Author: GreggSalkovitch

Throughout my time in recruiting, I’ve witnessed many companies pass on entry level candidates for a variety of reasons that are derived from their first impression. I’ve seen companies pass due to the lack of a follow-up thank you, nerves during the interview, insufficient quality questions, or simply not specifically asking for the job. Although I certainly agree that these first impressions are important, I also believe that it is more important to consider the question of, “Can I coach this person to do the things that they may have missed?”

I believe that most people reading this would agree that it is rare to do everything right during the first several job interviews out of college. Looking back it is a lot easier to recognize why some first impressions don’t go as planned. There are a few common causes for a lackluster first impression, and many of them shouldn’t make or break the interview.

 1.) Lack of Experience

A potential recruiter that I was interviewing asked me recently, “How do you know exactly what to say?”  My response was, “I’m not smarter than you.  I’m just older.”

Think back on when you were in your 20s and didn’t have a lot of experience.  I’m sure you screwed up some interviews badly.  I can tell you that I did.

A poor interview doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a bad candidate.  It may just mean that you lack experience and confidence, which over time you’ll develop.

Although this is embarrassing for me to admit, I am a Cleveland Browns fan (the same Browns that didn’t win a game this season).  I was reading about all of the Quarterbacks they’re looking to draft and all of the things wrong with them.  One had problems with his throwing mechanics, another one didn’t have a strong arm and the final one made poor decisions. 

Why would the Browns and other teams be so high on these players who have such massive flaws and no professional football experience?

It’s because they see potential and know with good coaching, they can develop into something special.

Think about interviewing junior candidates the same way.

2.) Lack of Trust

An important consideration when interviewing a candidate for the first time is the fact that many individuals keep their guard up, as they require some trust to be established before revealing the nuances of their personality. Many people keep information close to their chest, as they don’t feel particularly comfortable divulging everything requested of them during a first encounter with a new person.

There is a lot to be discovered beyond a first impression with a candidate that keeps their guard up. These individuals are rather particular with what they divulge upon first meeting, but this doesn’t mean that they remain guarded forever. If you believe that a candidate is guarded, but can be worked with and taught to excel in their potential position, they likely deserve a chance to break through their shell.

In fact, I always recommend taking them out to lunch because you’ll learn a lot about them in a more casual setting.  I would even tell them to come in business casual clothes and that you just want to get to know them.  The candidate that you felt was uptight might have a great personality and the one with a great personality may let his or her guard down and be unprofessional.  I’ve personally rescinded an offer to a candidate after taking him out to dinner with my team because some of the things he shared.

3.) Lack of Time

Many first impressions are limited in regard to time. There is definitely a lot to say for the initial vibe that a candidate gives off, but generally speaking initial interviews don’t offer the opportunity to get to know someone beyond the surface level.

People are often layered, and require some time to figure out. The combination of nerves and stress can lead to a questionable first impression, which makes the asset of time rather valuable. A certain level of patience is important when considering a candidate whose overall demeanor might not seem comfortable or ideal upon first judgement.

I had a candidate not too long ago say, “The hiring manager talked the entire time and at the end, told me that he only has a few minutes left but wanted to know if I had any questions.  I felt so rushed and asked a couple but felt like I was being rushed out the door so it made it challenging for me.  I didn’t feel like I had an opportunity to demonstrate what I can bring to the table.”

In no way am I suggested that you interview each candidate for 10 hours.  However, make sure you give him or her an opportunity to ask questions as well as show you why they could be a fit for the role.

It is very common that first impressions are not wholly accurate. One of the best entry level salespeople that I’ve ever seen was literally shaking at his interview and could barely get the words out of his mouth.  I personally witnessed it and others were shocked when we hired him.  However, we could tell he was smart, honest, hard working and coachable.  The only thing he was lacking was experience, and I can assure you in a few years he’ll be impressing companies at his interview and be making well into 6 figures.

It’s for reasons like this that I always urge companies to look past a first impression before making a final judgement.  The way a candidate interviews is important but it’s not everything.

 

 

When I sold locks and packaging products years ago, I had the most amazing lock vendor named Leonard.  I’ve never met anybody that knew more about locks and he provided the best service.  I watched as our Buyer beat him up on pricing because he was slightly higher.  Leonard’s response was, “A bargain is very expensive.”

The same principle applies when hiring.  Most hiring managers think they are saving money by underpaying employees and are making higher profits.  However, it’s actually the exact opposite.

Over the years I’ve heard many clients and hiring managers boast about how they are getting a “steal” when they hire an individual below market value. Is this really the case? Almost everyone has heard of the phrase “you get what you pay for,” and expect a certain quality when it comes to products or services that come at a higher rate. This expectation should certainly carry over to the team that you assemble around you, as it is equally true in regard to new hires.

Why is it worthwhile to pay your employee what they deserve when they are perfectly willing to settle for below market value?

 

Decreasing Turnover:

As fresh talent enters the workforce, at first there is quite a substantial amount of time spent acquiring experience. A lot of the onboarding time is aided by your own efforts and resources. This time and money spent on training is nothing to scoff at, as it is a significant investment to ensure that your new employees are operating at a level that is on par with your seasoned team members.

What happens when these newer team members aren’t new anymore, and realize that they’re underpaid?  They’re going to naturally speak to their friends who are making more money than them and recruiters are going to approach them with more lucrative jobs.

Your compensation package should be so good that your employees don’t want to talk to a recruiter like me.  You want their response to be, “My current compensation package is so much better than that so I’m not open to a call.”

I asked a hiring manager this past week, “Would you rather make $200,000 on your salesperson for 2 years or pay her an extra $50,000 per year and make $150,000 on her for 5 years?”

It’s a no brainer.  $400,000 < $750,000.

In my experience, a lot of hiring managers believe that employees are going to be loyal to them and many are.  However, when you’re married with a mortgage and 3 kids and a recruiter leaves a voicemail saying, “I have a job for you and we pay you $25,000 more than what you’re making now,” you better believe they’re going to call back.

The fact is that if you underpay your employees, you’re going to invest a meaningful amount of time and money into training them, and many will leave as soon as another company offers them more money. After they leave, you will then have to replace them and train someone from scratch, which will in turn cost you even more time and money.  I’ve read many studies but once recent one stated that on average, it costs $35,000 to hire and train a new salesperson.

I recently spoke with a hiring manager who mentioned to me “High turnover is just the nature of the beast in our industry.”  I don’t believe this is the right mentality to have when hiring employees and I interpreted it as, “We don’t pay or treat our employees as well as we should so they don’t stay here long.”  If you adequately express the value that you see in your employees through a fair compensation plan, a strong amount of loyalty will develop, and turnover rates will drop.

 

Expressing Value & Building Loyalty:

As alluded to in the previous paragraph, turnover is common these days. It is so common that job-hopping has become an expectation for some companies. This expectation should inspire concerned business owners to reward their hard working employees by expressing the value that they add to your team.

By appropriately expressing to your employees that their time and energy is appreciated, you develop loyalty, which in turn decreases turnover. Not only will you limit the amount of turnover that is taking place, but these trained and loyal team members will be able to pass on their hard earned knowledge and share their experience with others that eventually join the team.

When I first started my career, the owner of my company at the time came up to my desk.  I thought I was being fired and he said, “I just spoke to our biggest client about you.”  He told me she said I’m doing an amazing job and couldn’t be happier.  He then gave me a $100 bill and told me that he wants me to go out to a nice dinner with my girlfriend.  The feeling of appreciation plus the reward felt amazing to me.  It’s been 15 years since this occurred and I still tell people this story.

Personally, I believe in rewarding with something that’s going to get them excited and emotional.  For example, a $1,000 bonus to an employee is probably going to be used to pay bills.  However, how much more excited would an employee be if you told them, “I’m buying you 2 round trip tickets to Vegas and paying for your hotel for 2 nights?”  They’re both about the same price but a paid vacation has a lot more emotional ties to it than a direct deposit.

Years ago, I had several young women work for me and I knew they loved to shop.  Rather than running a sales contest where they’d win $500 on their next paycheck, the reward was $500 in cash and the day off to go shopping.  It was amazing how much more excited they were to come into work, get all of this cash and leave for the day with one another.

If an individual is clearly adding value to your organization, it shouldn’t be a question of whether or not you show them that they are valued in return. This does not necessarily mean outrageous bonuses or massive pay raises, but simply a level of pay that is aligned with their worth.

At the end of the day, higher wages and treating employees right will lead to significant benefits for the companies that provide them. Higher wages entice workers that are more productive and more capable, lead to lower turnover, reduce costs associated with hiring and training processes, and simply motivate individuals to work hard and be more productive.

There is a real difference between possessing talent and possessing determination. I’ve witnessed so many individuals with “A” level talent fail in business, while also watching many with “B” or “C” level talent achieve immense success. Countless stories and timeless anecdotes present data that people with grit and determination of will are the ones who achieve their goals in life, and are held in high regard as the most successful.

This X Factor, whether you would like to call it grit, initiative, or will power, is not possessed by everyone. The individuals that own this priceless attribute refuse to quit when working towards the task at hand, as they ooze resilience. This resilience allows for not only a strong work ethic, but also an ability to overcome obstacles or setbacks that may present themselves unexpectedly. So does grit and determination trump talent?

 

Talent vs. Determination:

Talent is incredibly valuable when considering a new hire. An innate ability or natural gift can definitely get you very far in life and business. However, how prized is it of an attribute when considering what someone will bring to your organization? Many individuals possess talent, but simply give up on their expedition before achieving success.

Determination on the other hand leads to hard work, no matter the task at hand and hardships in the way. A well known piece of research by renowned psychologist, Anders Ericsson, suggests that if you spend 10,000 hours practicing any given subject or task, then you can become an expert in it. To achieve this high level of committed practice, you definitely need some grit and will power.

When pondering this subject, there is one salesperson that immediately comes to mind. This individual that I’m reminded of knows that he isn’t as gifted as much as some salespeople.  I’ve heard him on the phone and he’s not the most articulate and can be awkward at times.  However, his thinking is, “I might have to make 250 calls for every deal closed   However, if the best salespeople I know are making 100 calls per week to close 1 deal, I know I can outperform them by 200% by making 500 calls per week and closing 2 deals.”  It has been amazing and inspiring seeing him blow away the sales numbers of salespeople who are much more talented than him.

As I mentioned in a previous article, I also love hiring people who have something to prove and have always had to work hard their entire lives.  For example, they may not have a college degree and haven’t gotten many interviews as a result, had to pay for college and all of their expenses since they were a teenager or became a parent at a young age and had to support a family.  I recently spoke to a very sharp sales consultant, who has a business that analyzes the personality characteristics and backgrounds of top sales representatives.  He said in his years of sales consulting, the reports showed that the top performers he’s helped hired are single mothers who are on average, 50 years old.

Many companies are taking note of the data that suggests strength of will is perhaps more essential than native ability. This shift is occurring in parallel with an overall shift away from the primary focus on academic credentials, which for too long superseded other attributes when considering a new hire.

It is difficult to claim with absolute certainty that determination is more essential than talent but in my experience, I’ve almost always seen that this is the case. There are definitely other factors to consider beyond this dichotomy when hiring someone, such as intelligence, critical thinking, creativity, and pure luck of circumstance.

I’m not implying that you should hire a really bad salesperson that shows a lot of grit.  However, I recommend that you recognize that screening candidates for determination is at least as important for screening for sales ability.

Many companies have difficulties justifying the act of firing clients, as the general belief is that losing clients is bad. However, there is nuance to this issue, as bad clients do exist and can technically cost you money. If clients can fire you, why can’t you fire them?

The heart of this issue can be boiled down to the Pareto Principle, which states that 80% of the effects derive from 20% of the causes. To apply this 80/20 connection to business management, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients, and 80% of your headaches come from 20% of your clients.

So how do you determine when a client needs to be fired in order to reduce the negative effects they are

having on your organization? As a way to help inform this weighty decision, we want to provide you with three signs to look out for when considering the firing of one of your clients.

 

1.) Disrespect

All relationships, whether professional or personal are built and developed on a foundation of respect. I always found it ironic that many of my friends wouldn’t tolerate dating somebody who was disrespectful to them yet they would take constant abuse from their clients. They’re really not that different.

One clear sign of disrespect is when the client is constantly undermining you and your team members and questioning a majority of the work that you deliver. This continued lack of regard for work that is both time and resource intensive can become toxic and bleed over into internal office relationships. The client might conduct themselves in a way that emphasizes their status as overly dominant, and look down upon you and your company as subordinates. This type of behavior is likely not worth dealing with as the headaches it will cause are significant and damaging to productivity and overall work satisfaction.

Respect, or lack thereof can also manifest itself in your views of the client in question. Perhaps their lax ethics or poor treatment of employees just don’t sit right with you, or they treat their own customers with contempt. You should feel no obligation to continue a relationship through this type of behavior, as there is no amount of money that justifies maintaining your efforts when a clear lack of respect exists.

 

2.) Return On Investment (ROI)

To put it simply, in order for any business to gain success you need to earn more money than you spend. I assign an ROI to each customer. If my average customer yields me $100 per hour of work and Client B (who is difficult to work with), only yields me $25 per hour, it’s probably time to fire them.

Some clients demand extra attention, which can be undeserved and resource heavy. We all know that time is money, and if a client is expecting more time than they are paying you for, it doesn’t make much sense to continue the relationship.

One of my biggest concerns has been the happiness of my employees and I also measure my ROI on them.  In my experience, it’s been amazing to see the trickle down effect when I’ve had a bad customer.  The employees felt beaten down so she lost confidence, stopped working as hard and complained to others in the office which negatively influenced morale.  When I fired a tough customer, things changed quickly because it signaled to my employees, “I have your back.  I’m not going to allow your time to be wasted or for you to be talked to that way.”

There is always an exception to the rule. Some clients present the potential for a long-term strategy that is profitable. In fact, some of my best clients took 6-12 months before my time invested in them really paid off. If this significant consumption of time is only temporary, with the strong possibility of becoming more lucrative in the future, then it could very well be worth the short-term resources spent ensuring their satisfaction.

 

3.) Communication

The success of all relationships can mostly be attributed to good communication. It is important that a line of communication is established in order to discuss updates, questions at hand, or any relevant news. Similarly, it is important that your client knows that they can reach you with suggestions or guidance they might have, as well as feedback.

One of my clients recently complimented our recruiting firm on the great job that we did filling his open roles. I thanked him but also let him know that a huge reason for our success was his ability to communicate. If we sent him a good candidate, he told us why. If a candidate didn’t quite hit the mark, he explained what they were lacking. The client stayed true to his word on everything that he told us he’d do, which has made our relationship a huge win-win.

If a client is unwilling to work towards regular communication, it is hard to imagine this relationship remaining successful. Your team won’t be able to deliver in a way that is satisfactory or on par with how you typically operate, and larger issues are bound to arise. It is always worth addressing these types of communication based dilemmas before firing a client, but it is important to be aware of them before they escalate.

 

At the end of the day these factors should always be thoroughly considered when you feel as though a client is costing more than they are worth. Every individual client relationship is nuanced and requires a slightly different approach, but without mutual respect, a worthwhile ROI, and clear communication, it becomes very difficult to justify the toll that a questionable client taking on you and your organization.

As a college graduate I place significant value on education and what it can illuminate in regard to an individual’s work ethic and level of dedication. However, should the lack of a degree be a deal breaker when it comes to taking on a new hire?  No, in my opinion, it shouldn’t.

Having earned my Bachelor’s degree from Miami University, and subsequently procuring my MBA from Case Western Reserve, I learned a lot about myself and what kind of commitment it requires to obtain these achievements. Completing over half a decade of schooling requires immense focus, drive, and self motivation, all of which are meaningful attributes for any member of a team to possess. This important aspect of my past and strong belief in education places me in a unique position to provide perspective on why I don’t believe companies should require a Bachelor’s degree.

The Lack of Resources

The education landscape is changing, and obtaining a degree has become a much heftier burden on those that choose to take that route. Tuition in America has skyrocketed, and many gifted and dedicated individuals just don’t have the resources (time & money) to afford a degree. This undeniable roadblock for many young people should no longer be a barrier to success and access to the workforce.

I had an outstanding candidate that I got to know extremely well many years ago. After spending time with him and witnessing first hand the capacity for success that he possessed, I sent him to an interview that I thought he was a great fit for. The company that interviewed him ended up turning him down solely due to his lack of a college degree.

After this occurred, I asked him, “Do you mind if I ask why you didn’t complete your Bachelor’s degree?”  He went on to explain to me his particular circumstance which is not uncommon these days. He told me about how he was raised by a single mother, and that his father wasn’t present in his life. His mother suffered a stroke, and at the time of this occurrence he was working a part-time job and going to school full-time. At this time he was forced to make a decision, as he couldn’t take care of his mom and simultaneously go to college. Now let me raise the question, is that the type of dedicated person that you want to hire?

The Changing Workplace Landscape

You may or may not be surprised that I am not the only professional that feels like a college degree shouldn’t make or break a new hire. In fact, there are a growing number of forward thinking companies that are looking for qualifications and determinations of work ethic elsewhere. Companies such as Google, IBM, and Apple are beginning to see the value in people that don’t go to college, yet successfully make their way into the workforce. Many of these individuals are quite exceptional, as it requires a lot to overcome the obstacles placed in your way when you don’t have a degree.

When looking at IBM as an example, they have put a lot of emphasis on initiatives that target talent pools outside of the typical academic pipeline. In fact, upwards of 15% of their new hires don’t have the long-established four-year degrees.

One of my tricks of hiring great salespeople is finding ones that have something to prove, which is one of my favorite reasons why I like hiring those without a Bachelor’s degree.  More than likely, they’ve been passed on by several companies in their past because they don’t have a college degree.  Many have a “fire in the belly” that they’re going to prove all of those companies wrong that wouldn’t even have a conversation with them.  How do you not want to hire somebody like that?

There is no reason why this should be a deal breaker for companies looking to make a new hire. There is a lot that a company can gain from hiring individuals that choose a different path, and many other ways to determine the level of commitment and passion for the job an applicant may have. The best place to start is with an open mind, and a willingness to explore alternative aspects to the qualifications of a potential hire.

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Do you ever wonder why you got so close to getting that dream job and the company suddenly lost interest in you?  Maybe they told you that an internal candidate got the job or that the company went through a hiring freeze.  This may or may not have been true.

Looking at things from the employer’s point of view, many people lose job offers because of bad choices they make using social media.  Even if an employer only knows the basics, he can type any person’s name into Google and can find out just about anything, including their blogs, blog comments, Facebook, MySpace (yes, it still exists), LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, criminal record, etc.

As a recruiter, I have more weapons in my arsenal and can even find old tweets, regardless if you have your Twitter account marked as private.

Social media can be your best friend or worst enemy. Employers don’t want to see you passed out at a bar, making obscene gestures, or mostly undressed. They also don’t want to see you bashing race, religion, gender, sexual preference, or your current job.

It seems like common sense, right? I’ve seen great candidates lose job offers because of tasteless pictures and comments. Just remember that everything you post is public. Ask the question, “Would I want my grandmother to read or see this?”

In the past six months, I know people who have lost out on great job opportunities because of what they posted on Twitter (making fun of other people), pictures they had on Facebook (too disturbing to share), and another who got into trouble with the law (domestic violence).

Even as I write this blog, I have read it over numerous times to be completely sure that I don’t say anything offensive to anybody. My current and potential clients and candidates will be reading this so it’s essential that I always remain professional.

You’re probably thinking, “I have some things out there I’d rather not people see.” Here are my top five recommendations:

1.) Don’t post inappropriate pictures or make any comments on the web that could be offensive to anybody. If they’re already up, delete them now!

2.) Mark all of your settings on any type of social media as private. Don’t let people who aren’t connected to you view your pictures or read your comments. If your friends posted ridiculous comments, delete them now!

3.) If you want to share your personal beliefs, call a friend. Don’t share them through social media.

4.) Google yourself because future employers will. If you find things that you don’t think a future employer would like, find a way to get rid of it!

5.) I’ve shared all of the negative things about social media but don’t forget that there are a lot of positive things too. If you’re actively volunteering, fundraising, running a marathon, or writing a motivational blog, these are all things that can help you get a job. Make sure these are public to future employers.

I hope this helps and good luck in the job search! As always, I welcome any public comments (as long as you follow the rules above) or feel free to contact me directly at gregg@rightchoiceresources.com.

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As somebody who has been through more interviews than anybody I know, I’ve been asked every question in the book.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Why do you want to work here?
What do you know about the company?
What makes you believe you will be successful?
Why are you looking to leave your current job?

I got to the point where I had premeditated responses to every possible question. In fact, I used to practice my pauses out loud so that during the actual interview, it sounded like I was giving deep thought to my answers.

Whatever question you ask a candidate during an interview, there’s at least a 90% chance they’ve answered the same question many times before.

Does this mean that interviews are pointless? No, not at all. However, I recommend trying other tactics that candidates can’t fake their way through.

Here are three strategies that I regularly use and highly recommend:

1.) Ask Them To Call You At A Designated Time

I recently had a candidate who wanted to speak to me and continually followed up via email and phone.  I admired his persistence and told him to call me at 10:00 AM.

At 10:07 AM, my phone rang and I didn’t answer it. He left a voicemail and e-mailed me but I decided not to send him to the interview.

If he was seven minutes late for an important phone interview, how could I rely on him to be on time for an in person interview or to show up to an important client meeting on time?

2.) Ask Situational Questions

Don’t ask the typical questions that you find on Monster, CareerBuilder, or by Googling “Interview Questions.”

Instead, explain an actual situation that other people in the role face and ask how they would handle it.

These situational questions will give you a much better idea of who they are rather than asking their strengths and weaknesses.

3.) Go To Lunch

This is the most underrated interview tactic out there and is the real test of who they are. Does the candidate remain professional or let down his or her guard?

If you haven’t tried this before, you won’t believe what candidates will say, even the ones who seem so professional during the interview.

I’ve heard, “I can’t believe I made it to the interview on time. I was so drunk last night.”

Another candidate started swearing and his professionalist quickly went out the door.

Finally, my favorite was a candidate who told me about how she got arrested.

These are things that would’ve never come up during an office interview and all three of these candidates lost any chance they had at the job.

If they were going to behave like this after an hour of meeting with me,  I would be very reluctant to send them out to meet a major client.

Most candidates tend to let their guard down if they are having lunch with people whom they view to be their peers. Therefore, I would suggest asking some of your team members who are approximately the same age as the candidate to go to lunch together.

I hope some of these tactics help you during your next round of interviews. If you have any relevant experiences, I would love to hear them. Please feel free to post them on the comments section of my blog or e-mail me at gregg@rightchoiceresources.com.

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As I have been working a number of years in sales, I have dealt with numerous recruiters, some who have been great and some who have been not so great.  The majority of them used similar tactics in trying to convince me to interview for jobs that I had absolutely no interest in.  When I said, “Thank you for thinking of me but that’s not what I’m looking for,” some even became argumentative.

Their main concern was in collecting a quick commission check. I am grateful for having dealt with them, as it made me very cognizant of how I did not want to conduct my business as a recruiter.   I strongly believe that if you are honest, passionate, and genuinely want to help people, sales somehow magically fall into place.

Another observation I made was that some recruiters treated their clients much better than their candidates. Of course, the clients are extremely important. After all, they are the ones who hire you, work with you on a daily basis, and pay the bills.  However, the candidate is equally, if not more important.

Imagine that you are about to sell into a Fortune 500 company. You scheduled the meeting, they are excited at the possibility of working with you, and it’s going to be a huge deal. The only problem is that you demo your product and the company finds it’s inferior . What do you think the chances are that you are going to land that sale?

The same thing holds true with your candidates. In a sense, your candidates are your products. Without “A” talent, you have nothing to sell.

Treat your candidates the same way as you would treat your clients.  Approximately 50% of the candidates I typically place are from referrals. The ironic part is that many of my referrals come from candidates that I never placed but because I was always nice, helpful and appreciative, they typically reciprocated.

Social media and resume databases are wonderful but don’t undervalue the importance of your candidates. They have the ability to make you look good (or bad), assist you with searches, and like your client, help or ruin your reputation. Be honest with them just like you would with your client. If they are most passionate about technology and outside sales, don’t try to convince them to be in inside sales for a logistics company.

Trying to fit a square peg in a round hole is a lose-lose-lose situation. The candidate loses because he/she is unhappy with the job and possibly quits. You lose because you need to place the candidate and you have an unhappy client and candidate. Your client loses because they just wasted time and money to train a new employee, who they now need to replace.

Is the client or candidate more important? The truth is that they’re equally important and it’s essential to have both. The bottom line is a fairly simple lesson. If your main motive is to help people (throw away the financial piece), things will fall into place for you. Good people want to help other good people.

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When preparing for an interview, candidates have a lot to remember:

• What do I know about the company?
• Will I remember everybody’s name and what they do?
• Do I have questions to ask them?
• What questions will they ask me and how will I answer them?

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Being mentally prepared is crucial to landing a job but being physically prepared is equally important. As the saying goes, perception is reality.

Imagine getting financial advice from someone wearing jeans and a t-shirt. What would your initial reaction be?  Now imagine that same person wearing a nicely fitted suit, pressed shirt with a tie, shined shoes, and a nice watch. It’s the same exact person and same advice. However, your confidence in their financial advice drastically changes, doesn’t it?

I’ve seen many very qualified candidates lose job offers because of a bad choice in their wardrobe. One candidate wore slippers, another an old beat up shirt, and a third candidate had scuffed shoes. My clients told me that all three of these candidates were great but they just didn’t feel comfortable sending them to a client so none of them got the job.

Sometimes you can’t control your chemistry with the interviewer or be able to think fast enough to answer a question the best you can. However, don’t lose a job because you’re not dressed correctly. That is something that you can always 100% control.

Here are the top things men and women must remember when getting dressed for an interview:

For Men and Women:

1.) Print your resume on resume paper and have it in a leather bound portfolio case similar to the one below.

2.) Make sure your cell phone is turned off. I would recommend leaving it in the car or taking the battery out.

3.) An interview isn’t the time to drench yourself in cologne or perfume. One or two sprays is more than enough and I personally wouldn’t wear any.

4.) All tattoos should be covered.

5.) All facial piercings should be removed.

6.) You are better off buying a less expensive suit and getting it tailored to fit your body for $100 rather than an expensive suit that doesn’t fit you. Just because clothes are expensive doesn’t mean you look good in them. Be sure they fit you properly. If this means going in to get the suit slightly tailored occasionally, it is definitely worth the investment in getting a job.

For Men

1.) Wear a nice suit. I always recommend playing it safely and being conservative. I suggest wearing a dark suit, ideally black or navy blue, but dark grey is acceptable as well.

2.) Wear a crisp white shirt on with a conservative tie. Don’t try to be trendy by breaking out the red shirt and tie that you have.

3.) Try your clothes on at least one week ahead of time. I’ve lost and gained weight or have purchased a suit that’s a little too big on me. I always take my interview suit to a tailor to make sure it fits me properly. Since this takes time, I make sure to plan this in advance.  You are better off having a less expensive suit that fits you versus an expensive suit that doesn’t.

4.) Take your suit and shirt to the dry cleaners. It always looks so much nicer when you do and you’ll feel more confident. I recommend light starch on the white shirt.

5.) Shine your shoes. I just sent a candidate into an interview last week. He told me the first thing the hiring manager did when he got there was look under the table at his shoes. Don’t wear beat up shoes with scuff marks. Shoes are more important than you think.

6.) Shave and get a haircut and manicure if needed.

7.) Limit the amount of jewelry you wear and if you have a watch on, make sure it’s an appropriate dress watch.

For Women

1.) If you’re not sure, err on the side of being conservative. A skirt or pant suit in navy blue, dark brown, gray or black is recommended.

2.) If you choose to wear a skirt, it should hit right below the top of your knee.  It is not appropriate to wear short skirts.

3.) Don’t wear shoes that are open toed, open healed, or too wild or trendy. Heels shouldn’t exceed 2.5 inches.

4.) Be careful not to overdo it on the makeup or perfume and have well manicured nails. The interview isn’t the time to try on your new nail polish with glitter. Pick a conservative solid color and make sure it’s not chipped.

6.) If you wear earrings, only wear one pair. I’d also recommend only one ring on each hand, one necklace, one bracelet, and a nice watch (nothing sporty). Be careful not to overdo it on the jewelry.

I hope some of this advice will help you be better prepared for your interview. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at gregg@rightchoiceresources.com.

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