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!

Lead to Change

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
―Pablo Picasso

A person that decides to take a positive attitude towards life, family and work has to be willing to do a bit of leading. Putting yourself out there extending kindness and positive reinforcement to others is a first step in leading. But how can you begin the process of leading with a positive attitude.

I took the following from a bit of training I’ve had, which is to understand yourself in the workplace. And there are places in our own personal life that these suggestions should take place first. Whether it is your personal life or the work place, either can be the starting point. The point is to start somewhere.

I suggest the workplace because we spend so much of our time in it. If work goes well and you can leave with a good feeling, the drive home is easier, family time is much more relaxing and you will most likely sleep better. You will likely feel better in the morning and the day will get off to a much better start. The driver that accidentally cut you off just won’t bother you.

In “First, Break All the Rules”, there are twelve questions to ask yourself regarding your place of work. These questions can be used to measure your work environment.

Evaluate where you are, where your work place is and provide areas of opportunity for you to step in and make change.

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday?
4. In the last 7 days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor or someone at work seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

As employers, have you done these things to improve your workplace? The opportunity to make change happens in both directions. Work can be so stressful, you may not realize that simply telling a co-worker or employee or even your boss that they’re doing a great job goes a long way.

So pick a spot, jump into it and move your life forward to a more enjoyable and fruitful experience.

Above all, stay inspired my friends.

Dream Anything

“To dream anything that you want to dream. That's the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.”
-Bernard Edmonds

Dream your dreams my friends.

Dreams Become Real

"Vision, it reaches beyond the thing that is, into the conception of what can be. Imagination gives you the picture. Vision gives you the impulse to make the picture your own." -Robert Collier

As you dream at night when nothing else can interfere and in some cases these dreams can be remembered during your waking hours. Some of these dreams are horrible or confusing with no meaning to be found. Others are of a yearning, a vision, that you want for your future. But dreams are only an undefined mound of wet clay, waiting for you to form it.

As you begin to take hold of your dreams, trying to remember the details, it is your imagination that will start to mold the dream. You will mold the clay into something that only you can create. It may change from what you first dreamed, but it will start to take shape and become a clear thing for your life.

As your dream becomes more real, you have to apply vision in order to move towards the dream as a tangible part of your life. It prods you to walk through the open door and begin a journey. A trip that begins with movement.

Allow yourself to dream big things and let vision push you towards it. Go beyond what currently surrounds you. There is a large life out there waiting for you.

And stay inspired my friends.