Looking the Part

I don't know his name and he wasn't trying to be profound. A man who worked for one of my colleagues always showed in a shirt and tie with a simple explanation: "if you look business, you is business". His grammar was faulty, but his reasoning was letter perfect and so is its timing as young folks head into the job market, either to start careers or to find summer jobs.

There are a lot of cheap shots taken at today's youth, questioning their work ethic and their intelligence. I have more faith than that in young folks. Frankly, everyone who is my age needs to have more faith in you than that for obvious reasons. I want them to succeed, which makes the following useful information. If you're among the job-seekers, clip this article. If you're the parent of one, do the same thing. Make several copies. Put one in your wallet. Tape another to refrigerator. Put another on the dashboard. Refer to it often. This speaks to the biggest hurdle in getting a job ? the interview.

I have been interviewed and have done the interviewing, so take this as it is intended ? friendly advice to help you be hired. Some of the points listed will sound silly, but each has happened. None counted in favor of the applicant

? Don't bring an entourage. No parents, no friends, no significant others, and definitely no children. Just you. If someone gave you a ride to the interview, have them wait in the car.

? If you have a cell phone, be extra sure that it is turned off. Better yet, leave it in your car or with the person who gave you a ride.

? Remember the man I mentioned at the beginning? First impressions count. Ladies: no micro skirts, no low-riders, and no bare midriffs, no visible thongs. Trust me, ladies; too much skin will not get you respect. Gentlemen: pull your pants up to your waist and tuck your shirt in. Best bet is a shirt and tie.

? Cover all tattoos. The people interviewing you don't care that body art may be trendy, and chances are that their customers won't, either.

? Pierced noses, eyebrows, and tongues are not a good idea. Limit piercings to one in each ear for females, and none at all for males. After you get the job, you can always ask what is acceptable; some workplaces are more lenient but your focus here is to get hired.

? No unnatural hair color or off-the-wall styles. Blue streaks, purple highlights, and pink tints will not help. Also, be sure it's brushed. Most workplaces don't 'get' bed head. Come to think of it, I don't get it, either. After you're hired we can talk about it.

? If you're not sure how to address the interviewer, sir and ma'am always work.Yo, bro, dude, and man do not. Please avoid 'like', 'whatever', and 'you know' as much as possible.

? Offer a firm handshake before and afterwards, thank the person for their time, and look them in the eye.

? Answer honestly, even if it's to say that you don't know. No one knows everything. Are you willing to learn?

? If you're seeking a summer jobs, accept that it will probably involve nights and weekends. If you have legitimate extracurricular conflicts ? sports or band practice, volunteer activities, etc ? say so and also offer a way to work around them. Being involved makes you look responsible.

? Finally, no gum, no toothpicks, no lollipops, etc. I'll just say that you would be amazed.

Chances are your first job will not be glamorous. Nonetheless, someone will be paying you to do the work, so remember the following three truths. First, jobs exist because there is work to be done; no work is beneath you. Do it well and you'll move up. Second, be pleasant to be around; no one wants to work with crabby people. Besides, your boss today may write you a letter of recommendation for a better job tomorrow. Third, no one owes you a job; be on time, work hard, and show your employer he made the right decision. Good luck.

Alex Lekas is VP / Corporate Communications for an Internet services company, and father of two college students, both of whom he hopes will get hired.

In The News:

---

IBTimes
A Lifetime of Career Changes
Wall Street Journal (blog)
“The declining job duration and declining probability of long-term employment clearly implies that individuals are changing jobs more,� Farber said. ...
Seven Careers in a Lifetime? Think Twice, Researchers SayWall Street Journal

all 39 news articles »

UN researchers criticize UN anti-poverty plan
BusinessWeek
Internet Marketing Master's Degree Earn your degree online with Full Sail University & prepare for your new career! Hot Careers in Internet Marketing Get ...

and more »

What Labor Day Means to Me
Huffington Post (blog)
... post-employment services, including skills training, job search assistance, job retention support, and other career programs tailored to their needs. ...

UCO to host career fair
Edmond Sun
Free and open to the public, the fair will feature various local and national organizations that will be on hand to discuss full-time employment, ...

and more »

Warning over cut to Surrey Connexions funding
BBC News
Cuts to a careers advice service will create a generation of young people "lost to employment and training", campaigners have warned. ...
Calls for council u-turn on funding for youngstersEagle Radio

all 2 news articles »

CACI Receives Excellence in Innovation Recognition for Deploying Talent ...
MarketWatch (press release)
It was specifically developed to provide meaningful careers for talented veterans with disabilities. The company recognized that the re-employment of ...

and more »

Indie Wire (blog)
'Going the Distance': Career Fantasy and Relationship Nightmare
Indie Wire (blog)
Also, I didn't get into the interesting issue of “Going the Distance� being entirely filmed in NYC (Erin's initial place of employment, supposedly somewhere ...

and more »

Charlotte Observer
For young blacks, few jobs
Charlotte Observer
As plentiful research shows, young people who can't get steady employment at the onset of their careers have lower lifetime earnings. ...

As the economy turns the corner, young Canadians face downsized 'dream'
Vancouver Sun
That wake-up call could be especially jarring for 20-somethings launching their careers. As a young man, Blaine Higgs had relatively modest career goals: ...

and more »

A Small Step Forward for Initial Jobless Claims
DailyFinance
With the latest weekly initial jobless claims declining 6000 to 472000, the US labor market has ...

and more »

Google News

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