The Center for Student Engagement and Leadership and the Office of Co-Curricular Programming sponsored another LIFE series event on March 19. The program was conducted in the Iadarola Center and focused on dress code.
The Business Casual vs. Business Professional Workshop was the fifth program in the LIFE series.
The LIFE series focuses on preparing students for common situations they will encounter as they prepare to graduate and enter the world of work.
Anne Filippone, director of Student Engagement and Leadership, was in charge of the event and informed the participants about career dress code by handing out articles and showing a video.
“Students came with specific questions and they commented on some of the things we discussed or that were included in the video,” Filippone said. “It was a nice group of students and they were interactive, which helped keep the workshop moving.”
Alongside Filippone, Richard Gebauer, coordinator of Co-Curricular Programming and co-instructor of the LIFE series, spoke to the crowd about proper dress code for men. Filippone took the task of educating women on how to properly dress for work.
“I have been to a few of the LIFE series workshops,” Shannon Santangelo, senior math and finance major, said. “Since I will be graduating this spring, I am taking every chance to learn about the working world and applying it to my future career.”
While a slideshow was put on screen about what is appropriate dress, handouts were passed around. The sheets were printed off the Web sites, gettingdressed.com and collegegrad.com.
Always being wrinkle free, no gum, no piercing and no tattoos were some of the obvious advice that the worksheets offered. However, tips such as no purses or always wearing a silk neck tie, were not so apparent.
“I have attended many of the LIFE series events on campus and find them to be highly interesting,” Patrick Trencansky, junior finance and accounting major, said. “Even though I am a junior, I feel as though going to these workshops will benefit me now before I start the job search.”
Students took down notes and asked questions to Filippone and Gebauer pertaining to appropriate dress code.
“I think most of the participants had a good understanding of what’s appropriate or inappropriate, but I hope we offered some more specific details about how to improve their dress for the work environment,” Filippone said. “The students also had some examples of interview or work attire that they’ve seen and felt was inappropriate, so that helped when they were able to share their own stories of what they’ve seen.”
There are eight LIFE series programs and are offered weekly. The next workshop is on Thursday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. in the Iadarola Building, 118. The topic of discussion will be “Transition to Off-Campus Life.”
