Interview Attire - What NOT to Wear

I am not conservative. Not even a little. I recently stopped to jealously admire a young lady who was wearing a sequined mini dress with knee high Converse tennis shoes to a school dance. I love stilettos, short skirts, bright colors, odd accessories, and huge earrings. I am super creative and my idea of dressing to impress includes wearing something unusual like a scarf that looks like it was attacked by a dog or earrings that were made by a 6 year old. (Seriously, I actually recently bought some ribbon rose and feather earrings that were made by a 10 year old and I LOVE them!)

As much as I would like to think that getting “noticed” at a job interview is a good thing, being noticed for the WRONG thing is worse than not being noticed for everything you've done right.

Tip of The Day

A job interview is NOT the time to dress creatively or provocatively.

Before I start to talk about the style do's and don'ts for a job interview let me address the men, or, the men in your lives. Men have it easy. There are basically only four options they/you need to consider.

1. Loafers or dress shoes (NO tennis shoes!)
2. Ironed Docker style pants or slacks (NO jeans!)
3. Button down shirt with a tie, or without one (NO tee shirts!)
4. Sport coat, suit jacket, or none (NO leather, jean jackets, or logos!)

There you go. Interview wardrobe rules for men. Too easy. Really now.... Even if men forget to match their belt with their purse, um, I mean shoes...it's not that hard to look really great. (I am assuming, of course, that basic grooming which includes shaving is on the pre-interview list of things to do)

Now, ladies, we don't have it so easy, but there are a few basic rules that we can apply to our interview wardrobe that does not include thigh high lace stockings and bling. (Yes,there are exceptions to these rules but they are so exceptional that if you're considering a job where you can throw out these rules, you already know it.)

So, in the best interest of brevity, I'll leave the hair and makeup styling to you and your stylist's blog, magazine, or local TV station for inspiration so we can move on to the ladies check list for a rockin' interview outfit:

1. Ironed flat front slacks, dress or skirt (NO jeans or dress / skirt hems above the knee)
2. Flats, mules, or low heels (NO stilettos, sandals, loafers, or...do I have to say it...NO tennis shoes!)
3. Sleeved blouse, shell, or sweater (NO low cut necklines, sleeveless, or faded cotton anything!)
4. Minimal and simple accessories (NO oversized rings, earrings, or bracelets.)
5. Simple solid colored or minimally patterned jacket when appropriate.

I'll now avoid the overused “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression” cliché' and the “You feel great when you look great” advice. I won't remind you that bosses are looking for people who exude confidence and not designer labels. I'll just close with a brief personal story.

Last week I broke my own rules. I went to an interview in a sleeveless dark red sheath dress with bright white stilettos that perfectly matched my pearl accessories. I was interviewing with a panel of 4 professionals and two of them were women. Don't get me wrong, I looked absolutely fabulous. But the minute I walked into the room both women took one look at my slightly-over-the-top interview outfit and glared at me. I didn't get the job. Maybe my outfit was just distracting enough to be the reason, maybe not. I'll never know.

But had I not worn it, I wouldn't have to wonder.

My Accidental Career

A thousand years ago (OK, maybe not that long ago although it certainly seems that way) I boarded a transit bus in a navy blue suit and, with the Want Ads in hand, I set out in search of my first job in the not-so-big city of Tacoma Washington. As it turns out, it was an express bus (they don't stop) and...the WRONG bus. The first thing I saw as I stepped off the bus at the end of the line, was a bus bench advertisement for the nearby horse racing track. There I was, standing almost 30 miles from my intended destination.

I walked the almost 5 miles in my heels and skirted suit to the security gate and, simply, asked for a job. And I got it. I couldn't have imagined how much fun working THAT hard would be. I lived in the barn, I never wore my suit, woke at 4 am every day, and I didn't get a single day off. I was a manager with an enormous amount of responsibility and stress......and thrived.

In retrospect, while others thought I was simply out of my mind, I really truly loved smelling like a horse and having breakfast every day with jockeys and trainers. That circus-like job gave me the opportunity to enter my adult life with passion and immediate financial independence.

Michelle's Life Lesson #1

When you LOVE what you do, success is easy.

A few years later, I decided it was time to get a “real job”. You know, a real job...with lunch breaks, weekends off, medical benefits, and only 8 hours per day? Yeah. One of those. Only a few days after I was hired as an entry level receptionist for a local industrial supply store, they held a company meeting and announced that they were declaring bankruptcy.

I raised my hand and asked “Does this mean I'm fired?”

The company didn't immediately close their doors but employees who knew much better than I did, started getting other jobs. After the Expeditor left the manager approached me and asked that, since I was on the phone all day anyways, would I mind calling to check on these incoming orders? When the Buyer left, the manager approached me again. “Since you're calling the suppliers already, to check on the orders, can you place these ones as well?” When the Purchasing Manager left I ended up with three huge roll-o-dex's on my already crowded front desk. (in those days we didn't have any other way to store contact information) After the Inventory Manager jumped ship you couldn't even see the top of my desk since the only available horizontal space was now filled with the green bar reports that were used to determine the ideal inventory levels and drove the orders for incoming product.

When they were bought out by a competitor, I was only one of two employees that was hired by the new company. A year later when I was no longer satisfied with making minimum wage and thought that I was certainly worth more, given my additional responsibilities, I DOUBLED my income in one move to the next company. My new title: Junior Buyer.

Michelle's Life Lesson #2

Show Up. Say Yes. Success will follow.

It is true. My career path was accidental. I didn't choose it, it chose me. I merely started my adult life with passion, a good work ethic (Thank You, Dad!) and a drive to progress.

Over the years I have struggled. I have not had an easy life. The pride I feel for how far I have come is quite often offset by the embarrassment of being unemployed....again. But, when all is said and done, I know that I cannot let my past experiences interfere with my future success. Every job gives me a new set of skills, a new opportunity to change how I see the world. What I lack in longevity I more than make up for in my unique ability to embrace change.

Here's a well known cliche': That which does not kills us, makes us stronger. If I told you that I have a pink tee shirt with a Super Woman logo on it, would you be surprised?

I hope not.

The UPside of UNemployment - Yes....there IS one!

Unemployment affects more than just our pocketbooks. It touches every aspect of our lives. Some days, all I want to do in lie in bed all day with the covers over my head. And then my son knocks on my door and asks me, “What's for breakfast?” Sigh. When a close friend calls to ask if I want to go out to have a drink, I have to think twice. Not because I don't want to spend time with her or don't need a social outing to shake off the dull drums but I have to ask myself “Can I justify spending $20 or more on something that won't contribute to my real time need for a roof, and food, and gas?” When my sister calls to ask me how I am, do I give her the real answer (“I'm REALLY CRAPPY, but thanks for asking!”) or do I tell her that I'm doing good and enjoying my time off?

Bottom Line:

Your perspective MATTERS!

If you think the unemployment challenge is conquerable, it will be!

So, today I am going to challenge to you look at unemployment from a slightly different perspective. Put on a new set of glasses (rose colored optional) and see the world for all the possibilities that exist.

Think of it this way. You have more TIME on your hands and, quite literally, time is valuable! Mine certainly is. When I'm working full time I barely have a time to get all of the household chores done, let alone cook a nice meal made from fresh ingredients. The lawn often grows to 6” tall before it becomes a high enough priority to delegate (sometimes loudly) to the in house teenage labor. I have a list things I would “like” to do, some of them have been pending now for almost 4 years. My priorities are based upon the limited amount of time I have to spare away from my commute and job. When I'm unemployed, however, I have a lot more time on my hands. Woo hoo! 

I LOVE having more time, the pace of my life is slower and so much more manageable.

My dog, Rusty, loves her new place on my priority list. She gets a nice long walk, almost every day. I combine walking the dog, getting much needed fresh air exercise, relaxing with music, and grocery shopping for fresh and inexpensive menu ingredients at the nearby vegetable stand.

My kids also really enjoy having mom around more. Granted, this is partly because they don't have to cook for themselves as often as they do when I'm working, but I'd like to think they also enjoy my company. They don't have to chase me down to ask my permission to go hang out with their friends or ask my perspective on their latest dilemma.

As I mentioned, I really enjoy cooking something other than what-ever-is-fast-and-easy.  Convenience costs money.  I actually look forward to cooking meals with fresh ingredients and taking advantage of what is on sale to inspire me.

Here is one of my kid's favorite !Mom's Home! meals:

Tip of The Day:

Super Cheap Chili

Ingredients:

5 cans of different beans of your choice (black, red, chili, white, etc....)

1 can of canned tomatoes

1 lb hamburger

1 chili seasoning packet

Instructions:

Brown the hamburger

Rinse and add beans, tomatoes, and seasoning

Simmer on low for an hour

Cornbread

Ingredients:

Cornbread mix (duh!?)

One egg

Add milk or water as instructed and bake

Total Meal Cost for 4 people (with leftovers!)

Less than $10!!!

Enjoy your time off. Spend time with friends and family. Take a walk. Work in the Garden. Write poetry. (or a blog!) Cook. Clean. Sew. Knit. Read. Ride your bike. It's a great day to be you! 

Now.... I have to go clean the garage.

Resumes Are Like Opinions - Everyone's Got One!

Last week I met with two different employment agency recruiters. I asked them each to offer me their opinion of my resume and let me know if they had any suggestions for how I might improve it. The first one said “It's a little long, there's too much information, it needs to be more succinct.” After I made those adjustments, the second recruiter said “You have a lot of experience and should include as much information on a resume as you can.” Their feedback is my inspiration for today's blog title. If you were to ask a dozen recruiters, you would get a dozen suggestions.

Quite literally hundreds (perhaps thousands) of books have been written on the subject of resume writing. I highly recommend that you seek out many sources of advice for both the format and content of your resume. Read books, ask friends, consult with recruiters or (if you have the money) a professional resume writing service but...my first piece of insight that I have to offer on this subject is: Your resume should be a reflection of WHO YOU ARE. Don't automatically make every adjustment to your resume because someone tells you that you should. Your critical eye should be the final judge.

There are no hard and fast rules!

(except that there is simply NO excuse for typographical errors)

There are some changes, however that will need to be made to stay current with the technology that now processes these bits and bites of electronic information. While it make seem contrary to what I have noted above you should makes changes to your resume to reflect the particular position you are applying for. (actually, let's call them “tweaks” instead of changes) Your goal should be to have at least 10 words on your resume that match those in the job posting, and at least 3 of them in the first paragraph or section. With the modern invention of resume scanning software, many are initially reviewed not by hiring managers but by this more efficient, but less insightful, method. If there are no word matches, your resume will be put into the proverbial round file.

Before I move on to my final piece of brilliance on this subject (yeah, I know...I'm being cocky) let's look back to my first resume. It was typed on a typewriter. It was copied at a local printer and then mailed out to the PO Boxes that I had circled in red pen in the Sunday News Tribune. I recall my first paragraph. It read: “My objective is to obtain an entry level administrative position with an employer that will allow me to grow within the company as well as gain additional skills.” (Duh!!) Oh how times have changed. Those over generalized and vague career objectives that were once readily accepted, are now frowned upon.

Employers care about what you can do for them, not what they can do for you!

Tell them, show them, get noticed!

So, lastly, before you send out your next resume look at it with a mathematicians hat on. Yeah. Seriously. Add numbers to your resume. Numbers impress people, they stand out, they're specific and relative. If you're a Purchasing Manager, as I am, be sure to include how MUCH money you saved for your last employer. If you're a Receptionist, list how MANY incoming lines did you manage. If you're a Secretary, how MANY words per minute can you type or how many strokes per minute? Did you reduce the company's inventory, and if so, by how much? Did you create a more efficient process, and if so, how much time did you and your coworkers save? No matter what your job title is, or what you want it to be, you CAN apply math to your accomplishments. I promise.

It's tough out there. There are a lot of people out of work and there are simply not enough jobs to go around. You'll need all the resume writing education and interviewing tips and tricks you can gather to get noticed....and hired. Your resume is an employer's first impression and you know what they say about those....

There is no second chance for a good first impression.

Make it count!

Networking 101 - It's Not All About You!

I'm sure you've heard the phrase “It's not what you know, but who you know.” In today's world of record breaking high unemployment statistics, getting to know influential people, is a good thing. Networking is indeed a key to getting a great job, but not for the reasons you might expect.

If you've never been to a networking event before, wouldn't know what to say if you did attend one, or went to one and left early because you were bored out of your mind, read on. There is indeed a happy ending to this particular story.

A year ago I was invited to attend a large networking event. I pictured a room full of stuffy people, wearing conservative black suits, eating tiny finger sandwiches and drinking red wine. I couldn't possibly imagine how I'd fit in, let alone “network” about anything. I was nervous. (For those of you that have ever met me, or come within a 50 mile radius, you know I'm not shy or the nervous type. Not even a little.) When I mentioned to a colleague how nervous I was, he gave me one of the best (albeit uninvited) pieces of advice I have ever received;

“Just remember. It's not all about you.”

(We'll come back to that later...)

First, if you took that same picture of those stuffy people drinking wine and showed it to my 16 year old daughter and asked her to describe what she saw, she'd say something like “It looks like a bunch of old people, hangin' out.” So, there you go. Networking is just “hangin' out”. Really. It is. If someone tells you that you need to network to find a job, just think of it as finding an excuse to get to know people that you wouldn't normally socialize with. They could be members of your local church or union. They could be members of the PTA, a professional society, club, or hall.

I have to admit though, one of my favorite web sites for meeting new people, is http://www.meetup.org/. If you like knitting, writing, eating, drinking, bike riding, climbing, hiking, reading or....dare I say...networking; you'll find literally dozens of men and women in your town who meet on a regular basis and do whatever it is that you love to do.

Networking made easy.

Who'd thunk?

Second, (and getting back to my friend's advice) go with the perspective that you are there to meet other people and discover how you can help THEM. Listen. Ask questions. See if you can help them advance THEIR careers, find a babysitter, find equipment they need for their hobby, or something even as simple as finding a new restaurant or coffee to try. If you happen to be less than outgoing, this really works because the pressure of being talkative is lifted, while you just listen and offer your help or advice.

Lastly, don't forget your business card! Yup, even if you're unemployed you should have a business card that says, simply; Your Name / Cell Phone Number / Email Address. The people you meet will remember you and will probably want to follow up with you to ask more about your advice or to thank you. (By the way, writing your phone number on a cocktail napkin is tacky...and soooo 1980's)

Tip of the Day:

Go to: http://www.vistaprint.com/ 

For around $5 you can get 250 business cards shipped to you, in less than a week.

And, don't pay for the expedited shipping.

I always get mine in 5 – 7 days without paying the extra money.

But, wait, how does networking help you find a job?

Expanding your social circle, meeting new people, developing relationships outside your comfort zone, and having resources to draw on when you need them is invaluable...in life, in parenting, and even in job hunting.

A few months ago, those new friends that I met at that big stuffed suit networking event, invited me to go to Vegas. So there you go. You never know where new networking contacts might lead you, maybe to your next job, or maybe to Vegas.....

Day One - Inspiration

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I've been unemployed...a lot.  That's the bad news.  The goods news is that...I'm really good at it.  I've even seriously thought about writing a book about how to survive unemployment.  It would give my readers tips and tricks that I use to save money, get organized, and stay sane in the process. So, in preparation for that creative eventuality, I've decided to blog about my experiences of being unemployed. 

Call it "Research",

or "Therapy",

or maybe just "A Less Than Secret Attempt At Stroking My Very Bruised Ego". 

But here it is. 

My first blog.

Unemployement has so many facets that, for the most part, remain unaddressed by the general media.  It affects so many areas of life.  For example, I used to have someplace to go every weekday morning, now I don't.  The audible  "You've Got Mail" notice on my computer annoyed my coworkers over 100 times a day.  Now I receive...maybe...five emails a day, mostly from people who feel sorry for me.  (unless you count the spam, which I don't, because it's just plain irritating)  Buying a $4 Vanilla Latte was a frequent social engagement.  Now it's a guilt inducing indulgence which I cannot justify more than once a week.  Sigh...

This blog was inspired by the book Julie and Julia, which I literally finished reading this morning.  In it, Julie, blogs about her experience of cooking her way through a French cookbook.  I won't spoil it for you but mayhem and opportunities abound for the once unknown young wife amongst the sea of people that is, New York City. 

Mayhem?

Opportunities? 

That sounds like FUN to me!

So, welcome to my world, my self imposed writing assignment.  Here I'll share my deepest darkest secrets about everything from Interview Fashion to Super Cheap Chili Recipies.

Please, seriously, tell me what you think...of my writing, my advice, my perspective.  Feel free to share your networking tips and tricks, your frustrations; and, most importantly, your personal advice for myself and others who struggle with the hell that is, Unemployment.

In closing, here is one of my favorites quotes:

"I have no problem with self esteem.  I think I'm freakin' fabulous! 

My problem is that I can't find anyone to agree with me."