Men's Interview Attire
For a professional interview, men can default to wearing a suit. All clothes should fit well and not have any stains. Here are the fundamental items a man wears during a professional interview: 

• Suit (solid color - navy, black, or dark grey)
• Long sleeved shirt (white or coordinated with the suit)
• Belt
• Tie (If you haven’t worn one in awhile you may want to practice how to tie it so its not wrapped around you neck as your walking into the interview.
• Dark socks, conservative leather shoes
• Little or no jewelry
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Limit the aftershave
• Neatly trimmed nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Women's Interview Attire:
Here are the fundamental building blocks of what women should wear to professional interviews: 

• Suit (navy, black, or dark grey) - make sure the suit's skirt is long enough so you can sit down comfortably
• Coordinated blouse
• Conservative shoes
• Limited jewelry (no dangling earrings or arms full of bracelets)
• No jewelry is better than cheap jewelry
• Professional hairstyle
• Light make-up and perfume
• Neatly manicured clean nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

What Not to Bring to the Interview

• Gum
• Coffee or soda, or a breakfast burrito (you get the idea)
• If you have lots of piercings, leave some of your rings at home (earrings only, is a good rule)
• Cover tattoos if possible ( If your sporting tattoos on your face or neck this may be difficult)
• A pack of cigarettes sticking out of your suit pocket.
• Your significant other or a pet.
• Flip Flops or Sneakers.

While you can bring your smart phone, do make sure to turn it off or put it in airplane mode during your interview. This will help you avoid the risk of getting a loud text alert or phone call mid-interview. 

​Interested in a new career? We can Help.  
​People seek to change careers for many different reasons. Your career goals or values may have changed, you may have discovered new interests that you would like to incorporate into your job, you may wish to make more money, or have more flexible hours, just to name a few.
Before you make a decision like this, it is important to take the time to evaluate your present situation, to explore career options and to choose a career that will be more satisfying for you.


10 Steps to a Successful Career Change​

1. Evaluate your current job satisfaction. Keep a journal of your daily reactions to your job situation and look for recurring themes. Which aspects of your current job do you like and dislike? Are your dissatisfactions related to the content of your work, your company culture or the people with whom you work?
2. Assess your interests, values and skills. Review past successful roles, volunteer work, projects and jobs to identify preferred activities and skills. Determine whether your core values and skills are addressed through your current career. There are free online tools you can use to help assess career alternatives.
3. Consider alternative careers. Brainstorm ideas for career alternatives by researching career options, and discussing your core values and skills with friends, family, and networking contacts.
If you’re having difficulty coming up with ideas, consider meeting with a career counselor for professional advice.
4. Check out job options. Conduct a preliminary comparative evaluation of several fields to identify a few targets for in-depth research. You can find a wealth of information online simply by Googling the jobs that interest you.
5. Get personal. Find out as much as much as you can about those fields and reach out to personal contacts in those sectors for informational interviews. A good source of contacts for informational interviewers is your college alumni career network. LinkedIn is another great resource for finding contacts in specific career fields of interest.
6. Set up a job shadow (or two). Shadow professionals in fields of primary interest to observe work first hand. Spend anywhere from a few hours to a few days job shadowing people who have jobs that interest you. Your college career office is a good place to find alumni volunteers who are willing to host job shadowers. Here’s more information on job shadowing and how it works.
7. Try it out. Identify volunteer and freelance activities related to your target field to test your interest e.g. if you are thinking of publishing as a career, try editing the PTA newsletter. If you're interested in working with animals, volunteer at your local shelter.
8. Take a class. Investigate educational opportunities that would bridge your background to your new field. Consider taking an evening course at a local college or an online course. Spend some time at one day or weekend seminars.
Contact professional groups in your target field for suggestions.
9. Upgrade your skills. Look for ways to develop new skills in your current job which would pave the way for a change e.g. offer to write a grant proposal if grant writing is valued in your new field. If your company offers in-house training, sign up for as many classes as you can.
10. Consider a new job in the same industry. Consider alternative roles within your current industry which would utilize the industry knowledge you already have e.g. If you are a store manager for a large retail chain and have grown tired of the evening and weekend hours, consider a move to corporate recruiting within the retail industry. Or if you are a programmer who doesn't want to program, consider technical sales or project management.

These Common Mistakes Are In Addition To My Previous Blog

I’ve been in business for 21 years and have seen my share of recruiting mistakes made by business owners, many that could certainly have been avoided. Here is my top ten list of common mistakes business owners make, along with advice on how to avoid following suit.


1. Failure to hire for fit 

Think about a job that you worked in that didn’t work out. Was it because you didn’t have the skills to do the job or was it because your values did not align with the organization? I’m betting most likely it was because you didn’t fit into the culture of the organization. Hire for fit, train for skill and you should be able to slash costly turnover.


2. Poor interviewing skills 

I recently had a former business owner tell me that he would hire people who volunteered to help him out at the events that his company was working at. These people wound up being “Mr. Right” for right now, but turned out to be some of his worst hiring decisions. Learn how to use behavior-based interviewing techniques to assess whether this should be one date or more of a long-term relationship.


3. Expecting employees to act like owners

The only people who act like owners are people who have a stake in the business. If you want your people to act like owners then share the profits.


4. Tossing people into management based on seniority 

I’ve heard this story so many times I could repeat it without looking at the script. Employee number five has been in the department longer than anyone else so this employee is promoted to management. Doesn’t matter that he or she is not interested in managing people or that they don’t have the qualities one usually seeks in a manager. This story never has a happy ending. Either frustrated employees, who are saddled with this boss, quit or the manager goes down in flames because they never really stood a chance. Hire or promote people who have the desire and the aptitude for a leadership role.


5. Dropping new employees into their chairs without any training 

I understand you may be hiring experienced people who should know exactly what to do but the reality is that work gets done differently in every organization. Have a well-laid out onboarding plan to smoothly assimilate employees into your organization and watch productivity of new hires soar!


6. Failure to manage performance 

Please don’t tell me you don’t have a performance management process in place because that sounds like something only the big companies use. There is a reason they have these processes in place. People like to know what’s expected of them and they also like to know when they are not meeting expectations so they can improve. Don’t believe me? Ask your employees. That which gets measured gets done. If you want to maximize productivity then manage performance.


7. Retaining poor performers 

​I hear, “Well, this person really isn’t working out,” all the time. Really? Then why the heck are they still here? Start replacing your B players with A players and you will see performance improvements all around the organization.

8. Lack of structure 

Most entrepreneurs come from bureaucratic companies and vow to keep things loose in their own organization. Loose is one thing, chaotic is another. At some point you have to put a strong foundation in place in order to maintain or increase revenues. It will cost ten times more to fix a mess, than to prevent one from happening. Put the right structure in place so that you can focus on what you do best. Growing your business.

9. Treated people the same 

Equal is not fair, yet owners often give everyone the same increase or autonomy regardless of contribution or experience. Telling a top performing three-year veteran employee they cannot telecommute one day a week because it wouldn’t be fair to others will do little to inspire additional commitment. Treat people like individuals. Reward those who deserve to be rewarded and be prepared to tell others why they too are not receiving the same treatment.

10. Doing everything on your own 

If you can really do everything on your own, then why isn’t everything getting done? I just outsourced a project that I knew was going to take me a full day to complete. This would take away from the time I could better invest in marketing my services. Know thyself. Stop holding yourself back and use outside resources to strengthen your organization. In the end, you’ll be glad you did.
You can avoid making all of these common mistakes by doing things differently. What are you waiting for?

A bad hire can result in a number of negative implications for a business and therefore it’s important to get it right.
Though there may often be a sense of urgency to fill a position, employers should avoid rushing the hiring process or skipping important steps in order to get somebody’s feet under the desk as soon as possible.

Here are some of the most commonly made hiring mistakes that should be avoided, to prevent problems further down the line.

1) Rushing your hire

If you’re a "man" down, you may feel the pressure to act quickly to fill the position; but this doesn’t mean you should settle for the first person who comes along. Some times it takes time to find the best candidate for the role, so be patient. It will be worth it to spend a bit longer looking for a star employee who’s likely to stay with the company, rather than a mediocre one who may look elsewhere after just a short stint.

2) Not hiring for cultural fit

Although you do need to look for the right skills and experience from a candidate, their resume is not the be all and end all. You also want to think about how they may fit in at your organisation and whether or not they would suit the company culture.
The way that an employee is likely to interact with other colleagues, clients and customers could be crucial to the running of your business, so it’s important to consider their personality, as well as qualifications.

3) Skipping reference checks

To build a thorough understanding about how a candidate is going to perform, it’s important to check their references to see what their previous employers have to say about them. If you are serious about specific candidate you may even want to perform a background check to make sure that their work history is accurate.

4) Vague job descriptions

By keeping your job description very vague or general, you are inviting a huge number of candidates to apply who may only loosely fit the brief.
Be specific about what you want, in order to find someone who possesses those attributes. Mention the qualities you’re looking for in an employee, the details and responsibilities of the role and the level of performance expected of the individual.

5) Relying on job ads

If you post a job ad and just sit back and wait for people to come to you, then you are missing out on a huge number of potential employees who could be perfect for the role. Your ideal candidate may not be looking for a role at the time, so passive candidates should never be ruled out and may actually be more valuable to you than active job seekers.

6) Hiring someone for all the wrong reasons

​Whether you’re  doing someone a favor or you’ve been wowed into hiring an individual when there isn’t actually a role for them, hiring for the wrong reason can be damaging to a business. Creating a role when it’s not required can be costly; whereas hiring as a favor can cause a number of problems from poor cultural fit, to a lack of the required skills.

How's it going ?  Ya know what I'm sayin? ........Really?
​
One of the best things you can do in a job interview is to...
 
Ask good questions...


You want to ask questions that will leave the employers with a positive impression of you.
 
You don't want to ask questions, just to ask questions because  that's not a strategy. 
 
And that kind of nonsense will negatively affect your candidacy and will lave you wondering why you never heard back from them.


We've all been on an interview we thought went well, but never heard back, right?  Even me.  It happens to the best of us. 
 
Usually it's because of a little mistake we made that we didn't realize. 

I can't stress this point enough -  During the first and second round of interviews -- avoid asking your interviewer the ME questions.  

Such as,

1. Do you allow your employees to work from home?
2. Do you pay for mileage?
3. Will you pay for my home Internet?
4. Will you pay for my training?
5. Will I be able to get my paycheck directly deposited?
6. How much vacation will I get the first year?
7. I won't have to work weekends, will I?
8. I know tatoos are commonnplace these days, but what about body piercing, is there a threshold that is considered appropriate?

There's a million of them, but I think you get the idea. 

You may not realize it, but when you ask these questions you are putting yourself in the class with the deadbeat employee.  The deadbeat employee wants the company to bend over backwards for them.  They want the company to pay for everything.  They are whiners and complainers and are ungrateful for the job they have. 

When you ask employers these questions they immediately classify you with deadbeat employees they already have - and I'm pretty sure they don't want anymore. 


Chances are -- you're interviewing for the deadbeat's job. 

Unless the answer to any of the above questions is vitally important to your acceptance of this job then I would strongly advise against asking these questions

You’ve found the role, made an application and been invited for an interview. What happens next will see you celebrating your success or trying to work out what, if anything, you did wrong.
To spare you the post-interview angst, here are some of the most common mistakes people make in job interviews and how you can avoid them.

Not knowing enough about the company
​
One of the key questions an interviewer is likely to ask is what you know about the organisation. Before going to a job interview you can learn about a company by visiting their website, checking out their social media, or reading their annual report. Glassdoor.com is a great resource for researching a business, its culture and the experiences of candidates who have been interviewed previously. If it’s possible to visit the company as a customer, this can be a good way to experience first-hand what they offer and understand how they operate.

Not understanding the role

An interviewer might ask you about your understanding of the role you have applied for. You should be able to describe the purpose of the role and what you can bring to the job.
You can learn about the role from the job advertisement, the job description, and by looking at the LinkedIn profile of the person currently in the role. If you are put forward by a recruiter, be sure to ask questions to find out as much as possible about the organisation and the role.

Talking about what you can’t do

Chances are, you won’t meet all of the job requirements. Rather than admitting to this, a better tactic is to turn the spotlight on to the knowledge, skills and experience you have. For example, many candidates begin by answering a question related to a job requirement by saying: “I don’t have experience in that area, but I have used these skills in X example”.
A better way of answering the question would be to talk to about the knowledge or exposure you do have. It’s better to talk in terms of positives rather than negatives. Remember that no one will fit all the criteria – and the other interviewees are likely to have similar skillsets and experience to your own.

Losing your cool

Let’s face it, interviews are not the most natural form of human interaction and it’s easy to let nerves get the better of us. The best way to alleviate interview anxiety is to dedicate plenty of time to researching the company, the role andconsidering potential questions you may face.
Another tip for staying in control is managing your physiological state. Mindful breathing techniques are a powerful way to bring you back to the moment, and to stop negative self-talk in its tracks. Try taking a series of calming breaths while you’re waiting to go into the interview. Simply breathe in through your nose for a count of six and out gently through your mouth for a count of 10. This will bring the oxygen back to your brains and help you to think clearly. Three deep breaths should see you feeling calmer, centered and in control.
Instead of sabotaging your interview by telling yourself how inadequate your performance will be or how you have no chance of beating the competition, research has proven that using positive imagery can boost success. So picture yourself having an enjoyable, positive conversation with your interviewer before you start.

Talking too fast

One of the biggest challenges you will face is how to articulate your response to interview questions concisely. This is particularly difficult if you are feeling nervous.
To control your nerves, try imagining the interview as a general conversation which is far less threatening. Listen carefully to the questions being asked and don’t be afraid to ask for a question to be repeated or for further clarification. It’s better to answer the question effectively than make assumptions and answer incorrectly. Once you have understood the question, allow yourself a few moments to consider your response.
Failing to prepareIt is helpful to spend some time ahead of the interview practising some of the questions you anticipate will be asked. Look at the requirements (in the job advertisement and job description) and develop 10–15 possible questions the interviewer might ask around competencies. You should also think about your responses to common interview questions like “Tell me about yourself”, “What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?” and “Where do you see yourself in five years time?” Practise your responses with a family member, friend or in front of the mirror until you can answer them without hesitation.

Whew! You’ve revised your resume, updated all of the information on it and incorporated all of the right keywords. You must be exhausted and so ready to apply to your dream job. However, before uploading that PDF resume, there are a few key things to double-check.
1. Spelling
The number one thing to check on your resume before clicking ‘submit’ is your grammar and spelling. Don’t just rely on Microsoft Word to catch misspellings — read and re-read your resume to catch potential errors. Then, send your resume to a friend to have them read through with a ‘fine tooth comb’.
2. Correct Tense (Past vs. Present)
As a general rule, if an action or accomplishment on your resume is in the past, use the past tense. However, if you are speaking about a current role and current accomplishments, use the present tense. Hiring managers cringe when they see this mistake on a resume, so as you’re editing, be sure to use the correct tense: manage vs. managed, deliver vs. delivered, execute vs. executed.
3. Focus
Clarity is key. Your resume should clearly state what you do, what you have accomplished, and what your narrative is. If you are applying to be a social media manager, make sure your experience in that field shines through in your resume. Sure, you have also worked in PR or marketing, but when a hiring manager looks at your resume, they should be clear about the narrative you’re trying to tell. You can ensure that hiring managers and recruiters are clear by focusing your resume on the job you want, not just the jobs you’ve had.
4. Font & Size Consistency
A pet-peeve of recruiters is a resume with three or five different fonts. Stick to the basics — Helvetica, Times New Roman, Lato. Resist the urge to “stand out from the crowd” by employing multiple fonts and various sizes. Two fonts and two sizes, max.
5. Remove Unnecessarily Lofty Language
A resume is not the place to get verbose or to use highfalutin language. Get it?! If you don’t normally use certain language, do not pick up the thesaurus to try to include the most “smart-sounding” words you can find. A resume should be an accurate and complimentary reflection of you and your work product. Using lofty language is a surefire recruiter turn-off.
6. Delivery Format — PDF, please!
You’ve spent hours formatting your resume and getting the bullet points to line up perfectly so that your entire work history fits on two pages. Don’t lose that perfect format by sending a resume as a Microsoft Word doc. Use a PDF and ensure clear delivery. And don’t worry: PDF resumes are no longer a problem for an employer’s applicant tracking system (ATS). Keyword searches and matching requirements will still be possible in a PDF format.
7. Use Numbers & Facts Where Applicable
“Substantiate your accomplishments with numbers,” says Nicole Cox, Chief Recruitment Officer atDecision Toolbox. Some recruiters prefer to see actual numbers (such as “cut manufacturing costs by $500,000”), while others prefer percentages (“cut manufacturing costs by 15 percent”). Either way, provide enough context to show the impact and do not rely on generalities to get your point across.
8. File Naming Convention
Please refrain from naming your resume file “Resume.pdf” or “JacksonResume.pdf” try to be specific. This is for your benefit as well as the recruiter. The best way to name a resume is to include your full name, month, and year. For example, “AmyElisaJackson-May2017.pdf.” This lets the recruiter know who you are and reminds you of the date of the last revision of this resume. This way, you won’t be confused by which draft is which.
9. Readability
When editing a resume or CV, the sole focus is often on the content. However, it’s important to think about the ease (or difficulty) of reviewing the resume. Ensuring your resume is readable is an important final check before submitting it alongside a job application. After all, your resume is a crucial test not only of your skills but of your ability to communicate clearly, succinctly and in a reader-friendly way. Cut the clutter. Hold your resume away from you and look at it from afar — if it looks like a lot to read, then it is. Make sure to leave some white, blank space for ease of reading. Consider using bold font to draw the reader’s eye to important accomplishments, companies, or results. This gives a recruiter or hiring manager the ability to skim and instantly see the key points.
10. Fact check
Fact checking your resume is a must. It’s too easy to fib or tell little white lies when it comes to your impact on a project or when it comes to your skills. A final read through of your resume should be an ‘honesty gut-check.’ “Skills are the most common resume lies,” writes Heather Huhman, career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder & president of Come Recommended. “Telling the truth about your skills can set you up for success. You can still land the [job] by being honest, and can gain valuable training and learning experiences on the job.”

There are basically two formats for a thank you letter
:
1. Typed business letter that is sent via postal mail
2. Typed letter that is sent via email

Both letters contain basically the same information, but a typed letter sent via postal mail will give you the
flexibility for more content, but a letter sent via email can be delivered instantly while still delivering your
message of gratitude
.
Whether you send a business letter via postal mail or an email thank you letter is ultimately up to you.
It all comes down to the style of company combined with your own personal style. If the company tends to
be less sophisticated, then sending a thank you letter via postal mail is probably a good idea.

On the other hand if you are interviewing with any type of Technology Company  then an email letter is
probably best.

Key points to writing effective thank you letters:
:
Follow up letters are some of the only places where emailed thank you letters are acceptable.
Time is of the essence with follow up letters. Email may be the only way you are able to chime in
before the position is filled.

If you still prefer to type and mail a follow up letter you will set yourself apart and give the
potential employer more of a reason to remember you among all the applicants..

This requires you to send your letter almost immediately since it will have to go through the mail.

It is ok to send electronic thanks when time is of the essence and you can't afford to wait for the
snail to deliver the mail.

Make your thank you letters your own work. It will be very obvious if you send words that are not
your own. 

When you leave an interview ask your interviewer for a business card. This is a great way to get
access to all the information you need whether you decide to send a traditional thank you letter
or one via email.

Content and tone of a thank you letter:

The actual content of your thank you letter should be direct and specific.

Refer to things you spoke about in your interview especially your qualifications and how you fulfill
the needs of the company.

Reference personal things that occurred in the interview.

Handle your wording tactfully and personably and your interviewer will be impressed and remember who you are.

Your tone should remain professional.

Consider your follow up letter as if it were part of the interview. It you are too stiff and cold the
letter may end up sounding like a form letter. If you are too casual, it may sound like you are not
serious about this job.

• To keep your name fresh in their minds.

• To remind the employer about the interview and to restate your interest in the job.

• To demonstrate professional manners and etiquette.

• To review and highlight your key strengths as they relate to the job. But this is not the time to
restate all of your skills, just one or two of them as they relate to the job.

• To include additional information that you originally left out or did not have time to discuss, but
keep it relevant to the job.

• Send a thank you letter if you feel that you messed up on a point or two during your interview
or you feel you left out important information that might affect your candidacy. A thank you letter will
give you the opportunity to lightly repair your original interview, but only if you made minor
mistakes.
​
• If you completely bombed your original interview, a thank you letter won’t fix that. In severe
cases, you’ll need to get on the phone with your interviewer and perform some serious damage
control.