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Today I am going to share a personal anecdote to help workers understand how the State Department/Bureau of Labor and Industries can help workers. In 2007, I took over as a contract recruiter for a local smallish company. Their exiting contract recruiter was leaving to found a publication startup. During my interviews I really clicked with her, and we stayed in touch over the next year.

In 2008, she contacted me just as I was completing a contract at Microsoft with an opportunity that was amazingly good. I was being hired to move to New Orleans or a year and set up a staffing office geared at helping single parents get back on their feet. I had an offer letter, an email address, and I met several other new employees at a local hotel, with the office set to open in downtown Seattle less than a month later. I even did some work on my vacation in Las Vegas.

Imagine my surprise when on the day I, and the other new employees, were supposed to go to orientation when we discovered that the address we had been given didn’t exist. All of this happened in the course of three weeks. I had turned down a contract at Microsoft to join this venture and it turned out to be bogus. Then the recession hit.

Being in HR, I filed a claim against her with the Bureau of Labor and Industries for back wages. I had to provide documentation (the offer letter, copies of emails regarding meetings for the first day, the hotel meet and greet, and even the work that I had done while on vacation were all admissible. In my case the wage dispute was several thousand dollars, not chump change. I honestly never expected to see the money, but the upshot of my action (and I advised the other ’employees’ to consider the same) was that she could not open a business or work in WA state under the same social security number until this situation was resolved.

Much to my delight, about two months ago, I started receiving checks for the outstanding balance (and interest) for the assessed monies. I’m tickled that I have the money coming in. She is either giving it voluntarily or if she is working her wages may be garnished. The funds are held in escrow; when a payment is made, the BL&I sends me a form that I need to fill out and either mail back or I can take in and pick the checks up. (It’s a 90 minute drive to their location, and they are only open M-F 8-4:30 so I’ve been having the checks mailed to me.)

To get started researching how to get your questions answered, you can try a Google search with your state + ‘labor and industry’, or you can also try navigating the Federal Department of Labor. http://www.dol.gov/#

Just be aware that if you file any sort of claim or dispute, there is most likely a very exacting and involved process and you may not see results for years.

I’ve had a couple of people ask me lately about careers in recruiting, and my team is hiring a recruiting coordinator, which is one of the career paths to becoming a recruiter.

There are three general types of recruiters: corporate (working exclusively for one company, may be a full time or contract employee; bound by strict conflict of interest parameters for candidates outside their employer’s scope), agency (working for an employment/’temp’ agency with multiple customers that have a variety of job openings to fill), and an executive recruiter who generally handles positions at the Director, VP and C-level exclusively. Within all the categories of recruiters, there is actually a singular job function called ‘Sourcing’ (or Researcher) who has the specific goal of developing candidate relationships, both immediate and long-term.

There are two sorts of sourcing activities: reactive and strategic. Reactive is when there is an existing job opening to be filled for a specific role. A recruiter that has existing relationships with hiring managers is often able to start sourcing before a requisition is officially ‘open’. In the corporate world, they may know of someone that has put in their notice, or be privy to annual/quarterly headcount planning, or have gotten a head’s up from the hiring manager that an opening is ‘in the works.’ In the agency instance, usually an Account Manager works directly with the hiring manager, often they are contacted as soon as the need is identified. Once a requisition (job opening) is ‘officially’ open (meaning all necessary approvals are obtained, job description is finalized, meeting with hiring manager to define the role is concluded and it is posted externally), the clock starts ticking. For job seekers, generally the first *two weeks* are the critical time to get into the candidate pipeline. (This is why job agents are absolutely key if you are actively seeking.) Reactive recruiting is almost exclusively what happens with agencies, and is probably 75%+ of what corporate full lifecycle recruiters deal with. It is hiring for a very specific set of skills for a singular job or profile (although there may be multiple openings for the same job.) When sourcing for candidates, recruiters are looking for professionals that fit within the parameters of the pre-established role/s. This is probably where most job seekers fall in the spectrum.

Strategic (sometimes called ‘opportunistic’) recruiting is more about anticipating future needs and having candidates on hand or accessible that may be interested for a role. This is a very large portion of what Executive recruiters do ‘ they build long term relationships with very senior candidates, and then they look for potential positions that might be of interest. (I’d like to note that many candidates believe that there are ‘personal recruiters’ that will work in this capacity with them; in North America, it is very rare.)

Sourcers (or Researchers), who may be employed by any of the types of recruiting organizations mentioned above, are dedicated to strategic recruiting and deep market research. They may be brought on board to help with a particularly difficult or niche role for a somewhat singular need. If you have an MLIS or have done a lot of market research, this may be a good career path. You generally search for candidates and may or may not engage with them; you hand them off before the interview process begins.

Some of the channels for finding candidates:

‘ Employee Referrals ‘ Considered across the board to be the single best source of qualified candidates

‘ Internal Applicant Tracking System (Candidate database of people that have applied in the past: this is a great resource because it has historical data, and a recruiter knows that candidates have expressed an interest sometime in the past)

‘ LinkedIn-the de facto professional networking site worldwide. Caveat: LI has been changing up its pricing model and many people are becoming unhappy with the site. Still huge for now, but that may change in the next couple of years. It is a significant cost for businesses to have recruiter accounts
‘ Indeed.com ‘ this is hot with recruiters because there is a free resume database they can query

Sourcers and truly knowledgeable/dedicated recruiters will use advanced search techniques:

‘ Google as a way to find talent based on a variety of factors such as articles (either written by, interviewed for, or commented on), blogs, conference papers, patents, portfolios, online sites like Github, about.me, or industry directories

‘ Social Media profiles such as can be found on Twitter and Facebook using very specific search parameters

‘ Telephone sourcing- calling into target companies to build contact lists (ie after hours, and going down the corporate directory)

Recruiting is a pretty positive industry. In general, we help people find jobs. There are very few downsides to it. If you have an interest in an HR career, it is a good foot in the door. If you have a degree in Library Science, Sourcing is actually a really good career move and is very hot across the country.

What should you expect if you are considering recruiting?

‘ Spending a lot of time on the phone and on email. A LOT. I usually spend 2-4 hours on the phone most days interviewing/evaluting candidates.

‘ Working with databases of some sort. You need to be able to pick up on basic technologies and be organized in how your approach managing information.

‘ A fast learner with superior verbal skills. If you get into a specialty like medicine or technology you have to be able to learn about the specific industry overall as well as how your positions fit within the greater scheme.

‘ Recruiting, like being a doctor or attorney, means you are always ‘on’; everyone is either looking for a job or knows someone that is. You will get questions on resumes, career development, interviewing techniques, salary negotiations, etc. Keep business cards handy at all times and be gracious. If the thought of this bothers you, recruiting probably isn’t a good fit.

‘ Narrow career path: recruiting has only a very few career paths. That being said, it is one of the few careers where you can double your income very quickly if you are good in a very short time, and isn’t dependent on having a degree. The downside: if there is a market downturn, recruiting is one of the first roles to be eliminated.
B >’ There is a major sales and marketing aspects to recruiting. Discussing salaries is about negotiation; engaging candidates (and hiring managers) and making an offer is about the art of persuasion. Writing job descriptions is all about marketing.

‘ You will have to become knowledgable about a lot of legal requirements and be expected to adhere to them.

‘ You will make a LOT of valuable contacts, from hiring managers to students. If you put the effort into keeping your network up and work to maintain a good reputation with your peers, you will rarely be without a job.

‘ There is a lot of project coordination/management and it can get very busy (sometimes overwhelming) and you have to track a lot of information simultaneously, have it well organized and at your fingertips.

‘ Metrics-driven. Your performance and success is based on how many hires you have and how quickly you fill positions; if you are in the agency world the majority of our income may very well depend on it. That being said, recruiting can be a *very* lucrative career.

Recruiting is *not*:

‘ A used car salesman-type job. ‘ In the corporate world, recruiters are very consultative with managers and HR. In the agency world, they are very much transactional and surface-skimming in terms of involvement with the client.

‘ A free-for-all. Recruiters (regardless of their country) have strict legal guidelines they must follow, and a high degree of confidentiality is required.
B > About sitting around on social media posting jobs and waiting for the right applicant to come through the door. Repetitious. It changes daily, sometimes even hourly.

If you want to learn more about recruiting, there are a couple of industry web portals.

http://ere.net is our main gathering hub

http://sourcecon.com is a great resource to learn more about Sourcing.

If you have questions, leave me a comment!

I had an initial phone call scheduled with a candidate last week. He had applied directly to our website, I contacted him within 24 hours of his application and gave him several chunks of time I was available. He chose a time, and I called him promptly on the dot at the time arranged (the day before Thanksgiving). Keep in mind I stayed at work *just* to call him at 4 PM. He didn’t answer. I waited a few minutes and called again, leaving messages both times. After the second time, I sent him an email telling him we would have to reconnect after the holiday weekend. This morning I got a reply (dated yesterday at 6:16 PM):

"Sorry was kind of busy, but available tomorrow or Wed same time . Let me know?"

This candidate obviously is not interested in the opportunity. His laissez-faire attitude about interviewing is frustrating. I sent back to him that unfortunately, I was *not* available either of those days.

I also had another candidate that applied to a position that I reached out to in email early last week. I still have not heard back from him. This morning I texted him to make sure he got my reply. He looks good enough "on paper" to be worth an initial screen, but not if he doesn’t actually return my outreach. He has until tomorrow. If I don’t get an answer I am going to decline him (with a politely worded note stating that we tried to make contact several times.) Although it is a "buyer’s market" (candidates are the buyers), the company I represent puts a very heavy emphasis on passion hand in hand with functional skills. If a candidate acts all "Meh", they aren’t even going to get a chance to talk to us. Recruiters generally set up appointments via email, so if a candidate doesn’t check their mail regularly then they probably don’t have the business skills to make it in an organization that runs professionally. I’m not sure how job seekers think I’m going to contact them other than via the information on their resume. (Oh, and here’s something to think about: I don’t automatically assume your phone number IS a cell unless you tell me, so texting is only a secondary form of outreach.) Make sure you also check your spam folder.

Please keep in mind that these are applicants that APPLIED TO OPEN JOBS. It is this sort of blase behavior that frustrates me when I hear from the general populace about the "resume black hole". It’s a two way street, folks.

Over the last few weeks I have been traveling all over the country to university career fairs, talking to intern and new graduate computer science candidates. There are a few things that I was pleasantly surprised by, and a few perennial red flags that I see every year, not only at career fairs but also in my initial phone screens with candidates.

Things I was impressed with this year more than in years past:

-Students were much better prepared to discuss their own experiences in terms of education, classes, internships, projects, and what they were looking for.

-The majority of students that visited our table had relevant degrees that matched to what we are looking for.

-We have several past interns that they had taken the time to speak with.

-The professionalism was much higher than even my experiences last spring in terms of resumes, appearance, and conversation (for the record, this year I visited UC Berkeley, UVa, and Vanderbilt).

At any career fair, most employers have some sort of a ranking system or categorization based on skill set, interaction with the candidate, background, etc. Students that acted generally engaged and interested in our company and asked questions tended to be more favorably viewed.

A few things I found disappointing:

-The ‘drive by’ student that just ‘dropped off a resume’ and didn’t take time to stay and chat.

-It is cheesy to just stop by for the swag. Really, really, really tacky.

-Obviously ill prepared questions: ‘so, what do you guys do?’ We submit a profile and job descriptions to every career fair we attend. It is not CHEAP for companies to attend a job fair. We pay money for the privilege of talking to students. Do us the courtesy of at least reading the 3 sentence blurb we have sent that is in your program before you come talk to us. Or, here’s a novel concept: pull up our URL on your smartphone.

-Desperation is not good. I’m going to preface this by saying that I understand why international students attend US schools, but trust me when I say that we can tell when all you are looking for is someone to sponsor you versus finding a meaningful internship or job. It is a turn off. The message ‘I’m willing to talk to or work for anyone that will sponsor me’ is a major NEGATIVE for employers.

So, next career fair, how will YOU be perceived by a potential employer?

I’ve been having this conversation with several experienced (many of them ‘mature’) job seekers lately. They have an AA, or never finished college and are having a really difficult time finding jobs as they get older and more and more jobs across the board require Bachelor’s degrees. Especially for the more experienced professionals, the stability of a large company becomes attractive or even vital in their job search. I’ve had questions from a lot of different quarters about what programs/schools to choose or avoid; what major to consider, and of course, what is the magic ‘equation’ for ‘or equivalent experience’.

First and foremost, I think it’s important to understand that in this instance, size matters. The larger the company, the more likely it is going to be that they are requiring degrees. The rationale for this has a significant root in compliance issues. If a company hires H1-B immigration workers, one of the minimum requirements for a candidate to qualify for an H1-B is a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline (i.e. an English degree doesn’t work for a tech job). When a company starts employing H1-B employees, they set their minimum requirements for the job titles/categories they are sponsoring, and often those minimum requirements include a Bachelor’s. Once those minimum requirements are set, they must be followed in all recruitment activities for those specific job titles.

There is also the concept of degree equivalency where applicants can use a combination of education and experience to equate to a US Bachelor’s degree. These usually have to be evaluated by a third party education evaluation service before the application can be submitted.
Here are the official requirements (compliments of USCIS):

‘A bachelor’s degree or higher degree or its equivalent is normally the minimum requirement for the particular position;
B />

‘The degree requirement is common for this position in the industry, or the job is so complex or unique that it can only be performed by someone with at least a bachelor’s degree in a field related to the position;

‘The employer normally requires a degree or its equivalent for the position; or
B >

‘The nature of the specific duties is so specialized and complex that the knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree

How do you determine the ‘or equivalent experience?’

‘ It MUST be doing the same type of job as is called for in the job description and requirements, it is *not* a total years of work experience
B >
‘ There is no concrete, written-in-stone equation of experience=education; however a conservative guideline is 2.5-3 years of experience equates to 1 year of education

Some industries such as law and healthcare have such specialized education requirements that culturally they carry over to all aspects of recruiting/HR. As companies get larger, they tend to put more stock in formal training and education as a way to choose the most highly qualified candidates. Think of companies like Google, Amazon, Nike, or GE. When you literally get thousands of applicants a *day*, there needs to be a way to set the bar *just* to manage the workflow. Add that to additional federal compliance requirements from 3 or 4 different fronts, and a degree for most jobs becomes a foregone conclusion.

Smaller companies, especially privately held entities, have much more leniency when it comes to hiring practices. They will generally be willing and able to hire ‘on potential’, meaning they feel that even if you don’t have the exact skills they need, they feel you can learn them. <a href="http://www.ere.net/2007/03/28/hiring-for-potential-vs-skill/">’Aptitude'</a> is another way of looking at it. It would be a mistake to discount a smaller company in preference for ‘security’. I think the downturn and even recent layoffs at companies like Microsoft prove that large doesn’t necessarily equal ‘stable’. Smaller companies offer the opportunity to learn new skills, help guide the direction of the company, and possibly attain leadership positions more readily.
BR />If you are seriously considering pursuing or finishing your degree, there are many options open to mature students. I have one friend that did not get a degree, yet attained an MBA based on his work experience and another friend that doesn’t have a high school diploma or GED, yet has a BA, MBA, and JD all complete. Finding a program that will work with your schedule, experience, and needs will take some research but is not impossible. For profit schools have come under a lot of federal scrutiny the last several years based on consumer complaints. Online for profit degrees are especially suspect. If you decide to pursue an online degree, make sure that you do your homework. Generally an online program affiliated with a brick and mortar school is a safe bet. One of the schools that is completely online and a not for profit is <a href="http://wgu.edu">WGU (Western Governor’s University) </a>and has gotten high marks from hiring managers and other recruiters (and is quite affordable). Always remember community colleges as well, especially if you have a large number of pre-requisites to fill. They are highly affordable and it is often much easier to transfer to a larger school if you have good grades at a community college.
B >Only you can determine if finishing a degree is worth the time and effort, but if you are finding that the lack of one is seriously impeding your career opportunities, it may be worth considering.
B />

It is important to understand the basic concepts used by people evaluating your qualifications for a job.

Corporate/"Internal" Recruiter: a recruiter that works for a specific company hiring candidates directly for that company. May be either a FT or contract employee, usually has an email address with the company name. *See RPO

Agency Recruiter: a recruiter that works for a staffing agency; may be for full time jobs at another company, long term consulting, or temporary positions. For consulting/temporary position, the agency is in fact the employer. W2 or 1099.

Recruitment Placement Outsourcing: a model where a company hires an external vendor/agency to manage all or part of its recruiting function. This may include all inbound (applications, referrals) and outbound processes. The offer negotiation may be handled by hiring managers or the RPO.
CV (Cirriculum Vitae): an unabridged overview of a professional’s entire career including personal information, employment, full educational credentials, publications, affiliations and honors. Used primarily in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America as well as specific industries in the North America (ie: research, education, law).
BR/>

Application: a legal document employers ask applicants to complete prior to interviewing. R>

Reverse-chronologic format: A resume format that is a list of experience and education starting with the most recent employer (company, title, location, dates of employment) and a detailed summary of experience associated with the role.
/
Functional format: skills and experiences are grouped together (generally by similar classification), professional history is listed all in the same section (company, title, location, dates of employment)

Keyword search: a query process (also known as Boolean Logic/Search) incorporating an algorithm that matches specific phrases between a source and a destination, then returns a list of the matched results. B
R />∓lt;b>Minimum Requirement: A skill, type of experience, or educational qualification that is defined by an employer as the absolute lowest acceptable qualification for consideration of a specific job.

Preferred Qualification: highly desirable skills, experience, or education that is relevant or useful in a specific job or industry.
BR/>Applicant Tracking System: A relational database or system used by Recruiters and Human Resources professionals to track candidates and to publish job openings.
R >Campus Candidate: someone that is either still enrolled in a degree program, or is less than a year after graduation (usually applies to Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD programs).

Industry Candidate: a job seeker (with or without a degree) with at least a year or employment history.

Campus Recruiter/recruiting: employers looking at college students/campuses for interns and entry-level employees.

College Recruiter: Employee at a college or university that is seeking new students to enroll in their institution.
BR >
< /Hard skill: quantifiable, specific experience or information that is learned and demonstrated over a period of time.

Soft skill: personality traits, behavioral patterns, communication styles etc. that characterize how one person interacts with other people. R
: formal, matriculated education resulting in a diploma (HS) or a degree (AA/AS, BA/BS, MA/MS, PhD).
BR ≈lt;b>Training and certifications: professional development; may be provided on the job, via classes/seminars, or by taking a licensing exam. NOT considered part of "education".

I have had two long time friends tell me in the last six months that they want to make pretty significant career changes. They both believe that they have highly transferable skills that will make it easy for them to find jobs wherever they decide they want to be in a new industry. However, most professionals in this situation don’t understand that just because you *can* do something doesn’t mean you will be hired to do it, especially when the competition has current, relevant skills that don’t require a ramp up time or a significant investment on the part of a new company beyond giving them the internal tools and helping them fit into the company culturally.

It is a problem and misconception that many senior professionals have; that experience in either a role or industry is highly transferable, and without a significant loss of income. When someone is looking at making a radical career change, I recommend they considering investing in a Career Counselor or Coach. I asked my friend Janet Civitelli, a Career Counselor at Vocation Village to weigh in on how she has helped clients looking to make this sort of transition wth a Q & A.

When you have a client that comes to you wanting to make a radical career change, how do you respond?

I start by performing an evaluation of a client’s current situation. If the client decides to hire me as a career coach for structure and support, we work together to assess the client’s strengths and challenges, make decisions, create actionable steps, and overcome obstacles.

How long does it generally take to completely switch careers or industries (with/without additional educational actions)?

It can take just a few months if someone invites you to follow a path even if you don’t have any track record in that area, but this is not typical. It can take years to transition into some specialized fields that require advanced degrees, credentialing, or licensing.

What kind of skills inventories do you use to help clients identify their needs?

I am constantly evaluating assessment tools. Some of my current favorites are listed here: <a href="http://www.vocationvillage.com/find-your-career/" target="_blank">List of Assessments</a>

B />
Do you address emotional issues that may be impacting a client’s desire for a change?

Absolutely yes. That’s one of the reasons my background as a psychologist is helpful.

B >
B >amp;lt;B>Is there a specific methodology you use for a career transition plan?

Each client is unique but in general, the steps in making a career transition are:

1. Identify the client’s strengths, interests, values, and personality.

2. Evaluate options and how to build on the client’s previous track record to transition into new possibilities.

3. Experiment with options to reality test the fit. Do this in the least expensive ways possible in terms of time and money.

4. Start taking steps toward the new path because making this investment is worth it in the long run given most people will be working for many more decades.

5. Learn as you go, re-evaluate, and course correct because many people find that as they change and the world changes, their goals evolve, too.

R/&m;lt;B>What advice do you give to professionals considering radical career moves?

All of life involves tradeoffs. There is no such thing as a cost-free radical career move so I recommend proceeding in a strategic, intentional way to maximize the chances that the long-term outcomes are good.

If you are thinking of a major career change as an employee of someone else, keep in mind that your best bet is to make incremental, lateral moves. Your same job in a new industry, or a different but not radically different job in your current industry. Deciding to chuck your entire career of the last 15 years because you want to try "something different" is often an unrealistic fantasy, especially if you don’t have significant money in the bank to see you through a multi-year transition. You need a realistic transition plan or you will find yourself frustrated, unhappy, and unemployed.

I have been writing on the internet for quite a while. I do freely admit to having an editor for my Seattle Times writing assignments, but for the majority of my blogs, recruiting articles, PowerPoint presentations, resume/cover letters, etc. I write solo. I will say that I am an excellent speller, but I also use the thesaurus, dictionary, and Google freely when I an not sure of a word or want a similar term. These are the options I had when I was learning to write, and now that they are online there is absolutely no reason not to spell correctly and use the proper version of a word.

I am appalled at how *badly* people are writing on the internet across the board. Blogs, articles (on "news sites" like the Huffington Post for example), LinkedIn, you name it. A recent example: in a article about overhauling the US education system, the author used the word "trough" instead of "through". Why does it matter? It seriously detracts from the credibility of the author if there are spelling errors or words used incorrectly in an article.

When I say "detracts from the credibility of the author" I also mean "diminishes your professional brand". I am talking about professional discussions and writings on the internet, not your personal blog sharing pictures of Junior, Fluffy or Fido with Grandma and Uncle Herman. If you choose to use the internet as your branding platform for your professional self, you absolutely must be a perfectionist in your approach.

-Use the <a href=’http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html’>Chicago Manual of Style </a>; it is the de facto resource on publishing in the United States.
-Turn OFF the auto correct, it will cause more heartache than it fixes.
B />-Use Spell Check in Word, thesaurus.com, dictionary.com, and Google prolifically.
-Have at least two other people read your work for flow and errors, preferably people that know good/bad writing.
B >-EDIT. Too many people don’t want to edit their work. The fewer words you can say it in, the more you will keep your readers’ attention.

If you aren’t willing to take the steps to be a *good* writer, then please do the world a favor and don’t write for the public at all.
B >

I live and work in the Seattle tech market, which is generally booming right now. That being said, the relatively new CEO of Microsoft alluded to some major restructuring last week in a memo. It has to do with streamlining after the Nokia acquisition, with global impact. The details and actions started coming out today, with an estimated 1350-1400 full time employees being impacted facing position eliminations in the Seattle metro area. I have already received five communiques from impacted employees or people re-evaluating their desire to remain there.

I’m not writing specifically about the Microsoft impact. What I’m hoping to help people understand is simply that the earlier you become proactive about impending cuts and changes, the more likely you will have a place to land. The folks that send me their resumes within a day or two of needing a new job are the ones that have a better chance of getting into process with other employers.

The truth of the matter is that beyond a certain point, once a candidate pipe is relatively full (usually within the first 2-3 weeks of a position opening) the chances of latecomers being considered for the position become slimmer.

Let’s say I open a marketing manager position on July 20th. I post the job on LinkedIn, Twitter, maybe a couple of job boards. Then I look at the employee referrals and prior candidates that were a good fit but not the top candidate for a similar role. I search in my Applicant Tracking System for candidates that have applied to other roles in the last six months. I reach out to professionals on LinkedIn via LI Recruiter. This is all in week 1.

During week 2, I am getting responses, sharing resumes or LinkedIn profiles with the Hiring Manager, and starting to set up phone screens for me and the hiring team.

By weeks 3 through 5, we are continuing with phone screens to identify the top 2-3 candidates to bring onsite and scheduling interviews. Once we have those viable candidates, we put a relative "hold" on new candidate activity unless they are a *perfect fit* for the position.

Weeks 6-8 should generally include an offer.

Granted this is a relatively perfect scenario, but it is more the norm than not, especially in a healthy economy with a lot of candidates. If there are no viable candidates in the first wave of activity, we generally do a "lather, rinse, repeat".

It is unfortunate that far too many people are in shock (and denial) after a job elimination. Many candidates will try to take some time, assess the damage, and develop a plan. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with this approach, except for the fact that the 22 other people with your same basic qualifications from your former company have not waited, and they are all vying for the same 4 positions that are currently open. They are networking, their LinkedIn profiles are up to date, they have a working copy of their resume, and they are actively applying for those openings.

2008 wasn’t that long ago, and many people and job markets are still recovering. You don’t know if or when another position will open up for your skill set. Do you have the recommended 6 months in savings to cover that contingency?
B >

There was an article on LinkedIn about interview attire. The author suggested that candidates should always dress formally for an interview including a suit and tie for men and pantyhose for women. My comment started with”Um, no.’ Here’s the thing about your interview attire: you want the interviewers to remember YOU, not your outfit. I’d also like to point out that a job fair is *also* a form of interview. You are going to be engaging with people that are gatekeepers for whether or not your resume is seen by a hiring manager. If you think your sloppy appearance isn’t noticed or commented on, think again.

I work in the tech sector in the very laid back Northwest. If a software engineering candidate comes wearing a suit and tie, that is a huge red flag from a cultural perspective. The message is ‘too formal’, ‘too rigid’, doesn’t ‘get it’. To be honest, showing up in nice jeans and a button down shirt would be a better decision in our industry and market.

I generally recommend ‘business casual’ for most candidates in most industries. Exceptions to the ‘no suit’ rule should be dictated by geography and industry. Financial services, law, government, religious organizations, and consulting industries should almost always be full suit. Non-profit norms depend on the sector. Color rules should still be relevant. The more conservative the industry, the more likely it is that you will wear a suit. If you are interviewing for a corporate leadership position (executive), a suit is always acceptable.

Also, the further west you move, the more casual things will probably become.

BR />I think it’s easier for men to figure out the concept than most women. When it comes to long hair and facial hair, make sure it is neatly groomed and clean. Long hair should be pulled back.

Here are some dos/don’ts

Do:

-Slacks/trousers (Dockers, Chinos, suit pants)

-Collared shirt (‘button down’); a polo shirt might be appropriate in certain climates

-Vest, sports coat, or cardigan if the weather is cold

-Tie or slip on shoes (loafers), dress boots

-Minimal jewelry (ring, watch, necklace, stud earring/s)

Business casual may include a tie or not depending on the job and industry. If you are going to be in a client/customer facing role, go with a tie. Avoid ‘quirky’; that fish tie you like should probably stay at home and the striped one would probably be better.

Don’t:

-Tennis shoes/sneakers or flip flops

-Skinny jeans. Ever.

-Logo/art t-shirts

-Shorts

-Tank shirts

Stick to relatively subdued colors for the most part unless you are in a creative industry (for example you are in PR). Think blues, grays, black, brown, tan. Go for the less vibrant hues (navy or light blue instead of a bright royal). If you choose to wear a pattern, go for something small and more subdued.

Women have a much wider variety of fashion choices than men. It’s easier to give guidelines of what not to wear in this instance. I was at campus recruiting events earlier this year and the number of women that were falling out of their clothing was appalling.

– If you have to cross your legs when you sit down so people cannot see up your skirt, don’t wear it. It is too short.

-Heels that are too high. This isn’t a date, it’s an interview. 3 ‘ inches should be your maximum. If you are in a warm climate, open toe shoes are fine but *never* flip flops. Ever. Make sure your feet and toenails are groomed. No cracked heels and scaly skin, please.

-Tennis/athletic shoes, I don’t care how cute they are.


-Crop pants and shorts. Both are too casual for interviews. Stick to trousers.
BR />-Extremely clingy fabrics. A close-fitting sheath is one thing, the dress you wear for date night leaving nothing to the imagination -meant to entice your S.O. to want to rip it off – is totally inappropriate for interviews.

-Fabrics that are too shiny and sparkly can be distracting to interviewers. Leave the sequins, PVC and pleather at home.

B >Wen it comes to jewelry, less is more. Fewer pieces, less bling, smaller scale/size. Save the 6′ dangle earrings for happy hour.
B />-If you want to have a ‘statement’ piece or accessory, stick to a necklace, scarf, purse or shoes (color or pattern). />-When it comes to color and pattern, women have a bit more leeway. However, the same rules for vibrancy/hue stand. Don’t distract your interviewers with bold prints and colors. This is a time for your personality to shine.

-Makeup: nude palette is optimal, but if nothing else please remember that you are in an office building, not a club. Use a lighter hand with your eyes, and light-medium colors on your lips.

If you are interviewing in an industry where suits are standard, unless it is over 90 degrees outside wear pantyhose and closed toe shoes.
‘m also going to address body art. As tattoos have become more mainstream in the last decade, people never seem to know what to do with their body art. If you have full sleeves on your arms, you might want to consider long sleeved shirts if you aren’t in a casual or artistic industry. Usually smaller art on your foot, ankle, wrist, neck, etc. is fine unless it is highly religious, controversial (i.e. a swastika) or graphic. If you have piercings on your face, go with the smallest gauge you have. Generally eyebrow barbells and nose studs cause much less commentary than lip and tongue piercings. Remember, your goal is to get an offer. Once you have the offer in hand, it is appropriate to ask if there is a dress code governing body art that is visible. The answer may be very important to your cultural fit in the organization. BRd it should go without saying: hygiene means you have bathed, washed your hair, used deodorant and brushed your teeth.
B >h ruth of the matter is that most people that dress flamboyantly or have an extreme personality will self-select out of roles, companies, and industries where they aren’t going to be happy.