Focusing Your Job-Search

Its important to keep in mind that although a recruiter, a job-posting, a career fair, and any other assorted sources are all tools you can use to find out about opportunities a HIRING MANAGER actually makes decisions.

Focus your efforts activities that put you in front of the person that can hire you.

So, what is the one activity that can do that?

(insert crickets)

N-E-T-W-O-R-K-I-N-G

NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK – not with recruiters, not with HR people, not with anyone other than with those that tell the recruiters to put offer letters together.

Need help putting together a networking campaign? Check out this post.

Good luck and good hunting!!

A Common Sense Guide to Dressing For Interviews (from a fashion hating guy)

If you do any reasearch at all on how to dress for an interview your head will bobble, your eyes will glaze, and you might actually go insane.

You hear wear this jewelry but not that, wear this color but not that one, don’t wear this shoe with that sock. Really?!?!?!

All it takes is a little common sense to look good and show your best when you put your skills and knowledge on display. To help, here are eight rules of what to (and not to) wear if you want to put yourself ahead of the game:

1) Dress your age. If you are 18 don’t dress like your 50 and if you are 50 don’t dress like your 18.

2) Dress your body type. Some clothes just don’t look good on some people because said clothes were not made for that person’s body type.

3) Dress the role. Don’t wear a $3,000 suit to an entry-level customer service interview and don’t look like you just rolled out of bed if you are looking for an executive role.

4) Don’t wear skinny jeans or any other pants with the word skinny in them. I am no fashion expert but skinny jeans are the worst fashion idea ever and whoever wears them to an interview (or skinny slacks, skinny khaki’s, etc if they even have those) deserve to not pass.

5) Look like you actually attempted to look  nice. Take a shower, brush your hair, brush your teeth, iron your shirt and pants, tie your shoe laces. Look like you actually care.

6) Leave the sunglasses in your car. If you wear sunglasses inside your interview you deserved to be dismissed on the spot.

7) Don’t dress like a vampire or like you are Neo from ‘The Matrix’. Yes, it has actually happened.

8) It’s not Saturday night, it’s not your favorite club, dress accordingly. Enough said.

Now that you know to look your age and not dress like a character from a movie you are ready to tackle figuring out why you are the best candidate for the role.

Until next time – good hunting and good luck!