What to wear to a school admin asst interview?

tiff

Well I dont own a watch as I use my mobile. Bit of a mixed opinion on whether I should wear a jacket. I do have a nice black drapey cardigan that would make my outfit look smarter I think, will try it out. I might be able to borrow a jacket, if not the cardigan will have to do. Thanks all.

Tigsteroonie

If it's as warm as it has been this week, I wouldn't bother with a jacket. Nice blouse/top (nothing too low-cut or t-shirty), smart skirt or trousers, smart shoes.

marmitequeen

I'm in charge of staffing in a secondary school so interview all staff (teaching, support and admin). Wear a suit/dress and jacket. If it's hot don't wear the jacket. Don't wear a cardi unless it's really smart and fitted. (I know of a school that has a 'no cardigans' rule!!) No low-cut tops or really short skirts - you are working with young people and you REALLY don't want them seeing more than they should!!

See if you can borrow a watch as you will want to keep track of time and getting your phone out to do that is a no-no.

Key is looking professional: school is really important and your appearance needs to show you recognise and agree with that. The key things I look for in a potential admin assistant are (1) the ability to do the IT/admin tasks , (2)the ability to keep calm and think on your feet (3) the ability to talk and smile to people. We can generally teach people the admin skills but it's really tough to teach people to smile and think. I've often given the job to the person we know will 'fit' rather than the most qualified and I really believe that's best for everyone. Why am I going on about this? Well, dress smart but don't panic about what you wear too much but make sure you keep smiling during the interview.

marisa

tiff wrote: »

Hmm so I need to buy a jacket then, thanks for your replies.

A jacket can be an investment in that you can use it for many interviews and never have to worry about how to make anything look insta-smart

I have a trusty plain plack suit jacket, I can match with various trousers and I didn't pay a lot for it (I think it was under £20!), try supermarket clothes lines, ex-catalogue shops, next discount/sale shop thing. Maybe even primani have some these days!

tiff

Trouble is I'm a big girl so Primark is out, will have a look tomorrow to see what I can find.

emsywoo123

tiff wrote: »

Trouble is I'm a big girl so Primark is out, will have a look tomorrow to see what I can find.

Possibly a bit OT, bit I saw some black smart suit type jackets in evans last week in the sale, complete range of sizes, £12. might be worth the investment?

ali-t

marmitequeen wrote: »

Don't wear a cardi unless it's really smart and fitted. (I know of a school that has a 'no cardigans' rule!!) .

sorry to sound really dense, but WHY? Surely a cardi is better than bingo wings? They can also help to disguise other figure issues. What is the reason behind no cardi's?

WatlingA5

Don't forget - a well-run charity shop can offer some great bargains in stylish clothes!

tiff

I was a bit confused about that, I already work in a primary school and they have no issue with cardigans but it would help to understand why some schools have this rule.

Thanks Emsywoo, will look in Evans. Also found a whole suit for a total of £20 on the Asda website, plus a white shirt for £3!

suelees1

after all that good luck with the interview !!