What to wear for an interview

What to wear for an interview by Michael Cheary It only takes a few seconds for an interviewer to decide how they feel about you…Translation? No matter how strong your experience or how polished your interview technique is, you should never underestimate the importance of a sharp interview outfit.We asked Shaunie Brett, who leads the styling team at Threadâ€"a free, online styling service for men who want to look great without any hassleâ€"how to dress for an interview.Here, Shaunie shares a five-step plan for success, plus two outfits that will help you nail (almost) every interview:Step 1. Find out what your interviewers will be wearingNo matter what your personal style is, you don’t want to look out of place.If you wear a suit and everyone interviewing you wears jeans, for example, you’ll probably feel uncomfortableâ€"and it might even seem that you don’t understand the company’s culture.Find out whats appropriate by looking at what employees are wearing in their LinkedIn profile photos (usua lly a good indication of what they consider professional) and checking out what people are wearing on the company’s ‘About us’ page.Step 2. Don’t wear a brand-new outfitAbove all, interview clothes should make you feel confident and comfortable. Which means you shouldn’t wear anything you’ve never worn before.Say you haven’t worn a suit since school, but you do your research and find that everyone at a company wears one. It’s not a good idea to buy a brand new suit and wear it for the first time to your interview because you won’t feel like yourself.You also won’t yet know how the suit behaves on you: Does it crease? Is there an itchy label? Are your arms restricted? Is it hot?Instead, why not try wearing chinos, a shirt and a jacket instead of a full suit (which is totally acceptable unless you’ve been explicitly told to wear a suit). Or, buy a suit at least a day in advance (or earlier if it might need tailoring) and wear it around the house for a day to get used to it.If you find that people at the company wear a variety of thingsâ€"or that the dress code is casualâ€"my advice is really simple: wear something you’ve always felt confident and comfortable in (or one of the failsafe outfits described below).Step 3. Keep it cohesiveInterviewers are looking for a candidate who has it together which means you should think about how all the elements of your outfit add up.One tip is, always avoid wearing any more than two or three different colours. This is the easiest way to make an outfit cohesive.Secondly, remember that your bag, umbrella and socks are all part of your look. Make sure they’re smart enough that they don’t let the rest of your clothes down.Step 4. Layer upThe room youre interviewing in could be boiling or freezing. To be prepared for either eventuality, wear two layers: a shirt and jacket.If it’s warm, the shirt looks good by itself … but if the air conditioning is blasting, a blazer will look sharp and keep you wa rm. Look for layers made from silk (for women), and merino wool, both of which are light but insulating.Step 5. Iron out all the detailsThe devil’s in the details, so polish your shoes, make sure your nails are neat, iron your shirt and trousers, and keep perfume and makeup to a minimum.In the end, it’s all about showing off your skills, so you should get rid of anything that distracts (or detracts) from, well, you.The outfit that works for (almost) every interviewFor men:A crisp white button-down shirt; chinos; brogues or boots; and a textured blazer in case the A/C is on high or you feel too casual. Wear your smartest coat on top.Why this works: By sticking to simple basics, you’ll ensure your interviewer focuses on you, not your clothes. This outfit is classic and mature, and shows more personality than a suit.For women: A blouse in a block colour or a crisp white shirt; dark skinny jeans or cigarette pants; brogues or loafers; and your contingency layer of choice, like a w ell-tailored blazer in a boyfriend style or with a nipped-in waist (and in a different colour to your trousers).For the shirt, choose whatever fabric makes you most comfortable. Crisp white cotton is timeless, and silk or chiffon can be more flattering if you’re curvier.Why this works: Its simple, refined, and not distracting. Combining separates shows some personality, but the tailored jacket looks professional.For more style advice from Shaunie, and to look great without the hassle,  sign up to Thread today.    Still searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs nowFind a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Pr eparing for an interview

You cant get respect until you know what you want to be respected for.

You cant get respect until you know what you want to be respected for. I was talking to this woman whos in her late 20s about how you have to know what you want to be respected for in order to feel respected. People cant respect you if you dont respect you. I cant tell you her name. Lets call her Imogene because its one of the most popular names of 2014 and I  want this blog to feel fresh even though Im writing about a topic that I have not been able to shut up about for five years. My investors respect me.  But Im pretty sure they respect  me for my track record and not for what Im doing now, which is running a startup in slow motion. But whatever. Its my fourth startup. Theyre all the same. You waste money on things that dont work. Over and over again. The problem is believing in yourself  through all that. And Ive done that. Speaking of my startup, this  would be a great time to announce a new course, because you are listening, but instead Im going to go on a tirade. So I was talking to Imogene  and she told me that Im having so much trouble with my current life because I want to be respected for work, but I feel compelled to give my kids a great childhood to make up for my own shitty childhood, so I am focused on my  kids instead of my work and its not fulfilling. I was defensive, and then incredulous, and then I thought Fuck her. You can fail at a lot and still earn respect. And its  really bad I am writing this because Imogene  will  recognize herself as the object of my wrath. But  sometimes you have to shoot the messenger  we cant be our best selves all the time. So in that spirit, Im just going to tell you.  It was Melissa. Melissa said this to me, and I was really shocked. Because Melissa is usually right about everything. But she pissed me off so much that I realized that I think Im doing great, and I cant actually believe that she cant see that  Im doing great. Heres where Im not doing great: I wish I were writing more. I wish I were doing webinars more. I wish I still have a twentysomething butt. I take anti-anxiety medicine that maybe I would not need if I were not a mom. But probably I would need to take it because when I was the standout startup girl everyone lusted for, I was also throwing up in-between team-bonding meetings. So probably I need anti-anxiety medicine for whatever I do. Look at what you do well. Now. Thats what  earns you respect, whether you like it or not. What Im saying is that I love this blog so much and thank you so so so much for reading and also thank you for making this blog have such great comments that even my brother who is  a total big shotand I cant believe I hide his name here because his whole office reads my blogeven he says I have some of the smartest comments of any blog. When I question if Im successful, I think about this blog. And how Ive been able to earn enough money to not starve. (Even though sometimes I have to use the farm account if I have bad cash flow.) (And even though right now my husband wants to kill me.) But even though he wants to kill me, I have a solid marriage (which is not really a marriage because he wont marry me because I have too many tax problems) but even those are not huge problems to me because I can compartmentalize. Which, by the way, is an innate skill of all good CEOs. It just happens that its not usually a skill of women. And Im a rockstar at compartmentalization. (You have to be, to throw up during work and still look like a leader.) Its okay to stop caring about some stuff. So I am happy that Im homeschooling my kids. And some days I want to kill myself because most of the people I used to network with I would rather die than talk to me now. Because  I have nothing to say. Because I dont care what theyre doing. I just want to be a good mom and have intelligent conversation. And in the end, I want respect for this blog and respect for being a good mom. Maybe youre thinking its easy to be a good mom. Maybe it is. I wouldnt know, because I have a mom who did  not get respect for her parenting. Well, at least from her kids. The rest of the world, the world that does not read my blog,  thinks shes a great parent because all her kids have big jobs. If you count my job as big. My mom calls me a journalist because shes from the generation that thinks that job is impressive. You can only get respect for something you work hard at. What I call myself is someone doing a good job of keeping my life interesting while I raise my kids. And Im meeting my goals. Like, I can pay my taxes. My investors are rich and famous and you would know them but I promised  a thousand times that I would not name them on the blog. Ill tell you, though, that Ive learned a lot from them. Especially about my taxes. Still, I will not get your respect from handling my taxes properly because I dont care enough. I wont even be able to get married for learning to do my taxes right; my (not) husband still thinks Im a maniac with my money. I had forty years of therapy so I can be a good mom. But  still, we all go to a family therapist because Im so scared of being my parents, so scared of messing things up. I respect myself because Im doing something really hard for me. On anti-anxiety medicine. Because all this makes me nervous, but thats why I have you along for the ride. Thank you. Writing this post was not hard for me. It took me only five years. Five years of trying to figure out who I am if I am not a top-flight serial entrepreneur. But who I am is fine. I want to be respected for doing work I like and being the kind of mom I want to be. And for keeping a friend like Melissa, whos willing to tell me stuff that makes me want to scream.

Inspiring Tips and Statistics for Job Seekers in 2015

Inspiring Tips and Statistics for Job Seekers in 2015 Finding a job can be a difficult and time consuming process. First you need to know what sector of work you want to get into, establish your career goals and know what you want from the  company that will be  employing you. Job opportunities have changed over the years as there are now new ways to interact. Social media has played a huge part in the job seeking and employment process, reaching a new audience as well as increasing the way you can communicate with hiring managers and different companies. So, in order to be successful in the job seeking process, you need some helpful and inspiring tips and facts to push you in the right direction. This can also help employers understand how people are changing the way they look for job opportunities. These top tips, statistics and quotes provided by Audvisor  do just that! Statistics 2015 has seen the most job openings in the US since 2007! February 2015 = 5.13 million job openings in the US. Rise in mobile job search. 41% of people look for jobs whilst they are in bed! 18% of people look for jobs whilst in the loo! Social media 93% of companies use LinkedIn for recruiting (so make sure you have the perfect LinkedIn profile). 1 out of 3 employers who research candidates on social media find content that makes hiring more likely. Quotes Tell a story on your resume. Stand out Get creative and demonstrate your skills with a video CV. Gain skills and persevere. Know your market value.

Pelocity A Tool for your Career Path

Pelocity A Tool for your Career Path St. Augustine resident Sarah Powers is 19 years old and making decisions about her education and career path. Like many recent high school graduates, she assumed that her best career choice would be based on what she liked to do. And, like many young students, she was mistaken. In Sarah’s case, interior design was her first choice. She enjoyed the idea of creating comfortable, beautiful and functional spaces, and she seemed to have a flair for color and style. Sarah and her parents explored the idea of enrollment in a private training institute in Jacksonville that would provide a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design. According to O*NET, the Department of Labor’s online occupation classification and information system, interior designers earn a median wage of $47,600 annually. Projected growth in the occupation through 2020 is between 10 and 19 percent, primarily in commercial companies, designing office and commercial space. Nationwide, in 2010, about 57,000 interior designers were working in the U.S. The cost of the interior design degree represented a significant investment for Sarah’s family (over $20,000 per year), so they decided to back up their research with assessments to determine the best career match for her. Their search led them to the Pelocity assessment. Pelocity is a tool backed by more than 50 years of industrial psychologists’ research that helps individuals pick those areas of study where they will excel both in school and in their choice of a career. Assessment Technologies Group (ATG) offers the assessment to students and others interested in making informed decisions about career transitions. According to the group’s staff, two of the key factors in why students don’t complete college, “wrong” career selection and lack of vocational focus often are cited reasons for increased time to completion and lowered retention rate. A study of students confirms that 20 percent of withdrawals could be attributed to “wrong career choice” or “difficulties with course.” And another 15 percent of withdrawals are connected to students who “drifted” into the institution with little, if any, research into their course choices. The Pelocity staff provides a solution that costs less than $99 and can be taken in under an hour. According to Dr. Les Krieger, Senior Consulting Psychologist at Assessment Technologies Group, the work style assessment is a measure used by organizations all over the globe to identify star performers and has a 25 year history of validation across many different occupations. The abilities, skills and knowledge questionnaires are derived from the extensively validated O*NET job description methodology. Pelocity inverts the O*NET job description questionnaires into assessments of the individual’s fit to the job. Dr. Krieger explained how the results of the assessment are presented: “Pelocity uses proprietary models to recommend a rank-ordered list of best-fit occupations. With each recommended occupation, Pelocity provides access to relevant occupational and career path resources including O*NET, Career OneStop, and location-specific job banks. Pelocity also contains the Personal Passport, an ePortffolio of career information that can be shared with a career counselor or potential employer.” Sarah’s Pelocity assessment results were a surprise. If interior design had been a strong match for her, her assessment results would have indicated a high preference for Artistic occupations. Instead, Artistic occupations came in a weak fourth in her occupational matching system. Enterprising careers, which include sales, marketing and business management, were Sarah’s primary match. As Sarah pondered the results and studied the occupational and job projection information provided within the Pelocity system, she realized that business held a strong attraction for her. She also has a strong aptitude for math, which is helpful in business studies. Sarah chose to invest her Florida Bright Futures scholarship money into the local state college (St. Johns River State College) and begin a business degree with a concentration in marketing. Her scholarship will easily cover her tuition, and she will not go into debt for her education, which she would have had to do at the private art institute. Sarah is attending St. Johns River State College (SJRSC) with her friend Dustin Nyberg. Dustin was not sure about a college major; he was drifting toward sports training simply because he had enjoyed a successful high school athletic career. After taking the Pelocity assessment, he was introduced to Realistic careers, which appealed to him for their hands-on and practical job opportunities. “I’d never heard of logistics as a career before I took the assessment,” Dustin said. “But the idea of solving problems, moving goods from one place to another and meeting deadlines, sounds like a pretty cool career.” He is also at SJCSC in a business track. Most young students don’t understand the full range of careers that are available to them or why they might be successful at certain occupations. Career assessments like Pelocity can help students gain insight into career possibilities and help parents invest education money wisely.

5 Tell-Tale Signs of Being Overworked and What to Do About It CareerMetis.com

5 Tell-Tale Signs of Being Overworked and What to Do About It â€" CareerMetis.com All of us have felt overwhelmed at some point in our lives. The stress of home life, work-life, social life and anything in between can overwhelm you if not managed well. With this in mind, assess your current situation to establish if you are overworked.Overworking without enough rest can backfire. High achievers, specifically, are usually passionate about what they do, and they may take exceedingly huge workloads, work for long hours, and put enormous pressure on themselves to be outstanding.evalPushing yourself to reach your fullest potential is commendable. However, you don’t have to do this at the expense of your health. Even if your job comes with individual responsibilities you have to excel at, being overworked is not something you have to live with. Unfortunately, some people rarely see it coming, and they only realize it when it is already too late.The best way to overcome overworking is to recognize the signs early enough to implement self-care strategies. Here are five signs that you are overworked and what to do to fix the situation.1) Difficulty focusing and getting more forgetfulMild forgetfulness and lack of focus are some of the early signs of overworking. Later on, the problem may get worse to the point where you fail to get things done, and everything starts to pile up. Restlessness and high-hung may make you lose focus. To remedy the situation, try these self-help strategies:Create a to-do list, and check off completed activities as you go.Take short breaks spread throughout the day to help you refuel.A simple way to calm down the mind is to try relaxing activities such as listening to music or coloring a book.2) Having difficulty sleeping or sleeping too muchWhen you are overworked, you may experience changes in your sleep pattern. On one end, you may remain restless throughout the night despite being tired. In the early stages, you may have trouble staying or falling asleep for a night or two in a week. If you fail to address the problem , insomnia may grow into a persistent night ordeal.On the other hand, you may experience excessive sleeping. If you have had those days where you ask yourself “why do I sleep so much?” it is probably because you are overworked. A healthy sleep pattern is necessary for good mental health. If you fail to act, the condition will begin to take a toll on you. To fix the situation, try the following strategies:Maintain a consistent bedtime routine, which includes going to bed and waking up at specific times. Use an alarm to wake you up by the set time. In the beginning, the process may be a trial and error, so be patient till you find what works best.To calm the mind, practice a few relaxation exercises before sleeping. These may include yoga, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation among others.Avoid taking alcohol or soothing drinks before bed. Certain drinks such as chamomile tea and alcohol can influence your sleep pattern, which may cause sleeplessness.If any of the above s trategies do not restore your usual pattern, consult a doctor.3) FatigueIf you notice fatigue or general weakness, you are probably overworking the body. When you are overworked, your mind is on overdrive, which can feel exhausting. This situation is likely to leave you feeling fatigued. To recover from this situation:Eat healthy meals to provide the required energy.evalPhysical exercises may help to tire you so that you sleep better. They are also useful for mental health.4) Feeling less motivatedNo matter how much you love your job, if nothing is getting ahead, the joy starts to fade. When overworked, you may feel less motivated to complete tasks. In such a situation, you are most likely to procrastinate. Besides this, you may also start getting late in delivering your work.If you are continually missing deadlines and the pressure seems never to let up, you might be overworking. To restore motivation, try these tips:Break down large tasks into several mini-tasks.Create a plan of a ction to help you work effectively.5) Feeling extremely stressedStress and anxiety are signs of being overwhelmed. The unhappiness can trickle down to your private life even putting you at odds with family and friends. Remember, no work is worth sacrificing personal relationships.evalThe following tips may help to restore things:Limit intake of alcohol and caffeine.Take a break to rewind or rest.Request your manager to give you additional time to complete work, especially the tasks that have been stressing you.Establish a workable work-life balance. Include your passion and other fun activities.Other Cross-cutting Strategies for managing burnoutBe Realistic evalWorking at your full potential is essential to excel at everything. However, you also need to know you are not superhuman. Take what is possibly manageable. Despite how your boss may feel, be open about your situation.If you feel anxious or overwhelmed because you are working outside your job description or working overtime, don’t assume the problem will eventually disappear. Discuss with your boss how you can transition to a standard schedule.Let Your Health Come First You are responsible for your health. Sometimes when overworked, you may stop exercising, skip lunches, or sleep for a few hours. This situation is not healthy, and will soon cause burnout.Regardless of your position at work, create time for exercise, take lunch breaks, and eat healthy meals. Also, avoid sugar and caffeine because they increase anxiety and nervousness.Take a break Most organizations offer paid vacations; unfortunately, some people still want to stick to the office for whatever reasons. True, it is essential to show some sense of loyalty to your employer; however, you also need to be loyal to yourself. Take time off to relax, take a trip somewhere, or even rediscover your creativity. Unless you are the chief decision-maker, things will not stop because of your absence.CONCLUSIONBeing overworked can happen without anyone noticing. It is therefore vital to recognize the tell-tale signs before it is too late. The effects of being overworked are more than a bad day. Apart from interfering with your normal life, it also affects how you feel about the job and even how you relate with others. Use the above strategies to spot and fix being overworked.