note-taking and such is with ball-point.
TNTT
Zebra flightttt yes
Anon
Muji pens are the best. They’re so thin.
JJ
Pilot V5 Extra Fine. In all the colors.
anon
Girl after my own heart. Love these. When I need retractable, I go with a 0.5 Pilot G2.
Anon
Yes. I crave them.
Sydney Bristow
My favorite too. In blue.
Anonymous
Same here!
Maddie Ross
Pilot Precise V5, extra fine for the win.
TOS
Sooo any pen-and-stylus combos that you like? I feel like I leave TREMENDOUS fingerprints…and write more than I text…
Jo March
Sharpie Pen all the way.
cbackson
I use Flair pens, for I am old school.
LilyS
I have a gorgeous orange Sheaffer VFM fountain pen. And then I actually really like the Papermate InkJoy 100. I bulk buy the blue retractable ones in boxes of 20.
Wildkitten
Posts disappearing – are your comments showing up on the second page, and that’s why you don’t see them?
Posts Disappearing
No, the only one of my posts that showed up today was the “posts disappearing” post- which I did see on the second page. I checked the second page for both the body types post and this morning’s, and no dice. Oh well.
anonymous
Are infinity scarves a trend? If I buy one now, should I be concerned about it looking dated in the next couple of years?
I want to get one, but I don’t usually buy things if I can’t continue to wear them for awhile/ as long as possible.
Wildkitten
Yes they are a trend and I think they losing steam. That said – they are extremely functional and I will never again buy or use a finite scarf. So I refuse to believe that they are going to be the bubble necklace of scarves.
LilyB
+1. Although I love the look of blanket scarves and wish I could pull one off.
Anon
I just bought my first one so that indicates that they are indeed losing steam. However, I still love it, it’s not like it will cease being functional or will be so obviously trendy that you seriously date yourself. We’re not talking acid wash jeans.
More to the point, I am going to start calling all of my other scarves “finite scarves” because that made me lol. :D
E
+1 but i limit my infinity scarves to functionality. chunky knit extremely warm, perfect for chicago winters. also I’m not even wearing blanket scarves as scarves bc i couldnt begin to figure out how to wear it but i’m actually using htem as blankets
Mountain Girl
See, I’m just the opposite. I don’t like infinity scarves. Part of the fun of a scarf is tying them in interesting ways. With an infinity scarf I feel like there is only one way to wear it. Am I missing something?
LilyB
My two cents- they are a trend, but such a useful and convenient one that I don’t think you will look dated if you’re wearing one this year, the next, or the one after that. I hate regular scarves because the ends are always blowing all over the place (and, being large of chest, I don’t like tucking the ends in because it exacerbates the “shelf” look). Infinity scarves are a great solution.
Zelda
They’re definitely a trend (IMO). It remains to be seen if they’re more like skinny jeans (trend that has become almost a staple) or cropped tops (trend that comes back every decade or so), but I suspect that they’ll be closer to the latter.
Anyone in Los Angeles area?
Moving there soon and would love to connect!
Wildkitten
Yes they have meet-ups posted under the username “DTLA”
Senior Attorney
Email DTLAre t t e @ g mail dot com (without the spaces) to get put on the mailing list for the monthly meetups. That goes for anybody who wants to join the fun! (Hopefully the person who administers the email won’t mind me posting it!)
Interview Shoe Question
Ahhh, the old interview in the winter question:
I have an interview tomorrow that is a few blocks from my current office. Its cold and snowy / slushy. Do I wear:
A. Nice knee high black boots with my skirt suit
B. Snow boots with nice shoes in a throw-away bag and change in the lobby (I would have to stash my snow boots somewhere and hope they don’t get stolen)
C. Another option I am not thinking about?
tesyaa
This was asked a few weeks ago and the consensus was to wear pumps and put your boots in your tote bag… I was one of the few dissenters but I guess I’d go with the majority. (I don’t see how to fit snow boots into a tote bag, oh well).
Don’t leave an unidentified bag lying around though – in addition to the risk of theft, there’s the risk of setting off a bomb defusing operation… your boots could be mistaken for a terror threat.
Interview Shoe Question
I’m not walking into the interview with a pair of snowboots stuffed into a tote bag. In addition to my purse. To me, that looks 10 times worse than wearing high boots. Ugggh. This is a dilemma. I could try to drive, but parking is pretty dicey. That may be the only option, though.
Also, hose are better than tights for an interview, yes? Its so cold, I’m afraid they are going to think I’m a ninny for wearing hose and pumps. Like, how can you be competent to work for us if you can’t properly dress for the weather?
rosie
Can you take a cab?
Bonnie
It’s a better option than wearing boots to the interview. Nobody is going to judge you for having a tote bag with boots in the winter.
Anonny
Go with Option B. High boots with a suit don’t work in (at least my) professional setting.
kc esq
Stash the snow boots in a tote bag and ask the receptionist where you can leave it during your interview. There is probably a closet. If there isn’t, no big deal, they should still keep it with your coat out of the way. You don’t need to hide it.
Interview Shoe Question
This is a good point. I can give the bag to the receptionist with my coat.
Anon
Chances are the receptionist will side eye you and depending how much sway s/he has with the boss it could easily prevent you from getting the job.
Anonymous
That is just not true. Politely asking the receptionist if there’s someplace you can leave a bag with snow boots in it is not a problem.
la vie en bleu
If a receptionist side eyes you for having a coat and boots to leave in the dead of a severe winter, then you really don’t want to work for those people. That is absolutely ridiculous. Can we not all acknowledge that it is freaking snowing outside and women should not have to freeze to be professional?!?!
Jo March
LOL @ this. I can’t think of a single office where that would be the case.
Mountain Girl
There is now way I would want to work in an office where a receptionist (or anyone for that matter) could tank a potential candidate for being smart and wearing weather appropriate clothing. Seriously!
On the other hand I have also heard men comment on women who must not “have any common sense” because they don’t know how to dress appropriately for the weather. Thank you, but I’ll wear boots and take my chances.
Cat
The receptionists (if there are any) in the lobby usually are glad to hold onto small parcels like snowboots behind the desk, or sometimes there’s a coat closet that they mind (bring a plastic bag to stick them in). So less risk of loss, and less risk of slushing up nice boots or shoes!
If no receptionist, do you have sturdy flats you could use instead (only if you’re worried about someone taking your boots and could therefore stash the flats, wrapped in plastic bag, in your tote, and not because of any lack of professionalism in needing to swap out boots at the interview site).
mascot
B. Presumably the people you are interviewing with are familiar with local weather and outerwear. I’d just ask for someplace to put your boots and coat. The receptionist or whoever is greeting you shouldn’t bat an eye at this.
Why not a pant suit?
My solution for suit-wearing on extremely cold days when I need to see clients and also walk blocks around the city is to wear a pant suit. Then I wear a nice pair of boots or booties with walk-able heels.
If you definitely must wear a skirt suit, good luck!
Anonymous
That was going to be my suggestion, boots under a pants suit if you have one.
anonymous
If you’re going to ask the receptionist to keep them, make sure where you’re going HAS a receptionist. I interviewed a few weeks ago at an office where this wasn’t possible. I didn’t know that going in. I wasn’t wearing snow boots (I commuted in pumps, which was really not fun…) and I would have been really embarrassed if I had to walk into my interview carrying boots.
TOS
I’d keep it simple. Scout out the area tonight – is it that bad? I’m not sure why dressier boots are better than a more professional look with shoes, but could see most places taking the footwear in stride for inclement weather. Do you have something smaller than snow boots that will get you there and fit in a tote, switching out in a restroom nearby?
la vie en bleu
can i just interject right here to say how much I love letter openers? I love them a lot. That is all. ;o)
Wildkitten
To murder people with in black and white films?
la vie en bleu
Partly because yes, I can pretend that i am in a black and white movie and that I am going to murder someone with it when I am bored (like today) … and partly i just love the speed and efficiency of slicing a huge stack of mail open! Whee!!
Emmabean
Recommendations for high-end shoes that generally run on the wider side? I have wide feet and have such a hard time buying shoes online because chances are, they won’t fit. Would love to know which brands folks with wide feet have had success with, when the brand itself doesn’t actually make many of its shoes in a wide size.
Right now, I am trying in vain to find a pair of shoes for my wedding, but this quest has lead me to wonder about work appropriate shoes as well.
Wildkitten
Since you’ve only had one suggestion – I would look in the Nordstrom shoe department. They should have a better shoe selection than other stores, and should be able to help. YMMV.
J
I have wide”r” feet, not so wide, that I need wides (but often buy them if available). I am loving the Ivanka Trump pumps. The trick is to avoid pointy toes and go for the more almond or rounder toe shoe. For pointy toe pumps, I like the Stuart Weitzman wides. Neither one is going to give you a heart attack on the price, but both I have found to be of good quality and worth the money. I have two pairs of the Ivanka Trump Sophia pumps (in leopard calf hair and purple suede) and I love them! So comfortable.
Tazdevil
Kate spade karolina – they come in wide