Dress To Get Hired: Attire Still Matters

Dressing down, business casual and the like, which are actual described as a benefit by some companies, do not set the tone for interviews.  In fact, most of the “rules” established nearly three decades ago in business literature still apply when it comes to interview attire and hiring decisions.  Whether attire should matter or not will not be addressed here.  Rather, it should be assumed by anyone interviewing for a job, whether newly minted college graduate or veteran to working world, proper attire still does matter for first impressions and hiring decisions. 

For men, the interview outfit has changed little over the years.

Suit: Traditional navy or gray two or three button.  Only button the top or middle button.  100% wool is best.  Make sure it is clean and pressed.

Shirt: white or light blue cotton.  Straight or button down collar.  No French cuffs (save those for the CEO and CFO).  Neatly pressed and clean.

Tie: striped, foulard or solid in silk.  Classic colors.  Traditional patterns.  Neatly tied and again, clean and not creased or wrinkled.  No tie tacks or clips.

Shoes: black or dark brown.  Classic style with laces are best but dress slip-ons are OK.  Save the clunky ones for the high school and college crowd.  Highly polished.

Belt: leather, understated, classic and same color as the shoes.

Socks: plain black or navy blue.

Jewelry: no earrings – ever, dress watch, no more than one ring per hand on ring finger, no lapel pins unless you are going to work at the White House – then an USA flag pin is OK. No bracelets or visible necklaces.

Hair – get a haircut a week before the interview and comb your hair prior to the interview.  If you have any facial hair, make certain it is trimmed and understated.

Personal grooming: bath, deodorize, no cologne, brush and floss your teeth, use mouthwash.  Check yourself over in the mirror before you leave for the interview.

Sources: Jos. A. Bank, Brooks Brothers, Lord & Taylor, J. Press and other classic men’s clothiers. 

For women, the task is definitely more challenging.  Fashion changes from season to season and from year to year.  Again, I am going to recommend the classics.  Traditional in cut, color and style.  If you think this is all wet, you probably belong in the fashion or other creative industries – or working for yourself.

Suit: Jacket and skirt OR trousers in black, navy or gray.  100% wool is best.  Make sure they are clean and pressed.

Blouse: white, ecru or pale blue.  Various fabrics and classic styles are acceptable.  Freshly dry cleaned.

Shoes: black, navy or dark brown depending on the suit color.  Classic style pumps are best but sling backs with closed toes are OK.  Make sure they are not scuffed and are polished.

Pantyhose or stockings: natural shade and no runs.  Knee highs with trousers.

Jewelry: no more than one earring per ear, simple and traditional.  A dress watch, no more than one ring per hand, again - no lapel pins unless you are going to work at the White House – then an USA flag pin is OK. A simple bracelet is OK.  As are either a simple necklace or string of pearls.  No ankle jewelry, no facial piercings.

Hair – the less said here the better.  Just make sure the hair is not distracting and the color is a natural looking one.

Make-up – make sure it is not distracting and looks natural.

Personal grooming: bath, deodorize, brush and floss your teeth, use mouthwash.  Check yourself over in the mirror before you leave for the interview.

Sources: Talbots, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Lord & Taylor, Banana Republic and other stores that offer more traditional quality women’s attire. 

Will wearing and doing these things get you the job?  Probably not.  But they will insure that the interviewers focus on you, your skills and how you speak and act rather than on some aspect of your attire (yes, I agree, it should not matter – but the fact is that it does).  

I look forward to your thoughts and comments on this topic. 

George F. Franks, III is the President and Principal Consultant of Franks Consulting Group, a business, career, leadership and nonprofit consulting practice.  You can contact George at franksconsultinggroup@gmail.com. Franks Consulting Group’s web site is:

www.franksconsultinggroup.com

Ten Steps to a Successful Job Interview

Ten Steps to a Successful Job Interview 

Just like dressing to get hired, the interview itself it fraught with opportunities to fail.  But there are “rules”.  While following these rules will not insure that you get the job, they will enable hiring manager to see you as more than just another candidate for their vacancy whether just out of school or a veteran to the working world. 

1. Bring several copies of your resume in a leather follow with note paper in it to take notes if necessary.  Do not forget to bring a pen.  As long as it’s not chewed or juvenile, any kind of pen is fine.  If you use a luxury pen to an interview you may be suspect.
2. No matter what the person hosting you says or asks, do not eat or drink anything offered.  Just politely say “no thank you”.  Remain standing until your interview joins you.
3. When the interviewer joins you, make eye contact and shake hands firmly.  Great the interviewer by name.  Sit only after they sit down.
4. Offer a copy of your resume.  Do not assume they remembered to bring it with them.
5. Answer questions precisely.  Do not ramble on.  Make eye contact.  If you need clarification, ask for it.  It there are multiple interviewers at one time, make eye contact with the one who asked the question.
6. Be prepared to ask several questions.  These should be based on research you have done about the company, business or organization.  They should be specific and not “fluff ball” questions.
7. Do ask for the selection process time line.  This is the key for following up your thank you note (see below) with a phone call.
8. Stand when the interviewer stands at the end.  Make eye contact, shake hands and thank them by name.  Ask for their business card.  If they do not have a business card ask for their business phone number and business e-mail address.
9. Do not loiter.  Leave immediately after the interview is completed.  Thank the receptionist or administrative assistant for their help before you leave.
10. Write an e-mail note to each of the interviewers within twenty-four hours of the interview to thank them.  Some people recommended a snail mail note.  I believe this can be a nice touch but is optional.

Amazingly, many job candidates do not follow these key “rules”.  By following them, plus a stellar resume and by making your appearance neat and professional, you will be seriously considered for that ideal job. 

George F. Franks, III is the President and Principal Consultant of Franks Consulting Group, a career, leadership, business and nonprofit consulting practice.  You can contact George at franksconsultinggroup@gmail.com.  Franks Consulting Group can be found on the web at:

www.franksconsultinggroup.com

 

The Death of Telecommuting?

Much has been written over the past several months about the pending death of telecommuting.  Companies and their management have been taking steps to reduce if not totally curtail telecommuting by employees across the USA.  The move is not limited to any one market, sector or industry.  At the same time, employees fear more and more that being “out of sight” will also lead to their being prime candidates for lay-offs as the economy continues to flounder.  Is this the death of telecommuting or should companies and employees continue to promote it and why?

History 

Three big reasons drove telecommuting going back to the early 1990s.  The first was to reduce traffic congestion and pollution.  In many cases this was a mandate by state, county and local governments to the largest employers.  One of my former companies, AT&T, was in the vanguard for this very reason.  Secondly, companies were looking to reduce overhead.  Telecommuting mean less office space, lower overheads...and a healthier bottom line.  Finally, in the battle for the best and the brightest, companies used telecommuting as benefit to new and younger employees – just like “casual Fridays” and eventually casual working environments. 

A New Supervisory Dilemma 

Most executives, middle management and supervisors learned their craft under the watchful gaze of their bosses over the years.  They managed, to a large degree as they had been managed.  Perhaps with the exception of sales people and service people “in the field” (with customers), most employees sat in offices for company locations near their supervisors.  Meetings and daily face-to-face interaction were a way of life.  With telecommuting, all of this changed – much to the discomfort of most bosses at all levels.  All of a sudden their employees were working from home rather than the office.  Meetings became conference calls.  Team meetings were often quarterly, if that often.  Globalization and remote or virtual “teams” added to the complexity of the situation. 

Benefits 

In addition to reducing pollution, reducing overheads and improving employee satisfaction, most studies about telecommuting found that employees working from home actually worked MORE than when they worked from an office.  Additionally, they had fewer “sick days” and they had higher satisfaction levels with the companies.  Higher satisfaction often translated into lower turnover – further reducing costs (hiring and training). 

The “Bad Apples” 

As with any benefit or privilege, some employees took advantage of telecommuting.  They used it as an opportunity to avoid daycare for children (often against company policy).  They used telecommuting as a chance to run a home business in addition to their regular job – and on company time if not resources.  Employees spend hours shopping on-line, looking at porn or just doing as little as possible until they had a “deliverable” to the boss.  Finally, some employees used telecommuting as an excuse to withdraw from their company culture – not meeting co-workers, only communicating with their boss as required and rarely showing up in the office. 

The Answer 

The ideal answer for any company is to not “throw out the baby with the bathwater”.  They can continue to reduce pollution, keep overheads low and maintain high levels of satisfaction.  It is up to bosses to be clear about telecommuting rules and responsibilities.  These are sometimes called “telecommuting agreements”.  One example is coming into the office one day per week and to participate in essential meetings and conference calls.  Employees too have responsibilities.  Maintaining “face time” with their supervisors, delivering on all performance objectives and building a professional network within and beyond the company environment are all essential.  Additionally, many employees schedule weekly or monthly updates with their supervisors to review roles, responsibilities, project status, quality of deliverables and priorities.  These meetings produce dividends for both the supervisor – at any level – and the employee. 

Telecommuting is not yet dead.  But unless companies and employees step up to the challenges and needs created by telecommuting, it may soon go the way of manual typing pools and company defined benefit pensions.

 

George F. Franks, III is the President and Principal Consultant of Franks Consulting Group which offers career, leadership, business and non-profit consulting services. George can be contacted by e-mail at franksconsultinggroup@gmail.com or via his web site:

www.franksconsultinggroup.com

Ten Steps to a Top Performance Rating 

The current world of pay for performance, whether one works for a business, a non-profit organization or even government at any level, requires a different way of working.  In the past, it was enough to work hard, do what you were told and be a team player.  That would get you a cost of living raise for sure and maybe a bonus. Not any more.  In the pay for performance world, those who follow the old rules are left behind – and in many cases without even the full cost of living increase much less a bonus.  No, new rules apply for success and top ratings with pay for performance.  These are the new rules. 

1. Learn your organization’s mission inside out.  All objectives should relate directly back to the mission.  It is important not only to do your job but also to know how it fits into the bigger scheme.
2. Make sure you have a job description.  Learn your job description well.  Make sure you have all the skills that it requires.  If you do not, take steps at night and on weekends to insure that you have all the skills described in your job description.  Anyone who has more or better skills than you could replace your tomorrow.
3. Get a clear set of performance objectives from your supervisor.  Whether you are a first level boss, a business unit executive, a department head in a local government or an executive director of a nonprofit, you have a boss and your boss has objectives. Make sure your boss or supervisor provides you with your objectives.  Take the time to go over what is expected of you and make sure you understand what is due by when and how it is measured and by whom.
4. Again, everybody has a boss.  Even CEOs and Executive Directors report to Boards of Directors.  Your number one objective is to make sure you understand what your boss expects of you and how your boss’s success is measured.  While your boss may be successful and you may not be, if your boss is not successful, then any success on your part will be for nothing.  Get inside your boss’s job and her head.
5. If your boss has a boss, get to know her too.  Make yourself known.  Understand her job and her objectives.  How does she define success?  If your boss is gone tomorrow you are nothing without having a relationship already in place with her boss too.  Note of warning, some bosses are jealous about access to and relationships with their bosses so be sensitive to this.
6. Unless you are in the military or professional sports, forget all this team stuff.  Few organizations measure much less reward teamwork.  You must often get things done with and through teams but this is often over emphasized.  Your success is about you – not about some amorphous group of people brought together randomly to accomplish whatever task.  You must shine alone – and stand out a star performer – not as a member of “the team”.
7. While some organizations us peer ratings or what have been called 360 degrees ratings (above, peer and subordinates), these are far from a science in terms of data collection, reliability and linkage to performance.  At the end of the day, you are fighting for your performance rating, your raise, your bonus and your next promotion against your peers.  Do not view them as team mates, friends, buds or family.  They want your money, your rating and often your job.  Be professional but not familiar.  The world of pay for performance is survival of the fittest to the extreme.
8. Subordinates ARE important.  If you do have people who work for you, then your success is based on their success.  You must do all you can to make sure they know what their objectives are, that they are on track to meet and exceed every one of them and that you eliminate poor performers who work for you.  Make sure they have what they need to do their job.  Make sure they shine as stars and make you shine as a star too.
9. Special projects are the kiss of death.  Some bosses include in objectives: “special projects are assigned” or “other responsibilities based on the needs of …”  Fight these tooth and claw.  They are deadly.  You can be 110% on every objective and these will drain your time, your focus, your resources and ultimately cause you to fail to meet your overall objectives.  If your boss wants you on a special assignment, then have her suspend – in writing – your current objectives and write special and specific ones for the special project including time frames, criteria, dates and so on.  Anything less will doom you to not meeting or exceeding your performance objectives.  Remember: get it in writing and get it signed and dated.
10. Even if your organization only has on annual performance review per year, sit down with your boss to review your performance formally every six months.  Every three months is even better.  Come prepared with a summary of your objectives and your quantified accomplishments for each of the objectives. Do not throw in extra things like “ran the company bowling tournament”.  Have a candid and formal review of each of your objectives and your performance to-date against each.  If you are not on-track to meet an objective, include an “action plan” to pro-actively meet and exceed the objective with specifics.

Pay for performance can be good and it can be bad.  It can be good if your work at being the star of your organization by knowing and exceeding every one of your objectives and knowing how to make your boss successful at the same time.  Pay for performance is deadly if you work hard and do your job and expect to get a raise much less a bonus.  It is a new world and that new world requires a new and different set of actions to be successful.

 

George F. Franks, III is the President and Principal Consultant of Franks Consulting Group, a Career, Business and Nonprofit Consulting practice with clients throughout the USA.  Contact George at franksconsultinggroup@gmail.com.  Franks Consulting Group is on the web at: www.franksconsultinggroup.com

 

Business Card Do’s and Don’ts 

The business card is one of the most used and least understood tools in business today.  Whether CEO of a Fortune 500 Company or founder and part-time CEO of a web-based start-up, the business card is an effective communication and marketing tool.  But like any tool, it must be used properly.  The do’s and don’ts of business card etiquette, while not the key to wealth and success are helpful to prosper in a business or organization of any size. 

The Business Card 

If you work for a mid-sized to large company or organization, the style and format of the business card will have been decided for you.  If you have your own company or organization, then keep the business card traditional in size and shape.  Have them printed with all your key contact information in additional to you company or organization’s name, logo and tag line. 

When to Carry Business Cards 

Unless you are going swimming or otherwise actively engagement in sports, carry your business cards.  Do no limit carrying them to work days, the office or business functions.  Some of the best opportunities for business networking are at the least likely events or times. 

How to Carry Business Cards 

Some people carry business cards loose in their pockets or their purse.  The best thing to carry them in is a business card case. These are available in metal and leather.  I carry the leather one made by COACH and it has served me well.  The metal ones are acceptable also as long as they are no bigger than the business cards. 

When to Offer Your Business Card 

Some people whip out their business card every time they meet someone at work or at a work related function.  The best times to offer your business card are:

-          When someone asks for your card.

-          When you ask someone for their business card.

-          At the END of a meeting with a client or potential client before they leave.

-          If someone asks for your contact information (business or otherwise).

-          At the end of an air flight if you have talked with the person sitting next to you.

-          If you dine next to someone outside of your company at a professional or networking function (business-related), you may tell them that it was enjoyable talking with them and offer them your card as you shake hand and leave. 

Business Card “Don’ts”

-          Don’t give your business card to people who work with you.  If you are that unmemorable you may need a professional coach.

-          Don’t give your business card to people at a reception or networking function unless they ask for yours or your contact information.

-          Don’t drop them in bowls for raffles as you will only be contacted by someone trying to sell you something.

-          Don’t give them to others to hand-out for you.

-          Don’t leave them on bulletin boards or in stacks at any place other than your own desk – and only then if you meet face-to-face with customers or clients.

-          Don’t hand them out to anyone at a church service (social functions are acceptable) or at funerals. 

Old Business Cards 

Old business cards make great book marks and also work well for “to do” lists. 

Business cards are both a blessing and a curse.  Until everyone passes all contact information through technology, we will still have a tool called the business card.  Know when and how to use them as an effective business development and communication tool remains essential to success.

 

George F. Franks, III is the President and Principal Consultant of Franks Consulting Group, a Career, Business and Nonprofit Consulting practice serving clients throughout the USA.  Contact George at franksconsultinggroup@gmail.com.  Franks Consulting Group is on the web at www.franksconsultinggroup.com