Dressing for the Holiday Work Function 

Holiday parties and other work-related functions are both a blessing and a curse this time of the year.  One can count on co-workers getting drunk, making a pass at the male or female “hottie” from the office and plenty of folks kissing up to the boss.  You can also count on people wearing the most outrageous and unacceptable attire.  So what should you wear to a company holiday function? 

For Men During the Day 

If the holiday function is during the day, it is best to wear what you wear to work if the invitation does not say anything special.  That means if you wear a suit normally during the day, then wear a suit.  If you usually wear business casual, then do the same but it is always a good idea to at least bring a sport jacket or blazer.  Do not wear jeans, work-out attire or sneakers even if those are the things you normally wear during the day.  Avoid the funny Santa hats, reindeer antlers and ties that play “Jingle Bells”.  That is not how you want the boss – and her boss to remember you. 

For Men During the Evening 

If the holiday function is in the evening, the invitation may say business attire or formal attire.  If it says business attire and you have a very casual office, then you may be able to wear a sport jacket, shirt and tie and dress (not cotton khakis) trousers with non-sport shoes (and NO sandals).  You are safest for evening “business attire” wearing a dark suit.  Dress as if you are going to an appointment with an important client and not like a teenager’s first job interview.  Take the time to look right and together.  Make sure you suit is clean and pressed, that your tie is clean and press too and that your shirt is clean and crisp looking.  Polish your shoes.  And again, no Santa hats, reindeer antlers and ties that play “Jingle Bells”.  You want to make a good impression with your co-workers, your boss and her boss too. 

For formal attire, you can often get by with the dark business suit, a white dress shirt and serious looking tie with dress shoes.  Ideally, for formal attire, you are going to need to wear a tuxedo with a white shirt (no ruffles please) and a black bow tie.  Polished black dress shoes are acceptable unless you own patent leather formal shoes (ideally slip-ons with grosgrain bows).  Remember, no powder blue suits, spinning Santa ties or holly motif shirts.  Simplicity is elegance. 

For Women During the Day 

If the Holiday function is during the day, the attire rules for the women are the same as the men.  If you wear suits to work – either with a skirt or slacks – then wear the same to the Company Holiday party during the day.  You can dress it up with very good shoes (heels NOT flip-flops) and a bit better jeweler than you would normally wear – but nothing overwhelming for the event.  A holiday themed pin is acceptable for women but not encourages.  And please no reindeer pins that light up or play songs digitally.  In lieu of a suit, a business cut skirt (dark) and a dress blouse with or without a pin also works for daytime events.  Again with the good dress shoes.  The skirt can be replace by a pair of dark, business cut slacks worn with dressy shoes.  As with men, no workout attire, non running shoes, nothing “cute” and no, No, NO! Flip-flops.  If skirts are worn, remember to wear stockings – it is not the middle of summer. 

For Women During the Evening 

For many companies, the evening Holiday function is a place to see and be seen.  Dressing well is something many women thing about long before December.  There are three different types of attire that can pass based on how formal the evening is noted as in the invitation.  If the event is right after work, then attire mentioned for the daytime event may be appropriate – a suit with a skirt or slacks and a dressy blouse with the addition of tasteful jewelry and good shoes (read that as heels).  For the more formal function during the week, a dress may be appropriate.  It should be conservative and tasteful unless you are in a glamour industry (in which case you don’t need to read this).  Match the dress with heels and stockings, pearls and a pin or other simple jewelry.  No short skirts or plunging necklines please.  Again, you want to impress you boss and her boss with what a brilliant employee you are, not sleep with her husband. 

Finally, if it says “formal” and is held at a private venue in the evening – and probably during the weekend, then the sky is the limit.  You had best go shopping now if you have not already.  A couple of points to remember.  What you wear should be conservative, it should be classic, it should say that you are educated and success and it should be something that you can wear again in the future.  Do not forget the pearls.  You can wear a little more jewels.  And no matter what, do not wear anything with a holiday theme or with red and green in it.  You might as well be standing by Santa at the mall if you do that.

 

George F. Franks, III is the President and Principal Consultant with Franks Consulting Group which offers career, business and nonprofit organization consulting services. Their web site is:

www.franksconsultinggroup.com

You've Been Laid Off. Now What? Questions Every Job Candidate Should Ask

 

Job interviews are often viewed as a one-sided experience.  This should not be the case.  A job interview is an opportunity for the job candidate to learn as much as possible about not only the specific job they are interviewing for but also about other important factors about the company or organizations with which they are interviewing.  While some of the questions recommended for the candidate may seem to be common sense, there are a number of job candidates who are either too nervous, shy or afraid to raise these critical questions. 

What is the work environment?  This question, while broad, can cover everything from the formality of an office to the physical layout of the work space.  Depending on while both of these areas are important, the former one is of great interest to manner younger job candidates while the latter one is of more interest to more senior job seekers. 

What are the opportunities for development?  This question gets to the issue of how much the company or organization values their people.  Specifically, the response should address formal training and development programs including opportunities for academic and professional coursework.  Those interested in professional degrees or on-going education must clearly follow-up on the response to the question if it does not address those areas.  An additional area of inquiry is the selection process for future executives and other leaders.  What is the process and how does it work. 

How much travel is anticipated and what type?  Some people crave travel.  Other people hate travel.  The job candidate needs to know up front how much travel is anticipated and what kind.  Some businesses put travel in percentages: 25%, 50%, 75%?  What kind of travel?  Is it local?  Cross country?  International?  Will it require being away over weekend?  Unless you are committed to working 7x24, these questions are very important. 

What is the policy toward telecommuting?  Speaking of working 7x25, it is important to ask about the home office policy.  This may be very important or not important to the candidate at present, but it is something that should be known up front.  Whether due to a personal situation or bad weather, everyone wants to work from home occasionally.  And it is essential to know about front about the potential employer’s policy toward home office work. 

What is the opportunity for advancement in this position and what is the career track?  While fewer if any companies or organizations guarantee careers or any kind of job security, most do surprisingly have career maps for each of the jobs in the company or organization.  Often but not always, these are tied to the organization chart.  Is the next step from the job a lateral position?  If so, what?  Is it a promotion?  If so, what are the responsibilities?  Do these require relocation?  If so, what are the possibilities?  These questions are not out of line.  It is appropriate to think 3-5 years ahead while interview for the first or next position. 

What are the expected work hours?  Again, this may seem like a naïve question but it is an important one.  When does the work day start?  When does the work day end?  Is there overtime pay for anything over that?  What about weekends?  If so, how often?  One more time…unless you are willing to work 7X24 for your base pay it is critical to ask these questions during the interview. 

What are the benefits with the position?  This should be an up front question not an after accepting the job question.  Benefits whether extensive or meager are part of the total compensation package (salary, bonus, any other incentives such as stock or options and all benefits).  What is included?  What does the employee have to contribute?  When do they start?  Which are included and which are optional?  Which are most used by employees?  Least used and why?  This is one more case where the questions are either not asked or asked AFTER the job offer has been made. 

What is the cash compensation?  While more and more hiring managers and human resources managers get this question out of the way up front, it is a critical question.  This encompasses base bay, bonus and other incentives excluding benefits.  Related questions include: what are raises based on and how often?  What is a typical raise?  Does everyone get a raise?  What are bonuses based on?  Did everyone get a bonus last year?  If not, why?  Are options available for this position?  While these questions sometimes are answered up front, they should be the last questions discussed once the others are out of the way.  They are important, but they may not be the most important questions for most job candidates. 

Finally, get the phone number and e-mail addresses of each of the people who interview you.  If you do not get to ask all of these questions during the interview process, you need to follow-up with them to get the answers.  A follow-up call or e-mail is often as important as the follow-up thank you letter or e-mail which is mandatory for all candidates. 

Job interviews can be fun and they can be terrifying.  They are an opportunity for the company or organization to see if the candidate is a fit for their open position.  But equally important, it is an opportunity for the job candidate to find out if the company or organization is a fit for their goals, attitudes and life-style.

 

George F. Franks, III is the President and Principal Consultant with Franks Consulting Group, a career, business and nonprofit consulting service.  Visit Franks Consulting Group on the web at:

http://franksconsultinggroup.com

Contact George at franksconsultinggroup@gmail.com

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Ethics 

There has been a lot in the news about ethics lately.  Or rather about he lack of them.  The headlines include affairs by senior government officials, questionable e-mails from senior military officers plus the usual news of students’ cheating, Congressmen lying, CEO back-dating stock options and executives spying on their boards – among other things.  The question is often asked “why do smart people do dumb things?”  Let me put it a different way, people who are smart – or not so smart – need to do the RIGHT thing.  So what does that mean? 

The Right Things… 

Do not lie, cheat or steal.  Ever. No excuses. “But everyone else is doing it” should have stopped before junior high school. 

Treat others the way you would want to be treated.  This applies to customers, employees, suppliers and family members. 

There are no short cuts to success.  Success is the result of hard work over time.  Anything less is luck. 

Communication.  Say what you mean and mean what you say.  We are all caught up in double talk, buzz words and spin.  Think about what you say – whether it is one on one, to a small meeting, to the board or to an auditorium of people.  Put is out there in plain English. 

Walk the talk.  If you say something – others look to you to live it too.  If you expect something from others then you must live it and lead by example. 

No secrets.  Whether it is over the phone, e-mail, conversation – or even “IM” – there are NO secrets.  If you would not say something to your mother – then do not say it to others in the “privacy” of conversation, e-mail or other communication vehicles. 

Visibility works both ways.  PR is great when you want everybody to know about something wonderful you have done.  How about when you do something that is not so wonderful?  Think about it.  Would you want your actions on the front page of the newspaper or on the 10 O’clock news report? 

Don’t forget … 

Whether you are in the mail room – or the corner office – or anywhere in between, the way you act every day – in and out of the office – speaks volumes about you.  Live your life as an open book.  Follow the simple principles outlined about.  You may not become a Fortune 500 CEO or achieve FORBES list of the wealthiest people – but you will be able to sleep at night, look your colleagues in the eye and leave a wonderful legacy for all of those you have touched during your life. 

George F. Franks, III is the President and Principal Consultant of Franks Consulting Group – business, career and nonprofit consulting practice.  His web site is:

http://franksconsultinggroup.com

We Are Back!

After a far too long break, we are back.

Look for articles, comments, links and lists related to:

• Career
• Leadership
• Business management
• Nonprofit management

And more.

You can also follow us on:

• Facebook (George F Franks III)
• Twitter (Franks Consulting)
• LinkedIn (George F Franks III)

in addition to this blog.

We look forward to your thoughts, ideas, comments, criticisms and suggestions.

Cheers!

George F. Franks, III
President and Principal Consultant
Franks Consulting Group
www.franksconsultinggroup.com

What You Wear on Your Feet May Get You Hired

One of the last things people think about for a job interview is what to put on their feet. Actually, footwear is important for creating the right impression at any job interview. For both men and women, the right shoe appearance can be made without spending a week’s paycheck (or equivalent savings) on the footwear just by following a few simple points.

Footwear for men
There are two styles that work for men. Laced shoes and slip-on shoes. Traditionally, laced shoes have been encouraged for job interviews as they require more work to put them on and keep them on. Slip-on shoes are sometimes referred to as loafers, but these are the dress variety not those with big moccasin style toes and “beef rolls” on the sides. Actually, laced and slip-on shoes are both acceptable. But they must be traditional or what is sometimes described as “classic” in style and appearance.

Men’s interview shoes should have toes that are not square or pointed. Black leather is best. Dark brown is next. Avoid any other colors and anything that looks like synthetic materials. The sole of the shoe should be leather but even if it is not it should be thin and not have lugs or anything for traction. These are not camping, athletic or multi-purpose outdoor shoes.

If the shoe has laces, they should be the same color as the shoe and in good order. If the shoe is a slip-on it should not have buckles, snaffles, pennies, and insignia of either metal or cloth.
The shoes should be shined with polish and a buffing cloth or brush. The sole and the heel should be shined and buffed too (the outside not the bottom). If the shoes have cracks, tears or other visible wear they are not appropriate for an interview.
Boots are never appropriate for interviews. Neither are sneakers, sandals or anything with Velcro.

 Footwear for women

There are several styles of interview shoes that work for women. Please note: these are for positions in business, nonprofits, government and the professional fields not Hollywood or the New York high fashion industries.

The first style that is best for women is the classic pump. The height of the heel should be moderate. A higher heel is better for shorter women. A lower heel is better for taller women. The pump should be in black, navy or very dark brown depending on the color of the suit being worn. Avoid patent leather. The toe should not be long and pointed nor should it be blunt and squared. The entire shoe should be one single color.

The second style that is best for women is the ballerina slipper also known as the flat. These are classic and can be worn in the same colors as the pump. They work best for moderate to taller women though some shorter women swear by them and wear them successfully. They say all the right things about a women and are generally more comfortable than pumps with heels.

The final shoe style that is best for women is the sling back. It is just like the pump in every element except the back of the shoe is an open strap, usually with a adjustment buckle to shoe the heel of the wearer. They are another traditional or classic style for women.

Toes should not show during an interview, even in the dead of summer. As such, dress (or casual) sandals are not appropriate. Neither are flip-flops even in so-called dress styles.
Like men’s shoes, women’s shoes should be in good repair, polished and buffed.
Some may think talking about shoe styles for interviews is a forbidden subject, like politics and religion, but they are important. Follow the advice outlined above will not guarantee that you get the job of your dreams, but not following may keep you out of the running for it.