not your average day in the office

One of the jobs I do at school is to help co-ordinate work experience placements.  Our girls go out for a week in the June of their Year 10 when they are aged between 14 and 15.  My colleague who has recently taken over the overall responsibility for this from the teacher who previously did it has totally revamped the presentations to the girls.  And roped me in too.  That never happened before.


"Can you help me do the final briefing for Work experience on Monday"
"Yes of course"
"I think it would be helpful if we showed them examples of what is suitable work wear and what is not appropriate" (last year we had a girl turn up at a primary school wearing a little vest top and shorts - we're not letting that happen again!)
"Good idea"
"Can you rifle through your daughter's wardrobe and find some 'good' clothes and some 'bad clothes'
"No problem, she's left almost a whole wardrobe of clothes behind"
"And I thought you could wear a sarong"


Silence


"A sarong?"
"Yes, as an example of inappropriate clothing.  I'm going to wear a ball gown"
"Can't I wear the ball gown"
"No.  You're the assistant, you wear the sarong"


Last week, she gave me my script.
"Here's your script for the role play"
"You never said anything about role play"
"I thought it would be handy for us to do an example of ringing up to arrange an interview"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes, it's more effective if we act it out"
Silence
"And you're playing the part of Mr Pitt"
"Mr Pitt?  I'm a man?"
"You like Brad Pitt, I thought you'd be happy"


Today we set up the hall.  Two microphones and a laptop on the same level as 160 seats.


"Will you be ok getting up on stage in that sarong?"
"Getting up on stage?  No one mentioned getting up on stage"
"You're only little, they'll see you better if you get up on stage while you are showing the different right and wrong clothing"
"But my sarong may slip while I'm going up the stairs"
"In that case I'll change my speech to "This is a suitable white t shirt, that is an unsuitable white vest top and those are Mrs K's most valuable assets"


Happy to report I finished the hour with modesty intact and all assets still firmly under wraps!