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For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.
You have to do a bit of sleuthing, but Red Fleece — Brooks Brothers' younger, hipper, more affordable line — does in fact have suiting separates. This is definitely a casual suit, but I like it — the boxy jacket (wool, of course) has a fun printed lining and a striped wool undercollar. As for the skirt, I like the pockets as well as the reversible self-belt (the other side is navy; they've pictured it with the preppy, striped side showing).
The jacket (Wool Blazer) is $248, the skirt (Wool Pencil Skirt) is $148, and the matching pants (Wool Drawstring Pants) are $148.
Psst: Reiss is offering an extra 10% off its sale items today — tons of great picks.
(L-all)
Sales of note for 9.19.24
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September, and cardmembers earn 3x the points (ends 9/22)
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles — and 9/19 only, 50% off the cashmere wrap
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
- Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Anniversary event, 25% off your entire purchase — Free shipping, no minimum, 9/19 only
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- Tuckernuck – Friends & Family Sale – get 20%-30% off orders (ends 9/19).
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
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Wild Chicken
If this is “younger and hipper,” then I think I’m content being older and dowdier.
anonymous
I don’t get the point of a casual suit. If I wanted to be less dressed up than a full suit, I’d very happily wear something else…
Clementine
I have suits that would be considered ‘casual suits’. I find them good to wear to meetings with important people when I’m meeting with a business casual office or during more casual times of the year (summer, mostly).
I have also been known to wear them when I’ve had to wear a suit daily for 2+ weeks and just want to be comfortable.
JJ
I always go to my casual suits for meetings with important people that don’t require “suits!,” mediations, settlement conferences, and CLEs.
Anon
It’s what you wear when you’re inexplicably required to wear a suit to work, even when you do something that is not client-facing and everyone takes off their jacket immediately upon arriving in the office to hang over their chair. Sigh.
Blonde Lawyer
I love casual suits for office days when I’m not meeting w/ clients and don’t have court.
gref
This would be great for client meetings in my mostly business casual office. I feel like we should dress a little nicer for client meetings, but full-on conservative suit seems overkill unless we’re doing a prospect presentation.
anonymous2
I agree that this suit would have it’s uses, especially for offices that skew to the business end of business-casual. The skirt is 21 inches, and at 5’3″ it would be at the knee for me. For someone taller, imo it would be too short for the office. But maybe it’s just the model that makes it look ultra-short.
Pear with Pooch
I actually kind of dig this; not sure if it would look good on me. Possibly depends on shoes.
Anonymous
I like the skirt and shirt, but it doesn’t work together with the jacket. The pleats on the skirt just look really odd coming out from underneath the buttoned jacket.
Diana Barry
+1, the pleats are just not good. Would look terrible on anyone not model size/shape.
Asideralis
The pleats are very… childish. Not professional to me. Especially in a suit.
Shopaholic
I actually think the pleats are cute – they just don’t work with the jacket. I think this would be a good, casual day outfit – nice shirt tucked into the skirt.
Anonymous
Anon OP here–yeah I agree, that’s what I was getting at. I think when they’re paired, the lines just don’t look right and while I don’t think the pleats on their own are juvenile, I can see where the idea that you can pair pleats with a suit jacket is. But for a casual day, the skirt and shirt alone are cute.
gref
So my baby is due in just under 3 weeks by scheduled C-Section. It’s July, it’s super hot. But like…I’m fine. Really.
Can someone help me craft a retort to the man in my office who cannot walk past me without making a spectacle of how massively pregnant I am? I try to avoid him, but a minute ago he came over to my cube and said “Just go have a baby already!” I muttered something about how I could also just…keep working. He’s otherwise a super nice guy, and I don’t want to *make this an issue* but please help me find a way to Shut. This. Down.
OMG
I think that if your water breaks at work or you go into labor, you make an extra-big scene and demand that he stand in as a birthing partner. You could so mess with his head forever.
Bigmed
+1-or you could give him an update on how many cm dilated your cervix is.
KT
It’s important to keep your face as confused as possible. Ask him, wide eyed and bewildered, “I don’t get it, what do you mean by that?”
Stare at him and do not break the silence. Even stupid men won’t respond “You’re massively pregnant”. He’ll likely stutter and stumble and slink away. Repeat it once or twice, and it will stop.
This works for a lot if inappropriate/annoying “jokes”
Wildkitten
HE is making it an issue! HE is being rude! You can just tell him to f himself, and he’ll still be the rude one who is making this an issue.
bridget
“Do you want to repeat that in front of HR?”
(Pause)
“I didn’t cease becoming a professional who is entitled to professional respect because I’m pregnant. Please learn to act professionally around pregnant women.”
Anon
I would ask him why it bothers him so much and then make him admit there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be at work.
Anonymous
“I know I’m very pregnant but I’d rather not focus on it at work. Please stop commenting about it.”
Senior Attorney
I like this. And if he really is an actual nice guy, you might add “I know you don’t mean to, but you are making me massively uncomfortable with these comments.”
ace
I like it too — this walks the fine line of recognizing he probably is a nice guy with misplaced intentions but that it’s not appropriate for him to harp on this and focus more on the uterus than the professional it’s attached too!
gref
Thanks for the comments. I think I’ll just let my facial expression/body language do the talking.
Maybe you guys have a similar person in the office: Well respected, super nice dude…that ALWAYS has a comment that makes me uncomfortable.
Anonymous
You could always just get over it. He’s make stupid small talk. Nothing that will kill you or the baby.
Sad Face
very disappointed, at first glance I thought this was going to be a suit lined with fleece for cold offices.
FLEECE TIGHTS
I, too, feel sadness.
MJ
Oh wow, I really need some fleece tights. Where can I get some this time of year?
Gyms?
I have a How-to-life Tj for you all. I recently moved closer to work and now have ample time to get in shape. I’m trying to decide between two gyms with very different offerings and just can’t make up my mind so I’m turning to the hive, because who better than to make decisions for me than internet strangers? Gym 1 is on the way/closer to my work >$100/month and offers several group classes and nice facilities. Gym 2 is a 15 min walk in the other direction of work and almost $300/month for a yearly membership (~$400 for 3 months at a time) that includes 4 personal training sessions or ~$200 for no personal training, but more personalized group instruction and personalized workout plans. I’m really out of shape right now so the personal aspect of Gym 2 appeals to me. I also think Gym 2 looks really welcoming and I might actually stick with it if I go there. I don’t really like to do things on my own so I’m concerned that I won’t actually use Gym 1 if I sign up and won’t take advantage of the classes. The price of Gym 2 obviously makes a huge difference, and is hard to stomach, but I think it could be worth it if it actually made me workout (plus spending that much might make me more likely to workout since I’d be wasting a lot more money if I didn’t). Thoughts?
Diana Barry
FWIW, I think convenience is KEY for going to the gym. If you can go there ON YOUR WAY to work or on the way home, that is huge. I would go for gym 1 100x over gym 2 for that reason alone. Also get a package of training sessions when you sign up – you will usually get more for your money that way and if you have paid for a package, you *will* use it.
HSAL
Unless, you’re me, when I say “eh, sunk cost” and let it go. Looking at you, yoga package from January. I’m also for Gym 1 for that reason. I need a place that charges me more for NOT going.
Anonymous
Gympact app!
L
Make them give you a week pass at each and test them out. You won’t go if you’re not comfortable.
Anonymous
+1
Random
If it were me, I’d spend $100 a month on fantastic workout gear, $200 a month on awesome other clothes, and $25 on i-tunes @ a good cardio BPM and some $ on weights and workout at home to music and then go walking / running / whatever in my awesome clothes (and then look awesome generally). $400/mo is a lot to me! If I had the time, I wouldn’t spend on a pricey gym (but maybe for a few trainer sessions to get started at the various trainer studios you probably have if you’re already in the land of pricey gyms).
Wildkitten
I would also spend it on a personal trainer rather than a gym, because I am an obliger.
Susie
I agree convenience is key, but a 15 min walk (! – so what 5 mins if you drive?) wouldn’t be a disincentive. However personally I would keep looking for something both convenient and <$100/mo.
rosie
As a walker commuter, going to something 15 min in the other direction on my way home is a PITA. It’s adding an extra 30 min of walking. Makes going to the gym after work more of a production. If it’s right on the way home, then stopping in for a 30 min quick workout seems much more feasible.
Jules
Most of the time 30 minutes of walking IS my workout. I vote for convenience, also, but second the idea of trial memberships at each place.
Anonymous
And even if 15 minutes in the wrong direction doesn’t sound bad now, it will be a major deterrent in January (since it appears from below that OP is in Boston).
Anne
There is no way I’d walk 15 minutes out of my way to go to the gym on the way home, tbh. I’d also think of cost per use: e.g. if you go to the gym eight times a month, what is each visit worth to you. Personally I try to keep my cost per visit below $20 but that’s about it’s value to me and my budget.
Anon
It really depends on your personality, but for me, a gym has to be very close to my home for me to use it. Also, spending that kind of money on a gym membership seems insane to me, even with personal training. I spend $20 a month (classes included) at the YMCA and would not be willing to spend much more than that (and I still feel bad for wasting money if I don’t go to the gym several times a week).
Chicago Bean Accounter
Agree with L – see if you can get trial passes for a few days or a week or so. Also, have you toured the gyms? When I was deciding between two, I distinctly felt like the less-convenient one we chose was “less d**chy” than the more convenient one (aside from the price difference). It was the feeling I got in the place that helped make the decision. I didn’t feel like I would be judged or anything while I was there – everyone I saw was focused on their own workout and there were people of all levels there.
ace
Agree with PPers that convenience is key, and to try out both places.
But can I add that $300/mo. is a really high gym membership! Are there other major features available? I’m thinking of the East Bank Club in Chicago which is more of social club than a gym, so that’s where the money goes and it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. I live in Chicago and spend a ton on exercises classes monthly (unlimited pass at one premium studio, plus a few classes a month at a few others) and I still don’t break $300/month.
Anyone else?
My local YMCA charges almost 100 bucks per month. In the Bay Area. Seems awfully high.
Anonymous
My local Y (in a major city in Canada) is also around $100/month
moss
mine is $80 for a family membership and we can use 2 of the Y facilities in town and go to any class.
Gyms?
The YMCA near me in Greater Boston charges $50 per month and only includes some of their classes. The Gym 1 I’m looking at has much nicer facilities and more classes.
Ciao, pues
Lame question: How do you name your e-documents stored in your computer files? I assume many of you work in offices where there is a protocol, but I’m left to my own devices and never know what is most useful. Do all your doc titles start with the date? End with the initials of the author? Case Numbers?
E.g. 2015-07-22_Letter to Agency Requesting Rehearing_CP.doc
Anonymous
We use filenumber_doctype_date_author
WJM-TV
Like yours: Year_Month_Date_Title_version/initials (I was trained very specifically at one office to do this and now cannot be untrained)
hoola hoopa
Not a lawyer.
PROJECT_TASKCATEGORY_DESC_YYYYMMDD
Description is usually 1-3 words with underscores.
hoola hoopa
Also, I’m not yelling, I really use all caps ;)
Revision/edit initials get tacked onto the end (after version date).
Chris
Do you have UNIX? That’s what we had in school. After UNIX, Microsoft and Apple are unsatisfying.
Anonymous
Doc Title/Entity or Party Names (ex: “Pship Agmt/ABC Partners, Ltd.” or “Promissory Note/Joe Maker, Susie Payee”).
Document management software tracks creation date, edit date, author, editors, etc. so that adds no useful info to the file title and would just have to be updated every single time the draft is revised. Nothing is saved on hard drives.
Ellen
I have my OWN system for nameing document’s. within my own workfile, I put the last name of the cleint, followed by the name of the WC plaintiff, followed by the date of the pleeding, followed by what the pleeding is. I always put the full path in the footer, so I can just copy and paste later.
So, for example, an answer document I created and filed with the court today is:
c: \workfile\barshevsky\UmaumarketsLLC\JonasB72215\Answer to Compleaint
THIS way, you can alway’s find it and then use it again and again, as long as you update your citation’s with your judge’s latest cases. YAY!!!
Anonymous
What trends do you think are going out/coming in for the fall?
I’m hoping peplum and high-low skirts finally die.
(former) preg 3L
COMPLETELY AGREE. That said, what’s going to be “in”? Hopefully sensible, practical, comfortable clothes, like flats and warm socks. Ha.
NYC Anon
Probably too late for this summer, but I really hope that backless dresses, dresses with back weird cutouts, and generally anything that makes it impossible to wear a normal bra go out of style by next year (or at least that there are more alternate options out there). I can’t go without a bra (yay DD), and would really like another casual, sleeveless daytime dress or two for these super hot summer weekend days. Everything cute is something I can’t wear. Everything I can wear is too warm/frumpy/not casual enough.
Anon
On thing I loved about Tel Aviv is that tons of people wear these complicated or spaghetti strap tops with their bras showing. It has really made me not care about mine showing.
August
Have you worked in Israel? I worked in a tech company for few months. Many women wear clothes to work that would be flagged as inappropriate here like printed tights and a t-shirt, spaghetti tops, very short skirts etc and it was completely acceptable there.
August
I don’t observe trends so much, but I am seeing almost every vendor has open cardigans/coats with extra fabric draping in front. I like the way it looks on models in the pictures, but it will look sloppy on me.
padi
I have one of these from Stitch Fix. I was hesitant at first but it is really fun to wear! I haven’t had any problems with the extra fabric.
Susie
I feel like I’m seeing a lot of the color green coming up.
Pretty Primadonna
Ha! I like to wear both peplums AND dresses with the back out/weird cutouts.
I hope the sheer maxi skirt/dress with a mini-skirt underneath goes out of style soon.
I have noticed cold-shoulder tops in magazines and such and…. *shudders*
Maudie Atkinson
I HATE the sheer maxi dress with mini liner/slip look. Why is that a thing? Why did anyone decide that was a good idea? It just looks to me like the liner on your dress rode up.
BeenThatGuy
I’m so over the thick, black, plastic, pseudo-nerd glasses. Enough already.
Anonymous
What if I’m actually a nerd, and those are the kind of glasses that suit my face?
Anonymous
I don’t get scuba fabric, especially in the warm season.
I hope crop tops go away already.
Buzz Word
I’m probably just an old curmudgeon but I am so sick of hearing the word “uncomfortable” being used to describe every less than perfect situation. If you look through Ask A Manager, pretty much every person that writes in with a question or comment describes something that makes them “uncomfortable” at work that they want changed. Uncomfortable is the new get out of jail free card. If an employee says “oh, I’d rather not do that, it makes me uncomfortable.” Everyone seems to immediately accommodate even if the issues is completely ridiculous. People use it now for personal preferences, not just for true safety issues or harassment issues.
When did we as a society decide we care that people are comfortable all the time? When I entered the working world, the mantra was all about getting OUT of our comfort zones and pushing ourselves to try new things. If we didn’t like our boss, we complained with our friends over a drink on a Friday night. We didn’t go to HR and say that the boss made us uncomfortable when all the boss did was say the work better be turned in by a certain deadline.
No one is accusing me of making anyone uncomfortable so it’s not personal. I just take calls all the time from potential clients about being “uncomfortable” about something that is so not a legal issue. Every article I read about workplace stuff lately has to do with someone being uncomfortable. In one article, people are trying to get out of work lunches because they get uncomfortable socializing and sharing things about their personal life and would rather eat alone browsing the internet. You don’t get an accommodation for that. You can pick another job that fits your personality better or you suck it up and network because it is your job. Being “uncomfortable” doesn’t get you out of a job requirement.
Excuse me while I go kick some kids off my lawn, and make their parents “uncomfortable” because a stranger just spoke to them.
another anon
Hear, hear. This is everywhere and I am not a fan.
Black Flag
Yes. And what is with trigger warnings? Is that a thing?
I walked into a church recently and there was a statue of a person above the altar who appeared to have been brutally murdered. And they were reading a book about horrible things happening to people. No trigger warnings at all. Nor on the 11:00 news. Nor on the metro section of my local paper. Outrageous.
Anonymous
Yes. It is a thing. You may not like it, but I would think spending some more time with the statue of that murdered guy might be useful. You can think that trigger warnings may have gone too far or be unnecessary without being flippant about something that, for example, many rape victims have said they appreciate.
I hear people complaining about “uncomfortable” too, but usually they’re privileged white people complaining that ye gods someone else is daring to aspire to the level of comfort I have experiences my whole life as the status quo.
TBK
People may appreciate them, but when law professors tell me they’re no longer teaching rape in their criminal law classes, we have a problem. And this is what I’m hearing with every single one of my law professor friends. There has a to be a way to talk about these things, especially in an educational context, without professors fearing litigation. Maybe no one would actually sue them and maybe what people want is much more modest, but that’s not how universities are treating this.
Anonymous
Nonsense. Law professors are not en masse not teaching rape. Not a thing. No one is suing over this.
I don’t even like them but I thought Black Flag’s sarcastic dismissal was way out of line.
Killer Kitten Heels
FWIW, my crim professor had the “rape and sexual assault” unit clearly marked on his syllabus, with a notation that anyone could opt out of those classes/readings by approaching him beforehand and letting him know they would not be participating, no further explanation required (and also that those particular issues would not appear on the final). He also didn’t use the “call on random people” aspect of the Socratic method during those lessons (we had enough overeager gunners to carry the discussion without calling on people randomly). I thought it was a decent way to handle a potentially difficult subject without completely skipping it.
Anonymous
Please name one school that is not teaching that in their crim class.
Anon
To Anon at 6:06–I went to Harvard. My crim law professor didn’t put rape on our exam for this reason. It’s definitely happening.
Anonymous
Not putting it on an exam is very different from not teaching it- you can’t put everything on the exam
Anonymous
I can’t speak for the entire school, but my UT crim professor did not teach it.
Anonymous
My UT crim law professor did teach rape, and you would not be excused from class, but could opt out of participating.
roses
Trigger warnings were originally a thing to warn people with common types of PTSD (from military service or rape) that what was about to happen may induce flashbacks. Which I think is great and necessary. But now they are being used as warnings that some content may merely offend people, which I don’t think is right at all, and is terribly concerning for people that actually have PTSD.
Anon
I think that it has gone beyond the original uses to anything remotely unpleasant or embarassing. [FWIW, I see almost no veterans in my line of work, so the vast majority of trigger warnings I see can’t really be about this given the context and audience.]
And yet it is remarkably underencompassing in terms of traumatic things (e.g., people who have had pregnancy losses and anything to do with babies; people who have been in car accidents where they have seen someone die).
It seems like it has come to trivialize suffering or define suffering down to something not of consequence. I can’t put my finger on it really.
Anonymous
I try to think of the cost vs reward in this type of thing. So the cost is two words- its two words before a paragraph or a passage that might upset people. The reward is that you save people who might hate reading it- sending them into a flashback or depressive episode from reading it. On the other hand, you, who have nothing wrong with you, see reading those words as too high of burden. So in weighing the interests we have you, who thinks it is kind of annoying to read two extra words, and on the other we have a person who may have a severe reaction to the paragraph without the two words. I dont need a warning, but I think its a pretty small cost for me if it really helps someone else. People who complain about them are usually people who are very lacking in empathy, and think that if they are fine everyone else should be too.
Monday
Interesting. Your comment reminds me of how I sometimes feel about the word “inappropriate.” I think it’s a way to avoid taking a stand, especially at work– it’s always safe to call something “inappropriate,” even if a more accurate word would be “racist,” “sexual harassment,” etc. “Inappropriate” implies that it simply wasn’t the right place or time, whereas for many behaviors we call inappropriate, there is in fact no acceptable venue anywhere.
I’ve actually noticed that saying “I’m not comfortable with that” has helped a lot when I need to communicate to those above me that I refuse to do something because it’s unethical or violates regs. I guess you have to know your own position and credibility, but I think it’s both softer than “no” and also a little more forceful, in the sense that it conveys I have principles/liability concerns behind my refusal, it’s not laziness or spite. I’ve never gotten any argument in these instances.
TBK
I see these as different situations. I’ve been asked by a more senior attorney if I thought I would be able to “get comfortable” with an aggressive interpretation of a regulation (not in a bullying way — she really meant could I see my way to getting behind this interpretation because it would ultimately be my name on the document). If I had said I really couldn’t, she would have signed the document herself without holding it against me. That seems to be what you’re talking about. I would say, however, that “inappropriate” is not really the light touch you seem to think it is. I think being called “inappropriate” is very damaging, especially if it’s a man whose behavior is being called “inappropriate” by a woman. I do agree that it calls out the behavior without taking a stand, but if I’m reading you correctly, you think that means it lets the person being inappropriate off the hook. I think it’s the opposite. It’s very bad to be called “inappropriate,” but if the accuser is challenged s/he can say “well, I didn’t say it was [sexist/racist/etc.]; I just said it wasn’t really appropriate.” If you’re going to call someone’s behavior racist or sexist, you should do just that.
I agree with the OP. I don’t know when people got the idea that they had a right to feel comfortable. I feel like we took legitimate concerns — i.e., that you should not feel uncomfortable for BEING something (non-male, non-white, non-Christian, non-hetero) — and changed that to mean that you should not feel uncomfortable ever for any reason. Big difference.
Anonymous
Are you arguing that “inappropriate” is more damaging than being called a racist or sexist? That is a weird position to take.
Buzz Word
I think ethical situations are a perfectly appropriate use of “uncomfortable” and not representative of the overuse I was discussing. Some examples of what I meant include someone saying they are not comfortable occasionally covering phone duties because they don’t like talking to people they don’t know on the phone and someone else not comfortable with an assigned tandem parking arrangement because she wasn’t comfortable having to ask a colleague to move her car if she needed to get out during the day. She had no exceptional circumstances just didn’t want to deal with the inconvenience.
Anon
What is the proper response in this situation?
I interviewed for a job a couple weeks ago (and thought I was going to get it) and just got a personalized email saying that while they were impressed with my qualifications, they’ve hired someone else. Am I expected to respond in this situation? If so, with what? I don’t want to burn bridges, but I’m so disappointed that I’m having trouble figuring out what to say.
To put this in perspective, I’ve been looking for a job in my small town for two years. (I have a horrible commute to a larger city). I don’t understand why people interviewing say things like, “You’re just what we’ve been looking for,” or “We’ll be making the decision in a couple weeks, but please let us know if you have any offers before we contact you,” if you’re not the first choice.
Same here
I am in the same situation and exactly this happened to me last week. The only thing you can say is that you appreciated the chance to interview for the position and just say thanks. Don’t write the email when you are upset, wait until you are calm. Something else could open up there in future so you want to make sure they remember you as someone who was professional at all times.
Anonymous
Either nothing or “It was a pleasure meeting everyone. Please keep me in mind should another position become available.”
Anon
I would say thanks for the feedback, please keep me in mind for future opportunities. We actually just hired someone we had interviewed last fall and liked, but didn’t hire we had a better candidate for the job.
nutella
+1: I once got rejected from a firm and then offered months later.
anon
Same here. I was hired a year and a half later by a company who initially rejected me. The hiring manager remembered me and reached out when a new opening came up. I was the only person they interviewed for that job, too, so it was like they had already decided I was their best option.
But I still feel your pain. I’m in the process of interviewing now at tons of jobs and it is hard not to take it personally. When you feel like you made a connection and they imply you are the top candidate, and you don’t get the job, it’s really tough.
lsw
I had the same – the person moved on within six months so they called me up and offered me the job.
TBK
They say those things because (1) the person saying them isn’t the only one who has a say in hiring and you may be their first choice but they got vetoed (2) you were the first choice until they interviewed the next person (3) it was really close between you and someone else but when they sat down and hashed it out, the other person had an edge on you in one are they thought would be key (and you may have had the edge on that person in other areas) (4) the person was caught up in the moment and really enjoyed talking with you but hadn’t actually decided you were the first choice (5) they were still deliberating and so told all their promising candidates to let them know if something else came up (this doesn’t even translate to “first choice” me — I hear it only as you’re a finalist) (6) they thought they could afford you but it turned out they couldn’t and they went with someone less qualified (7) it was a Tuesday.
Write back and say how much you enjoyed meeting all of them, that you hope they’d keep you in mind if any other jobs open up, and say you’d be interested in staying in touch. Then stay in touch. In a month or two, invite the person you clicked with most to get coffee. Don’t ask about jobs. Just get to know the person. Talk about your industry. If at all possible, offer them something — an introduction to someone who could be useful, a link to an article you think they’d like, etc. And look at it as developing a friendship, that could happen to be professionally useful down the road.
anon
Invite them to coffee a month later? Awkward….
I don’t think you always have to push that hard.
anon 2
Hi all! Anyone have experience in higher ed/law school administration that you’d like to share? It seems like a pretty great gig, but coming from a firm, the difference in pay is substantial. Just trying to figure out if the job would be worth it….thanks in advance.
Anonymous
Like what kind of administration? Dean? Associate Dean? Yes, lots of experience in higher ed admin at a medium university with a law school so I could tell you more.
Anonymous
Thanks! Specifically looking into career advising.
Anonymous
Ok, good to know. Career services are something that many universities are *investing* in these days rather than cutting. Parents of undergrads or people considering going to law school won’t go to that school if they don’t think they can get a job when they graduate and the school obviously needs to start that from day one. If you think that is something you would enjoy and be good at, good for you.
In general, being an administrator at a university is a pretty hard job for the money. Especially being a Dean or Associate Dean. There are a lot of politics involved if you’re working with faculty and administration and budgets. Especially in law schools that are struggling to remain competitive and bring in students. That said, in general, the academic life is pretty good. I don’t make as much money as I would in the corporate world, but I also work regular hours and get time off. I also really enjoy working with students. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t still be here.
Anonymous
This is so helpful–thank you so much for taking the time!
Killer Kitten Heels
Not to TJ the TJ, but I have to ask, since I’m potentially interested in this kind of career transition as well – were you a lawyer before you got into admin? How’d you make the transition? I’m wondering what kind of groundwork I’d need to lay, professionally, to be able to successfully make the jump from my current practice (business lit) to a career services/student services-type role.
Pretty Primadonna
I am not in higher ed or administration, but a good friend from law school is and another friend from law school researched it as an alternative to her mid-law job that she hates. It appears to be a great job if that’s your jam. I worked in the Admissions Office in law school and closely with the Dean of Student Affairs and have considered pursuing it myself.
The drawbacks I have heard relate to mobility. Basically, relocating to a different city can be hard as there are not law schools everywhere and there are many administrator jobs at that. Also, it is difficult to get a promotion-you basically have to wait until someone leaves or dies to be promoted unless you start at the Dean or Assistant Dean level.
Pretty Primadonna
*not many administrator jobs at that.
What happened to the edit function?!
Anonymous
An organisation I am interested in is currently recruiting and some of the areas in which they are looking for people is in my area of expertise. Although I have the kind of academic background they are looking for, I don’t have all of the experience listed on the recruitment page. Since this is an open recruitment drive I expect that it would be very competitive and having a connection with someone can help get one to the interview stage. Someone I went to high school with happens to work in their recruitment team, we text from time to time and I am thinking of reaching out to her. Although she did post the job ad on her LinkedIn, I don’t know if she is directly involved. Should I go ahead and contact her? There was a discussion here recently about recommending a friend for a job so I am wary of doing anything that would put someone on the spot. Also I had an informational interview with someone in a senior role in that organisation sometime last year. If I do reach out, should I mention this? The only reason I am thinking of doing so is because the conversation gave me a good overview of how the organisation works and also helped me figure out what areas I would like to work in. Advice? Thanks in advance.
hoola hoopa
Yes, reach out to her.
Wardrobe Refresh
TJ — What would you buy clothes-wise if you already had a serviceable professional wardrobe but could use some additional staples and a few fun things? I’m good on shoes, bags, scarves, belts, and button-downs/blouses for under jackets or cardigans. I have about $500 I’ve been saving for this purpose but looking for some inspiration!
Anonymous
A Hugo Boss or Black Halo dress.
Wildkitten
costume jewlery
KittyKat
Super high quality basics like linen tees, silk scarves, and cashmere sweaters. Or I’d go to etsy and get some nice jewellery I personally like silver, labradorite, sodalite ect.
aN
Hugo boss dress or Ferragamo shoes