What Lay Inside

"Appearances are often deceiving." - Aesop

How do you overcome the outward appearance of things?

Do you try to see what is truly inside?

The picture above is a place across the street from a hotel I stayed at in Boston. It is called called Kings and the picture makes the place look quite a bit better then it did during my stay.

When you come up on it, you wonder how did they fit a bowling alley into a parking garage. As the door opens, stairs angle downward and you realize you are going into a basement. The first time in, you begin to ask if you made the right choice.

You then find room upon room. There are three separate bar areas, two separate bowling areas and one large billiards room. All quite nice and enjoyable. Our group spent two evenings there having a great time. As I am not a food or entertainment critic, I will stop with the glowing report. What I will say is that its outward appearance was not what we found inside.

There was so much more then what appeared on the outside.

The same can be said for people we meet. Each of us carry a certain outward appearance. From the down on his luck disheveled look to even the most well-groomed looking gentleman, we each have more on the inside. As it was, the convention I was attending with over 7000 people brought all shapes and sizes of folks. This wide variety of people are very similar to the people we meet each day. Each connection with another person is a new opportunity to discover what is inside.

The folks I meet each day adds a huge variety to my experiences. People bring great new things into my life. These people do the same for you with each connection you make. Each day you have an opportunity to look beyond the outward appearance of someone.

Go deeper and find something that exists inside of people.

"Don't judge a book by its cover" rings true and is not just a cute saying. If you look beyond the covering, you might discover a new friend who has so much to share.

Open the door of the bowling alley door or life of another person; discover what lay inside.

Stay inspired my friends.

How Do I Look

“Never wear a backward baseball cap to an interview unless applying for the job of umpire” -Dan Zevin

ATTIRE = ADVANCEMENT

93% of 150 Senior Executives from the 1000 largest corporations in the U.S. said that a person's style of dress at work influences their chances of getting a promotion.

It may not seem fair, but it is one of the realities of our work life. How you adjust and fit in to these realities can determine the level of your success. You may surprise yourself and actually get that raise or promotion.

BUT I'M LOOKING FOR WORK

There was a survey conducted by Robert Half International regarding the hiring process. It found that hiring managers will form either a positive or negative opinion of a job candidate within roughly 10 minutes. It is very possible that "Your behavior may be under scrutiny from the moment you arrive for the interview," according to Brandi Britton, senior regional vice president with RHI.

It may not seem fair to "judge a book by its cover" in your mind. But don't forget there are probably ten or more other people that need to be interviewed. You may have gotten into the final cut, lucky enough to get an interview. As unfair as it might seem, appearances make all the difference.

The same survey provided 10 tips from different job-search gurus to make sure you wow them from the minute you walk in the room.

"A firm, nonsweaty handshake, eye contact and a nice smile make you seem likeable. Likeable people are hired most often."
-- David Lewis, an executive with Express Employment Professionals and an expert on career development

"Prepare to engage in small talk, which helps to break the ice and puts both parties at ease and also demonstrates your ability to make conversation with potential clients, coworkers and executives."
-- Brandi Britton, Robert Half International

"Be prepared with everything you can possibly know about the company and the person who is doing the interview."
-- Executive coach Beth Ross

"Don't take the head of a table or sit down until you are invited to do so to demonstrate how you'll behave in professional situations."
-- Patty DeDominic, cofounder of DeDominic & Associates, a professional coaching and business services firm

"Open with penetrating questions that prove beyond a doubt that you've done your homework on the company, the position, the department, the industry and/or the competition."
-- Ford Myers, author of Get the Job You Want Even When No One's Hiring

"Practice your answers to commonly asked interview questions so that you come across as a well-prepared candidate."
-- Certified executive career coach Cheryl Palmer, Calltocareer.com

"If asked to talk about yourself, always answer from a professional sense. Telling people about your family and what you do on the weekends is definitely the wrong approach. You want to solely focus on the areas of your work in which you are most effective and productive."
-- Careers and resume expert Lauren Milligan, Resumayday.com

"Become an object of interest by the questions you ask. Leave them wanting more with the quality of content you add to the conversation (versus noise)."
-- David Nour, consultant and author of Relationship Economics

"Mirror the body language of the interviewer. If they are leaning forward, you should be doing the same. This builds rapport on a subconscious level, giving the feeling of a deeper connection."
-- Job market expert Jabez LaBret, ThawingtheJobMarket.com

"Your interview strategy must include proof that you have successfully completed job-relevant tasks. A good strategy is to marry a strength and a specific example to prove that you are accomplished at what you do. Quantify accomplishments using numbers, percentages and dollars whenever possible."
-- Barbara Safani, president, CareerSolvers.com

Make yourself the entire package and get the job you want. And stay inspired my friends!