Tichels and Interviews

gittelchana

Mon, Aug 11 2014, 9:52 pm

Bruria wrote:

Did you ever feel like you would be looked upon differently if you went to an interview wearing a tichel ?

I would feel very self concious.

For some people, a Tichel is casual. Which means that the interviewer may see it as a sign of you being casual. It's a possibility.

I don't walk out of my house in a Tichel.

mummiedearest

Mon, Aug 11 2014, 9:55 pm

I have taught in a tichel. there are certainly ways to make it look professional. if you're interviewing for a frum company, inform them that you hold tichels only. if you're interviewing for a non-jewish firm, inform them that this is a religious garment.

Bruria

Mon, Aug 11 2014, 10:49 pm

I usually wear tichels, but I feel like it would be seen as being too casual to an interview, but my husband doesn't think so, so I wanted to check everyone's opinion on the matter!

Did any of you feel like being clearly religious has affected your chances of employment over someone that is not? If so, please share your experience!

penguin

Mon, Aug 11 2014, 11:11 pm

It probably depends a lot on where you live, whether in a place where most frum women wear sheitels, or or a place where type of headcovering varies.

And what about a a cute hat?

ElTam

Mon, Aug 11 2014, 11:51 pm

I would not. I wear a tichel at work and it is totally acceptable, but when there are people coming in for meetings, interviews, etc, I always put a sheital on.

wife2

Tue, Aug 12 2014, 12:06 am

Is it a very professional setting where your looks really matter? If so, and you only wear tichels and aren't planning on changing that, you SHOULD wear it to the interview so they won't be surprised if you show up to work that way. If you wear a sheitel to the interview, then when you start to work you would start wearing tichels?

seeker

Tue, Aug 12 2014, 1:24 am

1. Yes, I've felt I'd be looked at differently.
2. But I would still wear a tichel if I intended to wear that to work if offered the job, even if I'd be looked at differently.
3. And I'd make sure to make it a nice tichel, not casual.
4. Outside the ashkenazi-yeshivish world nobody is going to consider a nicely done tichel casual. They would view it as a formal religious/cultural headdress. It's only among sheitel-wearers that it has a bad rap.
5. Most times I have opted to wear a sheitel to a professional event thinking that it would present better, I ended up kicking myself because there would invariably be at least one or several women from some other culture wearing some kind of headscarf and being respected perfectly well, while looking 10x more comfortable than I felt. When getting dressed in the morning it seems like a good idea but then sitting there looking at them while feeling like I need to rip my scalp off...

amother

Tue, Aug 12 2014, 11:13 am

I live in brooklyn and I think it definitely depends on what kind of tichel and how you are dressed altogether.I wear tichels alot and with makeup and earrings and a classy outfit ,looks great.as a sfardi who started married life tichels only I saw that I needed fancier and trendy scarves and actually thatd what spurred me to sell them from home.many of my friends find it do helpful to have a selection to choose from.I always felt I need to change scarves to match my mood that day...

amother

Tue, Aug 12 2014, 5:46 pm

I wear tichels to interviews and have never had a problem. I wear nice, not cheap looking, tichels that are wrapped in a turban with no tails hanging.

Today I got these on clearance for $14 (one in green and the other in a medium blue that isn't on the website): http://www.dillards.com/produc.....=4960
They have different shades interwoven in the tichel and a little bit of metallic thread, so they look really good with a variety of tops. I got them for work but they would be perfect for an interview too.

Also for $14, they had a bunch of these scarves in different colors (sea foam, blues, pinks) that are also good for work/interviews: http://www.dillards.com/produc.....p=825 But you have to be careful because they snag easily.

I wouldn't wear a simple Israeli tichel to an interview. I wouldn't wear a loud flashy tichel to an interview either. Just something that looks refined and put together and professional.

debsey

Tue, Aug 12 2014, 5:54 pm

Bruria wrote:

In Israel or in America? for a religious company or for a secular company? I think these things would make a difference. In Israel, the tichel has a different connotation. In a big American healthcare system, I'd imagine they are used to lots of people with all sorts of ethnic dress. In middle America, it could work for or against you. Culture and context would matter a lot. Personally, I'm hiring a secretary now - tichel or sheitel wouldn't matter to me.

Peanut2

Tue, Aug 12 2014, 7:59 pm

I have interviewed in a tichel (or hat) in America with non-Jewish people.

I don't wear a shmatta kind, or that "Israeli" one with the silver lines. I use nice fabric that could go with a nice dress, the kind of tichel I might wear to to a wedding. It can look very nice and professional.

It's really important to look well overall - professional looking make-up, clothes that fit well, and all the rest.

Obv it depends what the job is. I don't work in the corporate world exactly. But I think for some jobs it could be possible - healthcare, education, anything in the creative world, etc.

Bruria

Tue, Aug 12 2014, 11:47 pm

Thanks for so many responses! I likes the links to the tichels, thanks!

Yes, I'm in America, and the interview would be for a non-Jewish company, so I am apprehensive because how ppl judge others is so personal, for some it doesn't matter, for others yes, so it's a lot to think about, especially since I got so many different opinions here!

I'll try to make up my mind, I have to at some point ! Very Happy

amother

Beige

Mon, Jan 28 2019, 11:51 am

I know this thread is super old, but I have a graduate school interview coming up and I find I can't do my best thinking in my shaitel.
It's in an arts-related field in NYC, but I'm really nervous about unconscious --or I guess even overt-- bias working against me.
My wraps look presentable enough (more wrapunzel style than shmatta) but I'm nervous about preconceptions of women in scarves.

Anyone have any experience or advice?

Thanks!

oneofakind

Mon, Jan 28 2019, 11:58 am

I would guess that it's more accepted now because so many muslim women are wearing it. I would definitely wear one if that's what I wear on a daily basis. At the same time, you are making a statement that may or may not make them nervous.

amother

Cerise

Mon, Jan 28 2019, 12:13 pm

I only wear tichels beshitta, so that's what I wear on interviews. I don't have a choice. if Hashem wants you to get the job/acceptance to the program/etc, you will get it regardless of what's on your head. Of course, take care to wear it in a presentable way and look put together, but it can be done. I work in a very professional setting, btw, and most of the other Orthodox women I know in the field wear sheitals. But here I am, I manage just fine in tichels.