Looking To Get Ahead?

As summer vacation rapidly approaches, many students are foregoing shorts and sandals for pinstripe suits and loafers, recognizing that, unlike the classroom, the corporate world requires a certain dedication to appearance. Although some student wardrobes already conform to current business style, sometimes the right clothes are not enough.

Dress to Kill

Certain Harvard students don't restrict their business clothes to the summer work-place. Convinced that they are what they wear, these students will candidly admit that sliding on a tie in the morning helps them get ahead.

Institute of Politics Associate Joel D. Rosenbaum '01 strolls through campus wearing a tie every day and even dons a sport coat two or three times each week.

Rosenbaum says there is a noticeable difference in how he is treated while dressed in his business attire as compared to students clad in sweats and sneakers.

"Part of the reason that I'm so conscious of it is that I'm aware that other people are conscious of it," he says.

Rosenbaum says a simple change of outfit allows him to be more easily accepted by older people.

"When you're with adults [and dressed up], they tend to not treat you as a kid," he says. "It's an easy way when you're young to get respect."

Rosenbaum began to cultivate his power-wardrobe even before he hit campus. Like many eager applicants, he assembled his Harvard interview outfit carefully. While other candidates at the interviewing site showed up for the stressful affair in Polo shirts and shorts, Rosenbaum chose a suit.

Such attire was not the norm at Rosenbaum's suburban California high school. Yet, all of the male students attending Harvard interviews from Rosenbaum's high school wore suits--afraid, he recalls, that they would be outstyled by his sharp appearance.

Setting style trends may be a sure sign of successful dressing. However, for Undergraduate Council Secretary Sterling P.A. Darling '01, dress is not just about receiving respect, but conveying it.

Definitely in times when I've had to deal with members of the community, either at Harvard or at other places, wearing a tie or a coat has helped to show them that I'm serious about what I'm discussing," Darling says.

Business Bound

Experts and professionals in the business world say conforming to mainstream dress codes is a must for students. This holds true for those diving into the work environment and especially those still applying for jobs.

William Wright-Swadel, director of career services for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, says he counsels students applying for jobs every day, many of whom come to him with clothing concerns.

"We talk to students who say, `I like to wear six earrings, is that okay?'" Wright-Swadel says. "The answer is, `Sure, that's okay, but you have to understand that's going to make an impression to employers.' You have to understand that it might have consequences that you don't agree with."

Darling agrees that adjusting one's wardrobe to fit accepted standards is a given.

"Employers, before they even have the chance to decide if you're an intelligent person, have a chance to decide if you're serious about the impression that you'll make," Darling says.

Concerning the impact appearance can make on a potential employer, local business clothiers emphasized planning ahead.

"It's the most important thing," says Denis E. Black, manager at J. Press, a store which derives much business from outfitting Harvard corporate hopefuls. "The very first contact you have with a person is visual."

Black estimates that mannerisms, cleanliness and good taste in clothing accounts for 30 percent of interviewers' assessment of student candidates.

But will the dress code persist once an offer is made? Those in synch with the corporate world say stubborn dress codes in the recruiting process definitely reflect what will be expected even after the deciding handshake.

"When I look around in our business environment, most women wear suits or dresses," says Natasha Wolber, a market analyst at BMW of North America. Wolber notes that the dress code is not entirely voluntary, but more a product of corporate culture at-large.

"I think we're giving in to something society has created," she says, "It's an unspoken rule."

However, Wright-Swadel cautions that not all working environments require stuffy starched collars, and that part of finding the right job is finding the right work atmosphere.

"One of the things that is a misperception about appearance is that there is a single appearance that one must fit," he says. "If you're dressed in a three-piece business suit, and you walk into a day care center, you're probably not dressed for success in that environment."

Wright-Swadel concedes that few employers are looking for wildly eccentric dressers, but notes that developing interview outfits dramatically different from one's everyday attire may not help much in the long run.

"I think most employers are middle-of-the-road, conventional, because most of their business is such," he says. "If you really don't think you can dress the culture, then I think to go make something up and get the job isn't going to work."

Jeffrey J. Kagy, a staffing consultant at John Hancock, agrees.

"If there are two equally skilled employees, I would bet you that the one who is more conformist to what would be considered normal would get the job," he says.

However, Kagy says the exigencies of corporate dressing have relaxed somewhat during the past decade.

"If the person. especially a young person is dressed in business casual, 10 years ago that would have been corporate taboo," he says. "That certainly is not the case now. however, if the person came in here sagging, and they're a 32-inch waist and they're wearing 42-inch pants...if you have body piercing, you need to take those things out. You need to somewhat adhere to business paradigm."

Never Second Best

Even with the decline of 80s power-dressing, some still see dressing, up as the road to success. In the 90s, as the cost of surgical procedures declines, "dressing" takes on a whole new meaning. Abdominal tucks, breast augmentations and face lifts are now less-expensive options for those convinced that improving their appearance gives them an edge in corporate culture and social life.

Although plastic surgery is still fairly expensive--with rhinoplasty, or nose jobs, going for about $3,000 and breast implants for about $2,500--costs are decreasing. In addition, as some professionals point out, price is commensurate with satisfaction and, given the traditional income increase with age, procedures become more affordable over time.

For one Harvard sophomore and her family, the benefits of plastic surgery outweighed the costs. In fact, Laura (name has been changed at student's request) says it was her father, who is generally careful with money, who first suggest- ed she have her nose redone.

"I had been teased since I was very little, andit was terrible," she says. "I didn't feelbeautiful--it made me feel different. When I wasat the movies, I'd always try to sit with my head[facing a certain way] so people couldn't see myprofile," she says.

But while self-consciousness motivated her toundergo the surgery, Laura's father was driven bydifferent concerns. He was worried that hernose--which she says he characterized as Jewishlooking--would subject her to harsh discriminationin the workplace. After considering the weight ofthe decision to alter her appearance, Lauraeventually agreed.

"Generally in the world, people are mindful ofyour appearance when looking for jobs." Laurasays.

Although religious discrimination was notinitially a factor in her decision to go intosurgery, Laura says since coming to Harvard shehas come to agree with her father. "I look aroundHarvard, and there are no people who look like Idid," she says. "In my community there were somany people that did, that [the difference of myappearance] didn't occur to me."

Religious discrimination and other stereotypesconstructed from appearances will not stop onceindividual features are altered. Yet, plasticsurgeons note that physical alteration can helppatients make concrete gains in the workplace.

Joel J. Feldman, a Cambridge plastic surgeonand associate clinical professor of surgery atHarvard Medical School, says the psychologicaleffects of such surgery can help patients getahead at work.

"If it makes you feel better about the way youlook, very often you'll act better," he says."When you look better, you feel better, and Ithink people very often project that."

Laura agrees. "I feel like I can I can walkinto more groups and be accepted," she says. "It'shard to know how much of that is sort of morevisible confidence, and how much of it is physicalitself. There's no way to tell, but I sort of putthe two together."

According to Gary H. Manchester, a prominentplastic surgeon in San Diego who graduated fromHarvard Medical School in 1964, plastic surgeryshould be used to correct defects in collegestudents only if the potential patient feelsespecially self-conscious about his or herappearance.

"If it bothers you, you should do it,"Manchester says. "You can't imagine the differencein your effect."

Manchester recently emphasized the importanceof appearance as well as his own Harvardbackground in a California magazine advertisement,"Harvard doesn't settle for second best, whyshould you? Yet Manchester says he's neveroperated on a young person who was concerned thattheir appearance would interfere with jobprospects. In fact, Manchester was recentlyrequired to remove the ad after Universityofficials voiced trademark complaints.

Instead of radical appearance-changingprocedures, Manchester, who performs more then1,500 surgeries a year, says the surgery he mostoften performs on young people includes nose jobs,correction of prominent ears and acne surgery--allmotivated by flagging social lives.

But according to Manchester, who once operatedon Muhammed Ali's jaw, this is not the case forolder people.

"A youthful appearance is very important," hesays "Most people will not hire someone who hasless than a 10 to 15 year potential. Take a 50 to60 year-old man--if he looks like he's only goingto be there for seven years, usually he will notbe hired.'

Other plastic surgeons agree. "There's a highemphasis placed on youth," says Nicholas E.O'Connor, a plastic surgeon at Harvard's Brighamand Women's Hospital. "People look to improvetheir appearance in terms of not looking tootired, not looking too old."

Manchester readily admits that he has performedmany surgeries on people who are then able to lieabout their ages and get jobs they otherwise wouldhave lost to younger applicants.

But not all plastic surgeons concur on theethical nature of using plastic surgery to succeedin business world. Some say the motive in seekingsuch surgery much be deeper than simply the urgeto get ahead.

"It always, no matter the age group, has tocome from something that bothers them," saysRichard J. Erlichman, a private-practice plasticsurgeon in Wellesley.

O'Connor agrees. "If you're doingreconstructive surgery, that's different, but ifyou're sort of improving on an otherwise solidnature, I think it's not a good idea," he says.

However, it's difficult to ignore the realitiesof the job application process, says Wolber.

"If the [employer] is a guy, and he has ablond, size double-D in front of him and findsthat attractive, that definitely is part of hisassessment," she says. "It's sad. Some people willalways have an advantage on that side if they'renot completely dumb.

"I had been teased since I was very little, andit was terrible," she says. "I didn't feelbeautiful--it made me feel different. When I wasat the movies, I'd always try to sit with my head[facing a certain way] so people couldn't see myprofile," she says.

But while self-consciousness motivated her toundergo the surgery, Laura's father was driven bydifferent concerns. He was worried that hernose--which she says he characterized as Jewishlooking--would subject her to harsh discriminationin the workplace. After considering the weight ofthe decision to alter her appearance, Lauraeventually agreed.

"Generally in the world, people are mindful ofyour appearance when looking for jobs." Laurasays.

Although religious discrimination was notinitially a factor in her decision to go intosurgery, Laura says since coming to Harvard shehas come to agree with her father. "I look aroundHarvard, and there are no people who look like Idid," she says. "In my community there were somany people that did, that [the difference of myappearance] didn't occur to me."

Religious discrimination and other stereotypesconstructed from appearances will not stop onceindividual features are altered. Yet, plasticsurgeons note that physical alteration can helppatients make concrete gains in the workplace.

Joel J. Feldman, a Cambridge plastic surgeonand associate clinical professor of surgery atHarvard Medical School, says the psychologicaleffects of such surgery can help patients getahead at work.

"If it makes you feel better about the way youlook, very often you'll act better," he says."When you look better, you feel better, and Ithink people very often project that."

Laura agrees. "I feel like I can I can walkinto more groups and be accepted," she says. "It'shard to know how much of that is sort of morevisible confidence, and how much of it is physicalitself. There's no way to tell, but I sort of putthe two together."

According to Gary H. Manchester, a prominentplastic surgeon in San Diego who graduated fromHarvard Medical School in 1964, plastic surgeryshould be used to correct defects in collegestudents only if the potential patient feelsespecially self-conscious about his or herappearance.

"If it bothers you, you should do it,"Manchester says. "You can't imagine the differencein your effect."

Manchester recently emphasized the importanceof appearance as well as his own Harvardbackground in a California magazine advertisement,"Harvard doesn't settle for second best, whyshould you? Yet Manchester says he's neveroperated on a young person who was concerned thattheir appearance would interfere with jobprospects. In fact, Manchester was recentlyrequired to remove the ad after Universityofficials voiced trademark complaints.

Instead of radical appearance-changingprocedures, Manchester, who performs more then1,500 surgeries a year, says the surgery he mostoften performs on young people includes nose jobs,correction of prominent ears and acne surgery--allmotivated by flagging social lives.

But according to Manchester, who once operatedon Muhammed Ali's jaw, this is not the case forolder people.

"A youthful appearance is very important," hesays "Most people will not hire someone who hasless than a 10 to 15 year potential. Take a 50 to60 year-old man--if he looks like he's only goingto be there for seven years, usually he will notbe hired.'

Other plastic surgeons agree. "There's a highemphasis placed on youth," says Nicholas E.O'Connor, a plastic surgeon at Harvard's Brighamand Women's Hospital. "People look to improvetheir appearance in terms of not looking tootired, not looking too old."

Manchester readily admits that he has performedmany surgeries on people who are then able to lieabout their ages and get jobs they otherwise wouldhave lost to younger applicants.

But not all plastic surgeons concur on theethical nature of using plastic surgery to succeedin business world. Some say the motive in seekingsuch surgery much be deeper than simply the urgeto get ahead.

"It always, no matter the age group, has tocome from something that bothers them," saysRichard J. Erlichman, a private-practice plasticsurgeon in Wellesley.

O'Connor agrees. "If you're doingreconstructive surgery, that's different, but ifyou're sort of improving on an otherwise solidnature, I think it's not a good idea," he says.

However, it's difficult to ignore the realitiesof the job application process, says Wolber.

"If the [employer] is a guy, and he has ablond, size double-D in front of him and findsthat attractive, that definitely is part of hisassessment," she says. "It's sad. Some people willalways have an advantage on that side if they'renot completely dumb.