<p>I'm visiting my boyfriend at Tech in a couple of days and have meetings lined up with two professors for the summer. One for a potential SURF, and the other professor doesn't take SURFers from other universities but is interested in having me if I can get funding from Brown.</p>
<p>I'm in a little bit of a panic because I don't have any business formal attire. Would something like a knee-length sweater dress, a pearl necklace, tights, and patent leather flats be okay? Or a casual dress and a blazer? </p>
<p>I also have a dress that has this general shape: </p>
<p>^ Hmm, I think there is a contradiction in terms there. I don’t think many people “dress up” for work in a lab. Of course too though it will matter what kind of lab/activities.</p>
<p>I think what you have suggested will be fine. Simply you want them to not notice what you are wearing and are just interested in what you have to say / offer to their lab.</p>
<p>Well, a little black dress and heels typically isn’t something you’d wear in a lab, even underneath your lab coat. A nice pair of khakis, low-heeled shoes, and maybe a nice shirt certainly aren’t outside the realm of possibility. Basically I meant she should try to be on the side of better dressed people in the lab.</p>
<p>(As a note, this is coming from a guy that wears oil stained cargo pants and t-shirts every day because he’s given up on keeping his work clothes clean.)</p>
<p>I’ll wear the sweaterdress one day and am going to buy a pencil skirt to wear with a blouse from h&m and some shiny flats and maybe a blazer for the other interview. It’s time I should invest in some business casual anyway. ;)</p>
<p>That’s probably too formal for a SURF interview, tbh. As a guy, for meetings with potential SURF mentors, the nicest thing I’ve worn for an interview is some khakis and a button down shirt, not even tucked in. While on the other hand for business interviews, I go minimum of tie and coat, if not a suit.</p>
<p>You don’t really need to dress up for a SURF interview, just look presentable (more formal than jeans but far less formal than a typical job interview).</p>
<p>I’m gonna play it safe and go with the sweater dress and the businessy dress I got today with a cardigan. I want to convey that I’m taking the opportunities really seriously, mostly because it’s so much harder for non-Caltech students to get SURFs. </3</p>
<p>Thanks for asking! my interviews were Tuesday and Wednesday, before I left… I actually got a third interview while I was there, and it looks like I might apply for SURF in that lab if I don’t get any responses from professors whose interests align a little better with mine. But we’ll see! I’m hopeful and applying to a lot of other programs, too. Worst case scenario, I don’t get anything and find a doctor close to home to shadow!</p>
I want to convey that I’m taking the opportunities really seriously, mostly because it’s so much harder for non-Caltech students to get SURFs. </3</p>