[LMB] Advice Please

[Zoe Brain]

>
> From: paal at gis.net
>
> Moving over to the high tech world, it's very clear usually at a
> tradeshow who's an engineer and who's a marketing person--the people
> wearing suits are marketing people for the most part, and any engineer
> in a suit is either someone new to the job market who's job hunting,
> usually recently into the USA from India or wherever usually jobhunting,
> or someone in an executive position who feels a need to look general
> outside world "professional" as someone doing a presentation to
> marketing people or investors or some such reason.  The megamillionaires
> in the industry who're engineers tend to NOT dress up and go around in
> shirt and pants, often short sleeve shirt, no tie, etc.  
> Someone showing up for work in a suit, people ask, "Are you going to a
> funeral?"
>   
Or "are you going to a job interview?", yes. That has been my exact 
experience.

Now... I'm going to ask for some advice.
When I was doing the "Boy Act", knowing what to wear was relatively 
simple. Shirt, pants, shoes, underwear. A windcheater if it was cold. A 
suit and tie when giving presentations, or technical talks outside 
company premises. I always looked like an unmade bed, but "tame 
geniuses" doing pre-sales support are expected to look out of place in a 
suit, it adds street cred.

But now... I have no idea, There are so few women in the industry here 
that I have no role models. In Academe, pretty much anything goes, and 
I've given presentations in various clothes, whatever I felt like 
wearing at the time. But in industry - what does the fashion-unconscious 
Geek Girl wear when doing sales presentations, being sheparded by the 
usual immaculate salescritter? I look awful in a pants suit, finding 
sensible (2") heels in my size is something I've not done yet, and the 
3" ones are too uncomfy after a few hours. OK, make that "agonising". 
Smart blouse, calf-length skirt and heeled boots sound OK? Just enough 
makeup so people wonder whether I'm wearing any?

I'll still be in the great sheltered workshop that is academe for a few 
years, but after I'm Phuded, I may have to go back into industry again, 
competition for academic careers is fierce, and the pay is terrible. 
Post-Docs earn below average wage, less than an assistant manager at the 
big M.

Anyway, I can do with some advice. My body is more like that of 
Madelaine Albright than Hailey Berry too, which doesn't help.

Zoe