Kate the Presby is heading off to a denominational convention where she will be interviewed for ministerial positions. She wants to know if I have any tips.
HONEY, is the Pope Catholic? Does Heidi Klum like short, shiny dresses?
We all know that conventions are awful to dress for. You’re schlepping in the heat all those blocks from your hotel, sitting around in freezing air-conditioning, schlepping back out in the heat for meals, and generally hoping your outfit will get your through a 12-hour day on your feet. My own practice is to carefully choose my outfits, pack them neatly into my suitcase, get to the convention and unpack and then immediately realize that I hate everything I brought, it’s all wrong, etc. etc. etc. I suffer a huge crisis of confidence and then I go meet friends for a drink and get on with life.
I advise you to keep it simple with separates and pack a bunch of cool accessories. I don’t think that heels are necessarily de rigeur for an interview, but I’m in a liberal denomination where Tevas are standard clergy footwear.
The trick, I think, is make-up. Clergywomen have such an advantage in cosmetics and I simply do NOT understand why we don’t use it more. A beautiful make-up and hair job can lift a pretty meh outfit into polished and professional territory. Add a nice manicure and pedicure and that helps even more.
So Auntie PeaceBang advises you to pack lovely shoes (if you can’t walk comfortably in them for blocks, yes, change into them in the convention center), wear nice professional separates with accessories that are more interesting and bold than your pretty little gold necklace or what have you, and DO YOUR HAIR AND MAKE-UP.
See my video tutorial for some tips if you need them, or just for moral support. We believe in you and good luck.
Chunky Monkey Lady with no special wardrobe, but a nice make-up job makes a difference. The hair, however, is another story! What I did after I took this photo is to dry shampoo my hair to give it volume and then pull it back again so I didn’t look so much like a pinhead.
But of course you have tips! And the hair and makeup thing is so huge, because that’s what always gets left behind in my mad rush out the door in the mornings… this is obviously something I’m going to have to work on.
Thanks, I’m sure I’ll be back here a lot in the next couple days while I’m packing!
I’ll add to the great tips that if I have an important appointment, I like to pack a special bag with snacks, water, toothbrush, make-up, deoderant, hairbrush, etc. so I can freshed up at the convention cetner and avoid having to do it in my hotel room and then walk all the hot and humid way back. Then I find a friend who I can leave my bag with so I can show up to my interview with only what I need. This helps me avoid feelings like an inelegant pack mule without having to sacrific all the items I want to call upon to look and feel my best!
for years I have kept the extra pair of pantyhose in my desk (or in my purse when I’m on the road) — I once had a boss who was physically “gifted” who confided that she always kept an extra bra in her desk incase a shoulder strap went bad!
Auntie PB –
Any special tips on this topic that might be relevant to us guys… Especially if we are visiting a city where we might be getting around on public transportation. I get paranoid about arriving at the interview looking greasey from warm weather perspiration, and my suit looking at all rumpled.
Just wanted to say thanks, my interviews went really well and I felt totally polished but still funky and me. I ended up wearing some variations on neutral pants & shirt with cute boots and funky patterned jackets to throw on when I got to the convention center.