CAREER LESSONS
At the Gap, I Learn How to Dress—and Act—as a Leader
Finding my personal style in the world of fashion
I figure it’s a bad sign that my interviewer and I are clashing at the moment — not our personalities, but our outfits. I’m in a stiff suit; he’s effortlessly cool in a denim jacket, t-shirt, and khakis.
I should have known better. Today I’m interviewing with the Gap, the iconic clothing brand. Still without a job as I get ready to graduate from business school, I’ve prepared extensively for today, but with a focus on the company’s strategy and finances, not on what to wear.
As my interviewer probes my background, it’s more than my dress that’s failing to impress.
“Who’s your favorite designer?”
“Um, Levi’s?”
In my cluelessness, I’ve named one of the Gap’s direct competitors. Fortunately, he looks past my lack of fashion sense.
“While merchandising isn’t for you, Paul, I think you’d make a great planner.”
Like most apparel retailers, the Gap is run by merchants, style-savvy managers who pick out each season’s lines. Planners serve as their analytical right hands, helping to set prices and production quantities.
