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Robin Eads, who clearly feels very passionately about the male/female interviewing and workplace issues I wrote about over the weekend in Ladies: You now need to dress like you’re Amish (especially if you have nice legs), has written a follow up post in response to the follow up post to my post written by the original poster.
Confused?
Get a life.
Anyway, just go check it out – including some rather lively comments – here.
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I was all set to write about another subject entirely this morning when I came across this blog post thanks to a tweet by @careerealism.
The post is titled Women: The Interview Double-Standard and below are the key points:
Here’s an interesting issue to consider: if the job candidate is a woman and the interviewer is a man, is it appropriate for her to cross her legs?
It depends.
First of all, it’s important to understand something about fundamental comfort. Crossing of the legs during an interview is not necessarily a gender thing; men do it as well, and the reason is because it is much easier on the lower back when sitting if at least one knee is elevated above the hip.
BUT, body language speaks!
For women during an interview, however, there are “body language” and cultural baggage issues associated with crossing one’s legs – and some of it in fact does relate to comfort.
When a man crosses his legs, he usually leans back as well, suggesting a “casual” attitude. This is probably not the best idea during a formal interview.
When a woman does this, she does not necessarily lean back, however. And, if she is wearing a skirt, the hemline will invariably ride up, displaying the limb in question in a more-or-less attractive – and in the opinion of many men, provocative – manner.
It’s a sticky situation for a woman…particularly one with attractive legs.
After all, despite the fact that men are what they are, an interview is a professional situation. One does not want to come off as if she is attempting to use sexual persuasion to get a job – and despite the way it is depicted in popular culture, this rarely works – and in any event, says more about a man’s character than it does a woman’s.
Solution? Eliminate the issue.
For women overly concerned about this issue, there is a very simple solution. She should wear a nice business pant suit or slacks to the interview, preferably something loose-fitting that downplays her sexual charms. Either that, or an ankle-length skirt or dress.
Provided she is sitting erect and looks as if she is alert and paying attention, in such an outfit the crossing of the legs should not be an issue, except insofar as it relieves pressure on the lower back by elevating one knee.
You can read the post in its entirety here.
The part that REALLY set my hair on fire is this: “For women overly concerned about this issue, there is a very simple solution. She should wear a nice business pant suit or slacks to the interview, preferably something loose-fitting that downplays her sexual charms. Either that, or an ankle-length skirt or dress.”
After reading this I thought, “So, women are now supposed to dress like we’re Amish for a job interview so the men don’t think we’re workin’ it?? That is ludicrous on so many levels and now I’m thoroughly pissed off really really mad.
Well then I guess this also means that I now have to dress like I’m Amish for business meetings too. And conferences, tweetups, etc.
That’s just great.
I guess I’m supposed to go and throw out all of my skirts and dresses that are not dragging the floor (which means I have to throw out ALL my skirts and dresses) and WHY DON’T I JUST GO AND BUY A TENT TO WEAR (not from Sears) because honestly I live in Georgia and I don’t think we have any Amish clothing stores here.
photo by Joe Shlabotnik
Oh and maybe I should get one of those bonnets too. (Bonus: won’t have to do my hair anymore.)
And some of those black work boots that tie up to my knees.”
Ok.
Seriously.
If the point that the author makes is valid, what does this say about men?
That they are basically animals with zero ability to restrain themselves and/or so misguided and unable to handle themselves in a professional setting that if God forbid they see a little leg they automatically assume that their female interviewer / interviewee / colleague / manager / client / professional acquaintance is hitting on them?? Because that’s what it sounds like to me.
And if I were a man I’d be REALLY mad right now.
To put it mildly.
I thought we were past the days that women had to dress like men in order to be taken seriously in the workplace. I graduated from college in 1993 and I specifically remember having to wear those horrible boxy suits with huge shoulder pads and pocket squares (?) that were stuffy and stodgy and basically looking like we were wearing men’s suits but with a frumpy skirt instead of pants.
I am still scarred by those days. In fact, Miriam Salpeter and I talked about the fact that only very recently have I even considered buying an article of clothing that is navy blue because since the 90s I have always associated that color with those heinous polyester mansuits we had to wear every day.
Anyway, what are your interpretations of this blog post? Thoughts on this subject? Do you agree with me or think I’ve missed something?
Comments, please. 
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Introducing two new members of the Radiant Veracity team: Stephanie Perrett and Beth Farrar (from left to right) are currently working with Stephanie Lloyd as two of three communications interns. One of their weekly intern assignments is to chronicle their experiences as a regular blog series on Radiant Veracity. As recent college graduates and active job seekers, topics will range from how they met (they’ve been friends for two years) to their weekly assignments, victories and struggles. The following is their fourth part in the series.
For lack of a better word, Beth and Stephanie were stoked to be working together at Radiant Veracity. We already knew of each other’s creative and professional capabilities and felt that we would work well together. Wherever one would lack, the other would be well suited to take over. Plus, we already had a comfortable relationship, where we could bounce ideas off each other and provide honest criticism. (We’re getting sappy here, but can’t you tell how excited we were to work together? It was a match made in Heaven!)
Prior to our first meeting with Stephanie Lloyd, Beth and Stephanie P. spent hours on the phone together – still in awe about the odds of applying for and getting the same internship – brainstorming new ideas for Radiant Veracity. Wanting to further the conversation (and single handedly save the Planet) we decided to carpool to Pizzeria Venti for their first official meeting with Stephanie L.
Here’s where we would like to pause to reiterate how important it is to leave early for a professional meeting, job interview, etc. Put two female friends who haven’t seen each other in months – who don’t know their way around Atlanta very well – in a car with a faulty GPS system, and you’re just setting yourself up for disaster. Even if this doesn’t describe you, you should leave yourself plenty of time to get to your destination anyways.
By the grace of God, Beth and Stephanie P. arrived in Buckhead 30 minutes early – long enough to peruse the nearby shops (Beth’s hand was nearly chewed off by a disgruntled dog in one of the stores) and stop in for our first experience at a juice bar across the street (celery and eggplant juice anyone?). Finally time for the appointment with Stephanie L., the two ladies entered Pizzeria Venti (a lovely establishment serving delicious pizza, drinks and gelato, which is also owned and operated by the adorable Lackey couple. Follow them on Twitter: @PVATL. Shameless plug.)
Stephanie L. was finishing up a meeting with Stephanie Frost – another smart, independent entrepreneurial-minded woman – and the four women instantly began talking as if they had been friends for years. In fact, Beth, Stephanie P. and Stephanie F. had all studied abroad at The University of Oxford and had to literally force themselves to stop sharing stories of English professors and pubs so they could all get to work.
If it’s at all possible, the meeting with the new and improved Radiant Veracity team energized Beth, Stephanie P. and Stephanie L. even further. With all the great things already lined up for Stephanie L. and Radiant Veracity along with all the new epiphanies at Pizzeria Venti, there was no shortage of work to be done.
Moral of the Story: Carpool. Plan to be early. Make mutually beneficial partnerships/friendships with other companies, etc.. Be prepared: business cards, something to write w/, proper attired. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Make a personal connection.
[Stephanie Lloyd here] Stay tuned to learn more about Stephanie and Beth’s internship adventures! Future installments include:
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Introducing two new members of the Radiant Veracity team: Stephanie Perrett and Beth Farrar (from left to right) are currently working with Stephanie Lloyd as two of three communications interns. One of their weekly intern assignments is to chronicle their experiences as a regular blog series on Radiant Veracity. As recent college graduates and active job seekers, topics will range from how they met (they’ve been friends for two years) to their weekly assignments, victories and struggles. The following is their third part in the series.
We left our series as Beth and Stephanie were anxiously anticipating their individual phone interviews with Stephanie Lloyd to be the newest (and first-ever) interns at Radiant Veracity. Good friends from college, Beth and Stephanie had both responded to a Tweet from Stephanie Lloyd, requesting help with her entrepreneurial endeavors. Stephanie P., not wanting to steal a job opportunity away from Beth, decided not to tell Beth that she was interviewing for the position as well. Less than a week after the initial Tweet, Beth and Stephanie P. spoke individually over the phone with Stephanie L. about the opportunity.
For Stephanie P., the phone interview went seamlessly. In fact, the term “interview” doesn’t even properly describe the conversation that Stephanie P. and Stephanie L. had that Wednesday. After following each other on Twitter for months now, it seemed as if the two had already met, making the conversation comfortable and casual. Stephanie L. briefed Stephanie P. on her company, Radiant Veracity, as well as her other endeavors– highlighting the areas in which she needed the most help. Stephanie P. formally introduced herself, her skills and her career expectations – agreeing that she would be willing to help Stephanie L. wherever needed.
The fantastic thing about the conversation: The two women’s honesty with each other.
Stephanie P. (without trying to seem too desperate) relayed her struggles with being a recent communications graduate in a tough economy. Stephanie L. relayed her inability to pay an intern, but also added that she believed the internship would pay in non-conventional ways (i.e. networking, attending job search interventions at no cost, etc.). Both Stephanie’s agreed that the position was part-time and the importance that Stephanie P. not only network and build her portfolio, but find a full-time career – as well as helping with Stephanie Lloyd’s business.
Beth had much the same experience a day later. All her anxieties were immediately put to ease as she and Stephanie L. began laughing and joking moments after the phone stopped ringing. Both remarked on the state of the job market and how interesting it is to see more and more graduates taking intern positions to gain experience and build their professional network.
It was obvious from the outset of the conversation that Stephanie L. firmly believed in creating a mutually beneficial arrangement among herself her interns–each helping the other whenever possible. It was refreshing for Beth to encounter an employer with drive and creativity, but also flexibility, humor and sincerity.
At one point, Stephanie L. mentioned a meeting she had set-up with another Stephanie later in the week (Stephanie Frost), and she went on to question how Beth and Stephanie had previously met. Major confusion set in as Beth frantically racked her brain as to how she might know this particular Stephanie. With all the Stephanie’s in and around the Radiant Veracity family, it’s easy to see how a newcomer would be at a slight loss, but other, more mysterious forces were definitely at work here.
Quite a few jumbled words were exchanged before the name “Perrett” was finally slipped in some small pause. It would be an understatement to say that Beth was shocked. After sitting next to each other at the University of Georgia graduation ceremony in May, Beth and Stephanie P. hadn’t found a chance to catch up at all until now…when they had applied for the same internship. We won’t even try to calculate the odds.
After a few follow-up phone calls, Beth finally pieced together the whole story, and Stephanie L.’s first two interns were primed and thoroughly excited for the face-to-face planning meeting scheduled at the end of the same week.
Moral of the Story: Be yourself. Don’t steal opportunities from your friends (or at least be nice about it). Be flexible. Ensure your job opportunities are mutually beneficial and that you’re comfortable with them. Be honest. Find opportunities you’re excited about.
[Stephanie Lloyd here] Stay tuned to learn more about Stephanie and Beth’s internship adventures! Future installments include:
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