Since most of my clients are applying to work in conservative, professional environments like law firms, investment banks, and corporations, I advise them to wear conservative, professional dress when going on an interview. That means a dark colored suit, a white or otherwise light-colored dress shirt, and a tie. Even within those constraints, there’s plenty of room for error for the unwary or inexperience job seeker. Pay attention to the details in your wardrobe. Such attention has several benefits. For one, going through your wardrobe can help put you in the proper mindset for the interview. But attention to detail is more than just an exercise in mental preparation. Interviewers will notice (and appreciate) your attention to detail, which demonstrates you understand corporate culture and respect both the employer and the interviewer. Even more important is in many work places, attention to detail is a job qualification. Being well dressed is a way for you to embody this job qualification. So, what are some ways where you can both avoid mistakes and shine. Where does this information come from? I spend a great deal of time talking to hiring decision-markers, including hiring directors, interviewers, personnel managers, and recruiters, especially as research for How to Get a Legal Job: A Guide for New Attorneys and Law School Students. So, these tips aren’t just my opinion, they come from the most common complaints of the people who will be interviewing you. Your dress shirt is wrinkled and has sweat stains on the underarms Do yourself a favor and double-check the cleanliness of your shirt. While you’re at it, make sure your shirt is starched and pressed. And don’t forget to wear antiperspirant! Sometimes job candidates skimp on these details because they assume they’ll be wearing their suit jacket the entire time they are at the employer. If you’re wearing a suit jacket, then no one can see your wrinkled, stained shirt. Right? Wrong. For one thing, portions of your shirt will show—especially if you unbutton your jacket at any point, and especially if you need to take your jacket off! You forgot to wear an undershirt under your dress shirt Yes, it’s customary to wear an undershirt under your dress shirt. Yes, even in the summer. Dress shirts are thinner and more see-through than you might think, and there are small gaps between the buttons. Lovely though it may be in another context, believe me your interviewer does not want to see your dark chest hair. Period. Your shoes are scuffed Take the time to polish up those shoes! A well-polished pair of shoes are critical to your overall message of professionalism and attention to detail. If you don’t have the skills or materials to polish your shoes well, then stop by a shoe-shiner to get the job done right and to bring even an older pair of shoes back to life. Your socks don’t match (either each other, or the suit) You might think no one can see your socks, so who cares what they look like? Ah, but when you sit down, those hidden socks are suddenly revealed. Appropriate dress socks are a small investment, so make it! And if you like bright, show-stopping socks, please remember the job interview isn’t the proper place to show off you eccentricity. You can do that after you have the job. Your suit or tie is out of date Whether it’s wide polyester lapels or skinny leather ties or some other symbol of by-gone fashion, an out of date wardrobe suggests to the interview you are out of date. Older job candidates should be particularly aware out of date clothes reinforce stereotypes older workers are out of touch with today’s modern workplace. Don’t let an old outfit sabotage your new career move. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
- How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
- The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
- How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
- The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
- And, a lot more hacks for job search success!
Let us show you the secrets to getting a new, better-paying job you actually love. Sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp today.
Are you ready to land the job of your dreams (and leave the job of your nightmares)?