Are You Sure You Want to Work There?

Take a moment to think about it.

When I was in law school, I attended a seminar that was “highly encouraged” for women-identifying law students: The do’s and don’ts of professionalism from a ‘professional’ career coach. I had a nose ring and a handful of tattoos (I’ve accumulated a few more since then), but I was eager to see how I could fit into the industry. Despite that I normally wouldn’t care at all to be accepted by Big Law firms, I felt obliged to go because, well, my employability hinged on playing the part.

Amongst the warnings of our intonation (“women tend to intonate at the end of the sentences!”) and what the appropriate length of our skirts and dresses should be, chills ran down my spine. What will seasoned lawyers think of me? Is it time to enroll in golf lessons? Do I need to ‘invest’ in a $500 suit for interviews? While these questions seem ridiculous now, these were my genuine fears as the thought of repaying my student debt loomed in the distance.

When you’re just beginning your career you, understandably, don’t have much leverage with future employers. In other words, you can’t get away with as much shit because you don’t have the experience to back up your skills. Employers are looking at you with fresh eyes. But before you go and make ‘investment purchases’ and suppress the best parts of your personality…