To wear or not to wear: Professional dressing
Every semester, students gather at career fairs across the Arizona State University campuses, burning with excitement to find their next opportunity. Recently, ASU hosted a variety of these events, such as the Reverse Career Fair, ASU Undergraduate Career Fair and mixers for different areas of study. The Reverse Career Fair is a unique opportunity for clubs to table as employers explore the space and engage with various students. As students get ready to take on the workforce, it is important to underscore an important aspect of job hunting: the do’s and don’ts of professional attire.
The first stop at the Reverse Career Fair was ASU Changemaker — a student-led initiative dedicated to creating an impact at ASU, in the local community and globally through sustainability and humanitarian efforts. Saloni Bansal, Ariyal Jain and Mina Pham stood behind the table with smiles across their faces in all black outfits characteristic of Changemaker’s colors.
Jain pointed at her outfit, combining chic pants with the signature Changemaker polo.
“I'm wearing a Changemaker polo, slacks and some classic black heels. Just the typical business professional slash casual fit,” Jain said. “I do love Zara, but I fear I shop more on Amazon or H&M, which actually has some really solid finds. It's also not that expensive.”
The girls nodded in agreement.
Mina Pham explained her business casual outfit consisting of flowy, comfortable silhouettes with a professional touch.
“Right now, I’m wearing a Changemaker polo and pants that look like a wider skirt. It’s very comfortable. My shoes are from Puma,” Pham said.
She twirled around to show the black bow on her head, adding a personal touch to the ensemble.
Students from the Black African Coalition tabled as well. The Black African Coalition is dedicated to hosting different events based on value pillars such as academic and professional development, wellness and social connection. Tajilynn Karm stood behind the table, donning a sleek beige set over a classic white button-up.
She emphasized the importance of dressing up to feel confident when talking to so many recruiters.
“The student organizations are going to be tabling and professionals are going to be coming up to us and offering opportunities, any places that they have in their companies, and just getting to know the student organizations a little bit more,” Karm said.
On the flip side, there are a variety of pieces that are not recommended to wear in a professional setting. At the West Valley Career and Opportunity Fair, employers described some of the things to avoid.
The first stop was at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where Brittany Sharp described what to wear when in a role at the FBI.
“You should not wear pajama pants to a job interview. I would say anything federal, we're at the government. Keep it old school and go suit and tie,” Sharp said.
Sydney Byas and Amairany Lopez Mendias from the Counseling Program and Trio detailed various garments that would be inappropriate
“I love ripped jeans, but that's not something I'm going to be wearing to an interview because it's an immediate eliminator from being a good contender for the position,” Byas said.
Other pieces that didn’t make the cut included everything from spaghetti strap tops, really short skirts and stuffy wool coats.
“You definitely want to represent yourself and dress how you normally would at that job.” Byas said.
When dressing for success, it’s important to adhere to professionalism standards while staying true to oneself and expressing individual flair to stand out.
Photography by Jr De Chavez