It should come as no surprise to you that Hollywood’s portrayal of “real life” is less than real. No that’s being too nice, it’s a flat out farce. Reality TV is anything but reality and shows like Gossip Girl makes it seem like once you get into one Ivy you can go to any of them and internships are easy to walk away from, especially for a frenemy. If anyone here thought these disillusions were based on anything resembling real life then I’m sorry to have to burst your bubble. Why, you may be asking, is this relevant to a career blog? Because it seems that Hollywood (and TV) just may have succeed in deceiving you when it comes to the workplace: how to dress in it and how it operates.
Number one lie from Hollywood: what is appropriate to wear to work.
Here are two little tricks I use:
- Shoes: When it comes to shoes I ask myself, “can I walk confidently in these shoes?” If I look like a baby giraffe just learning to walk, or even just feel like that, the answer is obvious: they are too high and not appropriate. They may look great when you are just standing there but we’ve failed to create the dream of Jetson’s moving sidewalks so last time I checked you have to physically walk up to an employer and approach him or her at a career fair or walk in to the office. Now if you are applying to be in a circus stilts may be OK but if you are hoping to land a job at a top IB firm think again.
- Dress or skirt length. Quick little way to figure this out, can you sit down? If you can’t it’s too short. Can you politely bend down to pick up a pen you may have dropped? If you are still debating this as a nice person walks by and offers to pick it up for you, you have your answer. This dress or skirt may be great for a party where you intend to stand the whole night but not at a career fair or at a job interview, because there you will have to sit.
I’m not saying don’t wear what you want or try to emulate the fashion you may see on TV, I’m just saying don’t do it for a career fair, interview, job or internship.
If you aren’t sure what to wear to the upcoming Internship & Job Fair (on Jan. 31) you can always come in and ask us! Believe me it is not a silly question. Or you can check out our Pinterest page for what to wear for women and men.
Number two lie from Hollywood: what a work day looks like.
You don’t know how she does it? Because she doesn’t?! It’s impossible. But enough from me, check out the article by CareerBuilder featured on CNN: How Hollywood lies about the workplace
- Hollywood often misrepresents careers and the workplace in movies
- Work is portrayed as easy or non-existent, and any outfit is appropriate
- This can have a negative effect on younger generations deciding on careers
Sorry for that does of reality but it has to happen sometimes