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.

Employing People - How to Make Sure You've Hired the Right People

IP is over the quota
IP is over the quota

When your business increases in size you'll have to think about employing people to ensure that work gets done well. In fact, this is a very important area because you'll find it very difficult to manage your business well without the help of suitable people. Money is an important factor to be considered and you need to be absolutely certain that the new person will add more value than he or she costs. You therefore need to take steps to ensure that you hire the right people at the correct cost.

At the very outset, you need to ensure that you have a good idea about the kind of position that needs to be filled. You need to conduct a careful study of your organization, especially with regards to its current and future needs, and arrive at the exact position to be filled. You should conduct this exercise even if you are looking for a replacement for an employee because the business environment is a fluid one.

The next thing to do is write down the job description, leaving nothing out. This will be necessary when you go about advertising the job. You should also state how much you money this job is worth. If you write the job description very carefully then prospective employees will be able to understand exactly what you need. This will also ensure that you get applications from the right people. This will help save a lot of time since you will have fewer applicants to deal with. You should also advertise the job in the right place so that you can get through to the right people. It is also a good idea to make use of the services of a head hunter. You will have to pay for this service but it will ensure that you get the right person.

You should also put a lot of effort on interviewing the people who have made it to your job shortlist. A job interview is not something that has to be done in a hurry because this will give you the opportunity to study the person you wish to hire before you actually take them on board. You need to be sure that the person will actually add value to the organization. Employing people who are not suitable for the job will lead to a variety of problems at work, interpersonal stress in particular. This will lead to reduced productivity in a very short while and this is something you can hardly afford if your business is in a particularly precarious position.

The key to employing people for a job is to wait for the right person to come along. Wise employers believe that it is far better to keep a position vacant for a while instead of bringing an obviously unsuitable person on board. As long as you have followed the right process of hiring the person and have used the correct media for finding him or her you will be very pleased with the productivity of the person.

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