Know Your Audience

Me: "My Grandfather has an odd sense of humor."
Male friend: "Give me an example."
Me: "Well for instance, he introduced me and my cousin Heather as his barren granddaughters because we haven't had kids."
Male friend: "....do you need me to kick his ass?"

I live and work in a man's world. If you don't get sarcasm, if you can't take a joke (even when you have a sneaking suspicion that the joke is a half-truth and aimed at you personally) then you shouldn't be a female attorney. And you wouldn't survive in the Wehmeyer family. Compliments are given out backwards in the form of sarcasm ("Geez your ugly" - Grandfather again with a wink of his eye). Actual honest-for-goodness compliments are handed out also, don't get me wrong, but usually in private...Just so that honest comment cannot be used against the speaker in the future.
The only way to survive and thrive is to hand it right back in the same form it came: backward. Growing up with this, it's what I've come to prefer. Which is handy being a female lawyer - I'm living in a man's world.

And that is why it is important to survey your surroundings. One must always be cognizant of one's audience. If you're interviewing for a firm, google/bing/search/stalk the firm and see the male-to-female ratio. Try and determine who you'll be interviewing with. My rule of thumb (no wife beating with a thumb-wide stick required) is that if you're interviewing with males, wear a smart looking skirt suit, hair half down, nylons and medium to low heels. If it's a female, a neutral colored pant suit, hair up with small earrings, and low stylish heels. Either way, be understated. Leave them wanting more.
My uncle Mark told me a story about myself today that I had forgotten, which inspired this blog post. We were in Colorado for a cousin's wedding when I was 18. A few family members went to a pub for dinner one night. Mark and I bellied up to the bar. The bartender, understanding his audience, asked for my ID. I ran my painted fingernails through my hair a few times, flipping it over my shoulders and smiling sweetly to the young man. "Gosh I'm such an idiot. I left it in the condo. Can you spot a girl?"
I drank for free all night.
Mark paid for his beers.

I surveyed the scene; understood my audience and spotted a weakness in the guy: sweet girls (then why the hell did he fall for me?!). I think that this can be applied to all sorts of situations in life. Treat everyone differently. Treat everyone according to how you believe they should be treated. This will please your audience and help yourself. Nothing altruistic going on here; but no harm, no foul.