| Topic Name: |
What "stuff" do new employees need? |
| Message Name: |
Accessories |
| Date Posted: |
01/08/2006 |
| In Reply To: |
First, congratulations on your offer!
I basically agree with all of HBS 2003's advice. Wait till after you've started and get the "lay of the land" (office norms, likely staffing) before spending much money on new clothes etc. You've got at least one or two interview suits, I'm sure - those should tide you over for a while unless your first study is at a bank. Basically, McK consultants dress to the level of the clients they're working with on a day-to-day basis, or perhaps one level of formality up (especially once you get more senior and are spending more time with senior executives, less with client staff). So, if you find yourself doing a lot of operations work, you may find yourself wearing khakis and cotton shirts (think Eddie Bauer) and your big investment may be steel-toed boots (which you should be able to expense to the study).
Now, if you do need suits, you're probably fine at a decent department store (Nordstrom's, Macy's). Suits with both skirts and pants would seem to provide more flexibility for a woman - you can wear the pants on the plane and pack the skirt for an easy change of outfit. Wrinkle-free tops are probably a good investment if you don't feel like ironing on the other end.
In general, for both business casual and business formal, if in doubt on styling, go with classic over trendy, for two reasons: first, in most cases, McK tends to try to project a relatively conservative image, and second, that way you don't have to buy as much new stuff every year as trends change. Can't really go wrong with black, charcoal, navy blue... Just look around your office on a non-Friday and you'll get the right idea.
As for luggage (again, assuming you are staffed out of town - it was a year before I had to travel on a regular basis, but after that I was traveling a LOT!) you are right that sticking to carry-on luggage is best. (Your teammates won't be too keen on waiting for you at the baggage carousel at the far end of your flight...) I did well with Briggs & Riley bags; a little more expensive up front, but tough and durable, and a no-questions-asked lifetime free repair policy which has helped on those occasions when the airlines still managed to break off the zipper pulls.
If you're staffed out of town, you'll acquire some kind of higher status in your frequent flyer program soon enough, which will at least give you preferential boarding (giving you time to snag overhead storage space for your bag) and may eventually get you enough upgrade coupons to fly business even on short legs (at which point you get plenty of room for your carry-ons).
Pretty sure you're right about electronics - certainly don't buy a laptop, and as for the phone/Blackberry/PDA, wait and see what your office policies are.
Hope that helps!
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| Message: |
To build up on ex-EM's and HBS2003's posts, here are a few things you may add to your shopping list, to prepare for your future studies out-of-town. The list may sound more humourous than serious, but there is some value in it...
- a swim-suit: most hotels have a swimming pool, and a swim-suit can fit in your luggage better than running shoes + shorts => best option, in my opinion, if you want to do some sports while traveling.
- a new complete "toiletery" (spelling???) set: razor, comb, toothbrush, etc. And you leave the whole thing in your carry-on luggage. This will help you avoid the nasty realisation that you have forgot your razor at home, or that you cannot comb...
s.
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