Do Not Make This Mistake When Dressing for the Interview - and other tips

A few years ago, a client of mine told me about an error in judgment he made when going on an interview. Art had worked as a mid-level manager for a mortgage rating company and was laid off when the mortgage industry crashed. He tried for months to secure employment and finally, in desperation, he decided to apply to any job he thought he could get. He applied for a sales position with the Apple Store even though it wasn’t really the job he wanted. He was thrilled when he was called in for an interview, but unfortunately, he didn’t bother to do any research on the company beforehand. He arrived for the group interview at the appointed time wearing his best suit and tie; his usual interview attire. I’m sure you can imagine his surprise when he arrived to find everyone dressed in casual Dockers and polo shirts! Art stood out like a sore thumb and didn’t appear to fit in with the corporate culture.

First impressions can make or break you.

To avoid making that mistake in the future, I advised Art to find out what the acceptable dress is for the company you’re interviewing with by talking to an insider; an actual employee of the company. If that’s not possible, then watch employees as they enter the building in the morning as they go to work to see how they dress to determine whether the company dress code is traditional and professional or more on the casual side – of course, avoid going on “dress down” Fridays. Once you figure that out, then follow these general guidelines for dressing for the interview:

Guidelines for Men

For professional organizations:

-     Conservative suit in dark gray, blue or black. Steer clear of brown; it’s not a power color

-     White long sleeve shirt

-     Conservative ties; no loud prints or colors

-     Make sure your shoes are polished

-     Dark socks

For semi-professional or casual organizations:

-       A pair of dark casual slacks

-       Sports shirt

-       Loafer-style dress shoes with dark socks

-       Optional: Dark Blazer in gray, blue, or black

Guidelines for Women

-     Solid color classic suit

-     Coordinated blouse in conservative prints

-     Closed-toe shoes with a medium height heel

-     Light hosiery

For semi-professional or casual organizations:

-     A simple dress or trousers with a jacket

-     For a more casual company, a jacket may not be necessary

Additional tips:

-     Wear a limited amount of jewelry

-     Don’t over-do your cologne

-     Make sure your hair style is neat, professional-looking, and current

-     Be impeccably groomed; nails clipped, etc.

-     Carry your resume and other career documents in a portfolio or briefcase

To make the very best first impression, make sure you look the part by following these guidelines.

How to Update Your Wardrobe for a Successful Interview

Guest Post by Sharon Kornstein

If you are interviewing or think there may be a job search in your future, modifying your wardrobe may not be at the top of your priority list. The way you present yourself visually, however, is often the method by which others judge you before a lengthy conversation. Why not make the most of those first few minutes and create a fabulous first impression?

Two important facets of a business image that aren't discussed much are appearing current, and looking age-appropriate. These aspects are not mutually exclusive, and actually complement each other.

Here are some tips for achieving a style that is both current and age-appropriate:

1.     Give away any clothes in your closet that are worn out, pilling, shiny or don't fit. Include anything that is more than ten years old. These clothes might feel like vintage gems to you, but to others look dated.

2.     Try mixing up fabrics and patterns. Larger patterns can mix with smaller ones; similarly small geometrics can mix with florals, paisleys and weaves. Just keep the same color palette.

3.     Review your hairstyle and eyeglasses. They should be updated every two years. There is nothing wrong with a classic hairstyle that you like, just ask your stylist to make subtle changes as time goes by.

4.     Similarly makeup needs to be reviewed. Our skin coloration changes as we age, and what looked flattering in the past may not work now.

5.     Take a serious look at jewelry. A strong watch looks current, put the dainty ones away for another time. Make sure you have one strong focal point, such as a pendant or bangle bracelet. Your other pieces should complement the focal point. Stay away from matched sets of jewelry; this matchy/matchy look will date you.

6.     Men's suits seem to be moving away from a very formal look. Try wearing a suit without a tie or a sport coat with dress slacks. Both these looks are youthful and professional. Of course on an interview always wear a suit and tie unless told otherwise.

7.     Try to bring in a trendy look as an accessory. For men a plaid tie, or patterned shirt with a suit; for women a woven scarf or shiny belt would work. The key is to look polished without seeming to try too hard.

8.     It's hard to overemphasize the importance of good fit in building a flattering age-appropriate wardrobe. Use your tailor and have him/her check the sleeve length in addition to pant length and waist.

One final note about color; there is no faster way to date yourself than by wearing all black. Color is all around us, and appearing youthful and energetic is as easy as adding a touch of it to an outfit. Purple, yellow, red, turquoise and pink are all bright and energetic. Choose one color or a pattern that combines several, throw it on and have fun!

Sharon Kornstein, AICI, CIP of ImageDesign is known for developing an effective visual image for professionally minded men and women by blending their physical characteristics, personal preferences and industry requirements into a unique, comfortable and cohesive style. For more info go to www.imagedesignconsulting.com.

Tips for Writing an Effective LinkedIn Profile

In my last post, I explained why you MUST be on LinkedIn; however, you don’t want to write a boring, generic profile either. Just as your resume should be written to get you noticed, the same is true for your LinkedIn profile; you never know who will be viewing it. It is a well-known fact that recruiters scour LinkedIn profiles to find applicants for their open positions. It is also a place where prospective employers look you up prior to conducting an interview or to verify your information.

If you follow these tips, you’ll put together a powerful profile:

1)     Be sure to include a photo, and make sure that you look professional and make a great impression.  (No pictures with your dog or out by the pool!)

2)     Emphasize and include your unique selling propositions (your brand) within the summary section.  (Any info that sets you apart and distinguishes you from others in your profession.)

3)     Unlike your resume, it is acceptable to use the first person pronoun “I” when writing your profile.

4)     Customize your LinkedIn URL with a short, personal name. For ex., here’s my profile address: linkedin.com/in/donnabradshaw.  (Here’s an extra tip – put your LinkedIn URL on your resume and email signature line to help you to grow your connections).

5)     Make sure that the company history you have written on your resume conforms to the info on your profile, e.g., dates, company names, etc.

6)     Write your content to target the job you want, not the one you have.

7)     Include industry specific keywords on your profile for optimum searchability.

8)     Don’t copy your resume word for word; strive to make your resume differ from your LI profile.

9)     Fill out your profile completely; make every effort to have a 100% complete profile.

10)  Get endorsements from people who have worked with you; your bosses/supervisors, vendors, customers, etc.; the more recent, the better.

11)  Join groups relevant to your industry and job position so that you can participate in them and become a known expert.

12)  Include your twitter address, websites, blogs, online resumes, reports, etc. within the summary section.

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Need help?

For a well-written, uniquely branded LinkedIn profile that gets noticed

or for a LinkedIn Skills Workshop to help you with navigating LinkedIn –  

call 201-236-1158 or email – Donna@CACoaching.com.

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Why You MUST Be On LinkedIn

It has been said that if you're not on LinkedIn, you don't exist.

LinkedIn is the #1 place that professional business people hang out. If you want to stay current in your industry and with business trends, are looking for a job, or want to stay in touch with contacts and make new ones, then LinkedIn is the place to be.

Some interesting facts about LinkedIn:

-        According to Wikipedia, LinkedIn operates the world's largest  professional network on the Internet with more than 120 million members in more than 200 countries and territories.

-    Professionals sign up to join LinkedIn at a rate that is faster than two new members per second.

Here are some benefits of joining and participating on LinkedIn:

   1)     It's a great research tool -

-          To find companies to target within specific geographic locations for your job search or names of people within those companies who can hire you.

-          To find key people within your industry to establish mutually-beneficial relationships with.  

2)     Connect/Follow up/Stay Current with people -

-          After meeting new people at networking events or conferences, invite them to connect to you on LinkedIn.

-          Keep in touch and get to know more about your new contact, read their updates, send messages to acknowledge their successes and have them learn more about you.

3)     It's a great place to find answers -

-          You can join or start meaningful conversations by participating in specific groups pertaining to topics you're interested in and by asking questions when you need help with a problem.

Don't wait another minute! If you're not on LinkedIn, join today.
 

A Great Place to Network to Advance Your Career (AND if you need a job!)

Business owners know that one of the best ways to find new business is to form alliances with other professionals who have access to their market. For example, accountants can form alliances with tax attorneys who can refer clients to them. It’s more of a direct approach than some other marketing approaches (for ex., placing ads) and will certainly increase the chances of getting work since the business owner will be perceived as being a trusted referral partner.

The same is true of establishing networks to either find a job or advance your career. You will have more success when networking if you form relationships with people who have access to job openings; especially unadvertised job positions, a.k.a. the hidden job market.

One really great place to do that is to join an industry association.

If you’re not sure how to find them, here are 3 easy ways:

How to find industry associations:

1)     Go to your local library and ask the reference librarian for access to the Encyclopedia of Associations (you should also be able to find the publication online). While you’re there, ask her if she has any other resources for finding industry associations – librarians are magical creatures when it comes to research!

2)     Go to http://www.weddles.com/ – click on the Associations tab at the left which will take you to a page with industries by category.  Select yours and you will find a long list of associations to link to.

3)     Google the name of your profession or industry and the word association.

Once you have found a few associations that you might be interested in joining, contact them to get more info and find out if you can attend the first meeting for free. When you’re ready to become a member you can join a local or regional chapter or the national association; your decision will be guided by your budget and your need to reach a larger group of professionals in your industry.

Benefits of joining an association:

–    The obvious benefit is meeting and networking with professionals in your industry. Once you form relationships –

•          you may be able to find out about hidden job openings to advance your career.

•          you may be able to find a member within your target company (or who knows of someone within your target company) who can give you an introduction.

–    Access to the association membership database, newsletters and blogs.

–    Association websites usually have job postings listed. This will give you a competitive advantage since the job may be posted on the website before the general public gets to hear about it.

–    Associations are a great resource for cutting edge info to keep you current in your industry.

–    You can take advantage of ongoing training and professional accreditation that will give you a competitive advantage when climbing the corporate ladder.

Suggestions for getting the most value out of joining an association:

1)     Go to monthly meetings and attend regularly; get there early and leave late.

2)     Don’t discuss your need for a job with new contacts (if you’re looking for one); be sure to introduce yourself, get to know the other person, talk about your work, and think about how you can be of help or a resource to them.

3)     Join a committee where other members can see your work product and the value that you can bring to the association. (Keep in mind this experience can be included on your resume.)

Finally, you might also consider joining your college alumni association and/or corporate alumni association (if you belong to one).

Keep this in mind –

increasing your networks through professional associations is one of the best strategies for job search and long-term career management.

Do you have what it takes to be a success?

When I was a kid, I just loved going on the merry-go-round at our local amusement park. I was captivated by the loud music, bright lights, colorful wooden horses and thrill of the circular motion.  While the ride itself was exciting, the thing that fascinated me the most was the
brass ring that you could grab if you were lucky enough to be able to reach out and take hold of it. I would extend my little arm and reach as far as I could, but unfortunately, I was never able to reach far enough to grab the brass ring - it seemed like an impossible feat for me.

Isn't that the way we sometimes feel about this life?

Some things just seem impossible to accomplish.

But, have you ever noticed the people who seem to have figured out how to go after and have the things they want? They have a clear direction for their lives, the confidence to attain their goals, and the focused concentration and consistency to live their dreams.

What is it that sets these fortunate individuals apart from those who never seem to attain their goals? Do you ever wish you could replicate their success?

In my opinion, the key to success boils down to developing certain characteristics and habits, cultivating a successful mindset, getting the help and support you need and then working at it on a daily basis. Successful people aren't any more talented than the average person; they are just more disciplined and focused than most.

To inspire you and help you to find your own path to success, I've put together a list of 40 Success Tips - habits that high achievers develop in the pursuit of excellence. In essence, they are highly effective habits of successful people. Cultivate these habits and you too will achieve satisfying and sustainable results in any endeavor.

Come follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/donnabradshaw for a list of tips that will inspire you and help you to reach out and grab your brass ring in life!

What do you think it takes to be a success?

I’d love to hear from you, please post your comments below.

Success Tip #1 – Create a vision for your life.
Success Tip #2 – Set goals and challenge yourself.
Success Tip #3 - Focus on solutions instead of problems.
Success Tip #4 - View your problems as challenges.
Success Tip #5 - Look for opportunities when faced with a problem.
 Success Tip #6 - Get help when you don’t know how to do something.

Success Tip #7 - Instead of envying others, emulate their success

Success Tip #8 -  Develop an “abundance” mindset.

Success Tip #9 - Hang around with positive, successful people.

Success Tip #10 - Eliminate toxic people who drain your energy.

Success Tip #11 - Make good health your top priority.

Success Tip #12 - Take control of your problems.

Success Tip #13 - Continually work on self-improvement.

Success Tip #14 - Take responsibility for your life.

Success Tip #15 - Realize you have choices.

Success Tip #16 - Accept what you cannot change.

Success Tip #17 - Continually reflect on what you are grateful for.

Success Tip #18 - Focus on your strengths.

Success Tip #19 - Explore your passions.

Success Tip #20 - Develop your interests.

Success Tip #21 - Tap into inspiration when you need to be recharged.

Success Tip #22 - Incorporate healthy eating habits into every day.

Success Tip #23 - Exercise daily.

Success Tip #24 - Don’t make excuses for your situation

Success Tip #25 - When you have a problem, do the research to find solutions.

Success Tip #26 - Feed your mind, body and spirit.

Success Tip #27 - Focus on what makes you happy, not rich.

Success Tip #28 - Do what you think is right, not what other people tell you to do.

Success Tip #29 - Let your values guide your decisions.

Success Tip #30 - Re-group when your life becomes stagnant.

Success Tip #31 - Be consistent.

Success Tip #32 - Be persistent.

Success Tip #33 - Don’t waste time watching a lot of TV.

Success Tip #34 - Continually educate yourself through reading.

Success Tip #35 - Listen to educational audio tapes.

Success Tip #36 - Be a well-rounded person.

Success Tip #37 - Face your fears.

Success Tip #38 - Stretch yourself.

Success Tip #39 - Practice positive self-talk.

Success Tip #40 - Believe in yourself.

Get More Interviews and Keep Your Resume Off the Reject Pile

September is Update Your Résumé Month and a great time for you to revise, refine, and refresh your current résumé. The value of a well-targeted, well-written, concise résumé cannot be overestimated – particularly in today’s job market where companies receive hundreds of applications in response to job postings. The difference between a good and great résumé can result in doors being opened or closed to the interview.

In general, the majority of people write their résumé as an historical document setting out basic contact info along with their job history, but this type of cut-and-dry document will most likely get placed on the reject pile. Instead, you have to write it with the hiring manager in mind.  You must ask yourself, what is the best way to get his or her attention?  How can you get the hiring manager to notice you out of hundreds of other applicants?

Here are eight ways to get noticed:

1)      Write to the future.

Begin with a clear strategy in mind when writing your résumé. What specific job position are you targeting? What is your career objective? Focus on the most relevant skills necessary to perform your desired job position and de-emphasize the tasks that are not relevant.

2)     Write an outstanding qualifications summary to capture interest right away.

This is the most important part of the résumé and determines whether or not the hiring manager will keep reading.  This is your opportunity to shine and sell yourself. It’s also you’re chance to convey your unique brand - the thing that sets you apart from other applicants.

3)     Emphasize results.

Companies are most interested in these three things: employees that make money, save money or increase efficiency for the company. Be sure to demonstrate when you’ve done these things in the past and your future employer will be able to envision you doing the same for him or her in the future.

4)      Backup the claims made in your summary statement.

Support the statements you made about yourself in the qualifications summary by setting out how and when you accomplished those things in your job history.  For example, a sales manager would demonstrate a “keen sales ability” by noting within one job description that he sold $2 million worth of widgets in 2008.  

5)     Quantify your accomplishments for each position using numbers, percentages and dollars.

Be specific about your accomplishments. Let’s say you were a manager or supervisor.  How many people did you direct and manage?  What is the size of the firm in terms of dollars?  How many divisions or departments did you oversee?  Did you increase productivity?  Be sure to use numbers to impress your audience.

6)      Write a focused résumé based on the actual requirements for the job position that you’re applying for.

It’s important to ascertain the key competencies, qualifications, and credentials necessary for the job you’re applying to and then demonstrate that you have the expertise and experience to step into that position.  For example, if you are applying for a meeting planner job, you will be required to have good customer service skills, be well-organized, be able to budget expenses, etc.  The best résumé will highlight how you carried out those responsibilities in your past jobs.

7)     Do not make spelling and grammatical errors.

Think about it - what does this say about you?  This is practically the same as going on an interview with torn clothing, messy hair and dirty nails.  Résumé mistakes make a bad impression.  It makes the reader think that if you are sloppy and careless on your résumé, you’ll be sloppy and careless on the job.  Diligently proofread and check for errors; don’t just rely on your spell check. 

8)     Be sure to include industry and position specific key words on your résumé.

Since your résumé will very likely end up in a database; either when listing it on job boards or when a company scans your résumé into their database, it is imperative to have enough keywords within the résumé so that yours comes up towards the top of the list. How do you find keywords for your position?  You can find industry specific keywords by reviewing job board ads and company website postings for the position you’re interested in.

 

9)     Edit, edit, edit.

Don’t think you have to include every single detail about your career history. Hiring managers only spend 10 – 30 seconds scanning résumés. If yours is too long and too wordy, they’ll move on to the next. Omit unnecessary information and only include info that makes the maximum impact.

10)   Go for the “wow” factor – make it memorable!

Especially in today’s job market, it’s important to make a great first impression and to stand out from the crowd. Give your résumé the look and feel of a polished advertisement. Consider using eye-catching graphic elements, infusing color, and including small, relevant logos. Of course, match the résumé design to your industry; traditional fields require a more conservative design, however, you can take more liberties with creative fields. Be sure to add as much white space as possible to enhance readability.

If you follow these ten steps, your résumé will get noticed when you apply for a job and you will very likely be called in for an interview. If you’re finding it difficult to incorporate the above qualities into your résumé, let us do it for you!