What to Wear to an Informal Interview
This weekend one of my best friends called with a dilemma. She’s going on an interview for an internship and was told not to wear a suit… Since the company she’s interviewing with has a casual-to-business-casual dress code, should she wear should wear a suit anyways? Some people suggested a pair of slacks and a basic button-down shirt.
She wanted to show that she had personality and style, but still be professional.
I recommended that she wear a pair of tailored dress pants with a modern blouse or sweater. Nothing too tight, distracting or inappropriate.
The unchartered world of salary negotiation
Hands down, the scariest part of the job search, for me, is salary negotiation. Especially coming right out of school. With no comparable past experience (“Well… uh… I made $8/hour at my last internship…”), it’s difficult to know what’s a fair asking price. And since most employers don’t even talk money until after they make an offer, I know it can be quite nerve-wracking.
I just read this article on how to negotiate your salary on CNN.com/CareerBuilder.com and thought it was worth a read.
Resume Rehab Portfolio Updated
Check out the Resume Rehab portfolio to see new sample resumes.
While I’ve worked on a lot of recent college graduate resumes, I also have some samples of graduate school student and current college students looking for internships.
I’ve also been working on more young professional resumes, so stay tuned for more updates.
Top Interview Mistakes – Part 4
This is the fourth installation of commentary on the worst mistakes interviewees make. Please see parts one, two and three for more on how to become a better job candidate in the interview room.
Forty-eight percent of hiring managers cited that the worst thing a person can do in an interview is be disinterested. This bothers me. When I first read this, I though, “Now why would you interview when you’re not interested in the job?” But then I realized that often times people may come across as disinterested because they’re not adequately prepared for the interview and do not understand how to interact during the conversation.
Crazy interview questions
I just read this article on weird interview questions. When I was job hunting, I prepared for the typical, run-of-the-mill questions like “So, tell me about yourself,” “Do you prefer working alone or as a team member?” and “What is your greatest strength? Worst weakness?”
Apparently now some interviewers are asking out-of-the-ordinary questions to get a better idea of the applicant’s personality, including these gems:
- “What movie star do you think would make the best employee?” “
- What color describes your personality and why?”
- “Which character on ‘Seinfeld’ are you most like?”
- “Are you more like a placid pool of water or a running horse?”
- “If you were a fruit, what kind would you be and why?”
I was once asked if I had read some science fiction novel and when I replied no, my interviewer went on to explain the intense philosophical meaning of the book and offered to loan me a copy.
Anyone have good answers to these they’d like to share? I’d love to hear some other wacky questions people have been asked in interviews.
Save Avis
As a proud alumna of Saint Louis University, Department of Communication, 2007, I am appalled by the attacks by the university on tenured faculty member, Dr. Avis Meyer… I urge you to visit http://saveavis.wordpress.com to learn more about the struggles of Dr. Meyer against the university.
Top interview mistakes – Part 3
Continuing in my series of the worst things you can do in an interview (see parts one and two), let’s talk about arrogance. In a Career Builder survey of hiring managers, 44 percent said that one of the worst mistakes an interviewee can make is to be arrogant.
You heard the people
I just read this article on Career Builder about how to manage your career in a tight job market. I whole-heartedly agree with their advice.
1. Brand yourself
2. Network, network, network
3. Be flexible and innovative
4. Keep it relevant
5. Have a fabulous resume
Top Interview Mistakes – Part 2
Continuing my series on the worst mistakes people make during interviews, here’s number #5 – Insufficient answers.
Did you know that 30 percent of hiring managers think that interviewees do not provide sufficient answers to questions during interviews? The best way to prevent insufficient answers in your own interviews is to prepare for difficult questions ahead of time.
Top Interview Mistakes – Part 1
Twenty-nine percent of hiring managers said that interviewees do not ask good questions during interviews. I am not surprised to hear that this is a top complaint. When I first started interviewing for jobs, I would sit fairly still during the entire one-way conversation. I’d spit off answers to the interviewer’s questions and smile politely. Once they were finished with the third degree, they would ask that dreaded question, “So, do you have any questions for me?”
Ahh! Of course not. Well, I had one, “So are you going to hire me?”
Resume Rehab by Colleen 