Auburn's Career Center has arranged a high-dollar deal with Dillard's to help students find the best way to present themselves in an interview.
The Dress for Success Fashion Show scheduled for Aug. 29 will emphasize the proper business attire for an interview.
"The fashion show allows Dillard's to display firsthand what they have to offer to help students with their professional wardrobe," said Matt Anspach, graduate assistant of special events. "But it also allows us the chance to showcase, in a fun way, what is appropriate to wear to an interview and what is not."
This year there will be an accompanying contest called Top Young Professional, in which the two students best prepared for a mock interview will be awarded $500 each.
The judges for the contest include business representatives with whom the Career Center has worked, and the judges plan on using the fashion show, as with all Career Center events, as an opportunity to find quality employees.
"I think everywhere we go we are always looking for good candidates for our company," said Jerome Magee, one of the judges for the competition. "When you go out into the real world it's always an interview, so if I saw somebody here that I potentially think I could hire or would be good for my company, I'm going to look at their resume and get their contact information."
According to Melanie Wroblewski, another of the contestants' evaluators, the judges were impressed with the quality of the applicants.
"What impresses me most about them are their professional demeanors, their professional dress and their overall positive attitudes and being receptive to critique, but also being very professional about it at the same time," Wroblewski said.
Magee said the definition of a good contestant is not set in stone, however.
"There's things you can say and there's things on resumes, but then there are intangible things that people do," Magee said. "When people walk in with confidence, shake our hands, make good eye contact and sit there and just tell us about their life, I think it's great."
Aubie will be dressed in suit and tie to award the competitors at the fashion show, to be held at the Auburn Hotel from 6-7 p.m.
The event is free, and Dillard's will sponsor door prizes including free makeovers at Dillard's Salon and Spa.
"We are really trying to get the word out to students about the wealth of free information and tools that we offer at the Career Center to help them find careers, even under the current economic conditions," Anspach said.
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