Reznet

Slideshow by Adam Sings In The Timber

Fit to Be Tied

By Jordan Dresser

LARAMIE, Wyo.—I decided it was time to pull out the big guns.

When I received an e-mail inviting me to attend the two-day Spirit of Diversity Job Fair in Detroit last month, I knew it was time to stop procrastinating and buy my first suit.

I went shopping in Denver, about a two-hour drive from the University of Wyoming, which I attend. As I looked around the clothing store at different suits, I tried to picture myself in each one and pondered which was right for me. Was it the black one? How about the blue? No, how about the gray?

After vetoing several suits in my head, I found the perfect one. It was navy blue with tiny light blue stripes. I knew it was just what I needed to put my best foot forward. I got even more excited when I looked at the price tag and found it reduced from $500 to $130. I've always been a smart shopper.

Just as I was feeling more and more confident, the issue of a necktie arose. At first, I thought I could find one easily, and it didn't become a big deal until I realized I couldn't tie a tie. I asked a salesman to show me how.

As I watched his hands turn this small piece of material into a perfect tie, I got a little scared. I tried to do what he had done but gave up. He tied it again and said the only thing I had to do was put it over my head and tighten it. I thanked him and dashed off to finish a hundred other things before my flight.

The plane ride from Denver was OK, but I was so anxious to get to Detroit that I wished it would go faster. As the plane started its descent into Detroit, I stared out the window at the giant city. In the night, all the city lights looked green and red. It reminded me of Christmas. The hotel was nice and seeing so many familiar faces from reznet was fun, but I couldn't wait for the interviews to start the next day.

As I put on my new suit, I started to become anxious. I felt really good when I looked in the mirror and saw my reflection. I felt like a professional ready to make a sale. I was ready for anything.

My first-day interviews included The Wall Street Journal and the Detroit Free Press. I didn't feel particularly nervous because all the recruiters and editors were so nice and willing to share words of wisdom and guidance. I went into each interview being myself and being as honest as I could. I ended the day with many good connections and many compliments on my suit. It was a wonderful day.

Then came Day Two. I wore a simple white dress shirt and gray pants, no jacket. I had a different new tie but had forgotten to ask the salesman to tie it for me. I thought I was going to be OK when a fellow reznet reporter told me she knew how to tie a tie. Turns out she couldn't, so I was on my own.

At breakfast, I asked people at my table how to tie a tie. Bill Elsen, reznet's career development director who had e-mailed me the invitation, said he did and started tying it for me. Things didn't go smoothly. Before I knew it, Joe Grimm, recruiting and development editor at the Free Press, and Reggie Stuart, corporate recruiter for the McClatchy Co., were also helping. The project took about a minute, during which reznet photographer Adam Sings In The Timber was clicking away and recording my mini-adventure.

Before interviews began, fellow reznetter Mary Hudetz noted that two of the people literally helping me get dressed for the day were people I should be trying to impress. I laughed but decided they didn't think less of me because I couldn't tie a tie. I thought they'd still consider me a great job candidate. I saw it as a moment when three people cared enough to take time to make me look good and give me confidence to do my best. And, yes, the tie looked perfect, better than the one tied by the salesman.

I leave every experience with a story that is unique, and this was one I will never forget. I hope my three wonderful helpers don't forget it either. I hope each left the job fair with a story to tell.

While I may not be able to tie a tie, I can always write a story, and in the end, that's all that matters. Right?

Jordan Dresser, Northern Arapaho, is a senior at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. He is a graduate of the Freedom Forum's American Indian Journalism Institute and a Chips Quinn Scholar. Dresser has had summer internships as a reporter at the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star, the Fargo (N.D.) Forum and the Salt Lake City Tribune under the Chips Quinn Scholars Program. This summer, he will intern as a feature reporter at The Denver Post.