Men's Guide: Dress to Get Hired

IP is over the quota
IP is over the quota

One of the most misunderstood elements of any face-to-face interview is wearing the proper attire and associated grooming. This overview is based on over thirty years of experience being interviewed, interviewing and speaking with hiring executives. While the "rules" may vary by region and industry, they are a good guideline for anyone interviewing for a new position whether entry level or for the corner office.

Suit. If you do not have a suit, you need to purchase one. Traditional style in blue or gray solid. Avoid stripes or plaids. Avoid light colors. Have it fitted by a tailor to make certain in fits properly in the back, shoulders, sleeves and trouser cuffs. No brass buttons, those are for sport coats. If you already have a suit, make sure it fits, is professionally cleaned and pressed and has all the buttons. 100% wool is best. Wool/synthetic combination with more wool than synthetic is next. Avoid 100% synthetic as they do not breathe, are too warm or cold and tend to shine.

Shirt. White or light blue. 100% cotton is best. Straight color works best with a neck tie. Button down collars tend to be informal and viewed by some as too prep school. The shirt should not be new out of the packaging. Wear it once and have it washed and ironed or take it to a professional cleaner. Do not leave the collar stays in the collar, remove them and insert them before wearing it. Avoid monograms on the cuff and stay away from cuff links unless you are interviewing for a "C level" position.

Tie. Wear a long tie and not a bow tie unless you are a pediatrician or a professor. 100% silk ties look and knot the best. The tie should be traditional meaning not too thin but not too wide either. Blue or maroon work well with both blue and gray suits. Small patterns such as dots, squares or triangles or circular geometrics are best. Stripes are acceptable but should be traditional colors blue/white/red, red/white/blue, blue/yellow/red and so on. Avoid browns, greens, oranges and purples. Never wear a black tie except to a funeral. If you do not know how to tie one, a number of web sites provide step by step directions. Pre-tied ones are for security personnel for the obvious reasons.

Shoes. Black. Lace-up shoes are best. Slip-on shoes are second best. Leather. Make sure they are shined and in good repair. Avoid tassels, buckles, snaffles, hardware and logos for interviews. The shoes should not have elastic or Velcro anywhere on them. The shape of the toe should be traditional meaning not square and not pointed. If the shoes look like sneakers or slippers then they are wrong for an interview.

Belt. Black leather with a traditional brass or silver colored buckle. You must wear a belt with your trousers. Suspenders also referred to as braces are acceptable only if you are interviewing for a job with an investment back or a "C level" position.

Socks. Black or very dark blue or gray. No holes. No patterns. No logos. Regardless of what the fashion advertisements show, you must wear socks.

Personal grooming and jewelry. Get a haircut before the interview but nothing dramatic or distracting. Facial hair is always controversial but just makes sure it is trimmed and neat. No facial jewelry. No sunglasses. No cologne. If you wear a watch wear a simple one that is not too flashy or distracting. The only ring you should wear is a wedding band if married. Do not wear a college ring to the interview unless you graduated from a service academy and are interviewing with a major defense contractor. Do not wear any pins, necklaces or bracelets to an interview.

While following the tips outlined above will not guarantee you the job, if you are qualified and interview well the will on enhance the odds of you going from candidate to employee.

George F. Franks, III is President and Principal Consultant of Franks Consulting Group, a career, leadership and management consulting practice. George has over thirty years of experience working with companies of all sizes plus not-for-profit organizations and individuals.
Franks Consulting Group's web site is:
http://franksconsultinggroup.com/
George can be contacted at:
franksconsultinggroup@gmail.com
You can also follow Franks Consulting Group on Facebook and Twitter.

Are You Applying Online? Here Is Why You May Not Be Getting a Response

IP is over the quota
IP is over the quota

There are tons of job sites online and they seem to be expanding far and beyond. The funny thing is that the job site rise all started at the down fall of the economy. Hey, it really makes sense, millions of people lose their jobs so, millions of people are looking online to find one. It is a great idea but, is it really doing anyone any good? There are still many people without jobs and I am sure all of them have applied online. Who are the people getting the jobs and why are you not getting a response?

The biggest reason why you may not be getting a response is because the job is already taken. If the job site takes off all the job openings that have been filled then, that is going to leave them with one empty search result. It will also give them a lesser rank in the search engines when someone is looking for a specific job through Google or what ever search engine they use. It may seem wrong to leave a job posting up that is already taken but, you have to understand, they are running a business and they are doing what they can to maintain their traffic level, that is how it works. That doesn't mean you should assume a job you see is taken. Send in your resume, no harm in that.

Another reason why you may not getting a response from any employers is that you may be too focused on one field of work. You may have experience in a certain area and you may have doubt or any will to learn something new. It is important to know that you have gained skills form your previous jobs that you may have not realized. All businesses are run in similar ways. If you find yourself at a new job, you will be surprised in the things you all ready know that you have learned from previous jobs. For example, you may have spent most of your life being a folder operator. All the years you have been a folder operator you also learned about job tickets, urgency in getting jobs done, quality, safety, shipping and receiving, fixing machines etc. You can use all of those skills just about any where. Go online and look for jobs in similar fields too your previous experience. I have experience in the printing business but, never as a QA,(quality assurance). Maybe someone had experience as a QA but, not in the printing business. I myself would hire the one who knows more about printing rather than just being a QA. Lets say there was an opening for a supervisor at a printing company. Who would you hire? Someone who has supervisor experience in a whole different field of work or, someone who has been working at a printing company most of their life. Look for different positions in the same area of work. This will expand your options.

Another reason you are not hearing back from any employers is simply because you are waiting to hear back. Every job application has a phone number and someone to contact. When ever you send in your resume to an employer, call them right away and let them know you have just sent your resume in. when you call, be excited and let them know how excited you are about the opportunity even though you may not feel it. The human recourse department are the ones who look at your resume. They are not just sitting there waiting for an application to be submitted. They are busy people and it is not their number one priority to look at resumes. If you call, you are putting a flag up saying, "here I am take a look at me". A good attitude and eagerness to work is something all employers are looking for. How bad do you want it?

Who are the people getting the jobs? You may think it is someone who simply has more experience than you but, that is not necessarily true. The people who are getting the jobs are the ones trying harder than you. They are pushing for a job rather than sitting back waiting to hear from someone. It is not too late and don't give up. Maybe you have tried as hard as you can to find a job but, do not let the doubt or negativity of the situation get too you. That will make getting a job harder than it is. Keep fighting and be optimistic. It is not too late.

I recently wrote an article about finding a job online, you can read it by clicking the link. The reason why I decided to write this article is because I received a comment from someone who has been applying every where with know bites. Keep trying and remember you may have to work your way up. Better pay will come in time but, you have too start now. Being too picky is keeping you in the same spot. If you liked my article? Check out my blog, http://howtobeoptimistic.org/