Do clothes' colors matter when interviewing?

Do clothes' colors matter when interviewing?

The answer is, "yes," according to "Dressing the Part Means Coloring It In," an article by Kimberly Thompson that I read in my Summer 2011 Phi Kappa Phi Forum magazine today. The colors you chose to wear help shape the impression you make. They can not only send a visual message but also elicit an emotional reaction from potential employers. To employers, the colors you are wearing can also signal whether you will fit into the company or not. In The Image of Success, Lizandra Vega, an executive recruiter and image consultant, writes, "A professional image can easily be projected by the choice of clothes, accessories, and appearance. Visual cues are very important."

What statement do the colors you are wearing make to employers?

Navy blue inspires confidence and stands for loyalty. It is the best color of suit to wear to an initial job interview.

Brown tones signal honesty and integrity. Green hues signal balance and poise. These are "safe choices for a first or second job interview."

Black commands authority. Therefore, wearing it to an initial job interview may seem powerful too early into the interview process. It's best to save it for a final job interview where you will likely meet with senior management.

Red signals aggressiveness. A bold choice, it may be appropriate for a sales position, but muted tones of red are better.

Pink? Don't wear it until you already have the job. It signals romance, friendship, gentleness, and softness, which can cause potential employers to question your judgement.

Overall, in today's competitive job market, if you are serious about your job search, then you need to consider the nonverbal messages that color sends.

Be an "Anonymous Extraordinary"

Happy TED Tuesday!

This is an inspiring story of a teenage girl who worked for the Invisible Children movement to get the campaign featured on the Oprah Winfrey show as well as a bill signed into law that would apprehend the Lord's Resistance Army leaders in Uganda and provide funding to help the region devastated by 25 years of war recover. 

My favorite thing Natalie says is, "Anonymous Extraordinaries are people who work selflessly and vigorously for what they believe in. People who are motivated by conviction, and not recognition." The idea that the acts we so make us extraordinary, not the moments when we receive recognition, is something I think it would be beneficial for every individual to take to heart.  

Natalie Warne: Being young and making an impact

Crafting Cover Letters

I have the entire week off for Thanksgiving, so I am going to use it wisely. This week's goal: craft cover letters to send to each person on my networking list. I looked back at my notes on cover letters today, so I thought I would share them. 

Paragraph 1:The Opening

• State the reason for writing and how you learned of the opening
• To apply for the position advertised on [Date] in the [Newspaper/etc.]
• To inquire about software opportunities with [Organization] at the suggestion of [advisor, mentor, professor, etc.]
• You may also explain why the employer/work appeals to you

Paragraph 2 &/ 3: The Rationale

• This is where you THINK [of employer's needs] and LINK [your skills and abilities]. After reviewing the ad, job description, or other research on the qualifications required, you need to discuss and demonstrate 2/3 top skills from you Experience and Skill Inventory that qualify you for the opportunity. Be sure to answer your reader's question: What can this candidate do for me or my company/agency? Content might be organized into:
• Educational/Academic background (course work, projects, research)
• Work Experience/Training/Internships
• Functional/Personal Skills (communication/leadership/work ethic) either expanding on your resume summary, or mentioning other details

Final Paragraph: Call to Action

• Decide on what action you wish to request from the reader and how you will proceed:
• Request an interview, or some other response, and tell how you may be contacted
• Indicate when you will follow-up to answer questions or learn more of their hiring process
• Thank the reader for his/her time and consideration

Technical Requirements

• 1 page length
• 1" margins on all sides
• 12 point size, Times New Roman font
• Typed on word processor and laser printer
• No spelling or typing errors. Check grammar, punctuation, and syntax
• Write to the person who can hire you, with name, title, address correct and complete. Choose a "nonsexist" term, if no name is available, i.e. "Dear Personnel Director, Search Committee, Reader"
• Sign with a blue or black pen
• Secured on top of resume by one paper clip in the upper left hand corner
• Not folded or bent in any way

On Resumes

I am creating a one-page resume for K-State's Public Service Career Fair next week. I am continually updating my Curriculum Vitae (CV), but it's been over three years since I have needed to put together a one-page resume from my eight-page CV. I realize that seems like a lackadaisically long time for an undergraduate student to not have created a one-pager, so I offer this as explanation: I have been working within the government sector for the majority of my undergraduate career, and the government prefers very detailed records of what you have done.

Since it has been over 3 years since I have created a one-page resume, I decided to refer to my collection of notes on resumes. Here are my synthesized notes:

Organization

• Personal Information
• Name (no title), addresses, phone numbers, email, fax addresses, or web site (should show professional skills, not personal data). 
• Objective or Career Interest
• A clear objective tells prospective employers the type of job you want so they may evaluate your resume. 
• Education
• Usually comes first for student resumes as it is a strong asset. After your fist job, it will follow experience. 
• Experience in Chronological Order
• Identifies experience beginning with the most recent events listed first under each heading. Titles and organizations are prominent and duties and accomplishments within these positions are listed beneath.
• Optional Categories
• Be certain your strengths are represented in various categories: Honors/Awards; Leadership Activities; Relevant Skills and Experience; Special Interests; and/or Accomplishments. If one of these areas, i.e Leadership Activities, outweighs Work History as an asset, it may come before that section on your resume. You will lead with your strengths.
• References
• Indicate "References Available Upon Request" at the bottom of resume or refer to references in your cover letter.

The Specifics

Education

• Education usually means postsecondary and can include special seminars, training, certifications, or licensure. Freshmen may include high school and identify those activities/honor/course work relevant to finding internships/summer work. After the freshman year, only state/national/unique recognitions are usually included. Begin with the most recent degree obtained or in progress, and work backwards. 
• List degree/year obtained or expected; names and locations of schools; major, minor, options, if any; and grade point average. Not every school needs to be listed, but if you make reference to activities or honors, include the institution's name. 
• GPA is reviewed, particularly for on-campus interviews. Be sure to separate GPA for each institution, clarify that this is "cumulative GPA for all schools." Include major GPA if it benefits you to do so. Clarify how you reached your total: all department courses, requirements for major, option emphasis, etc. Indicate improvement in GPA "after reentry to K-State; change of major; last three semesters, etc."
• Relevant Course Work, Study Abroad, Language Proficiency may be included in this section
• Percent of college expenses you provided might be identified to show ability to balance time or demonstrate work ethic. Use over 50% as a guide. 

Experience

• Experience may include fulltime paid jobs, academic research projects, internships or coop positions, part-time jobs or volunteer work. List Job Title (if relevant), month/year of employment or experience, name and location of employers and responsibilities you held. 
• Describe each experience using a P-A-R (Problem-Action-Result) formula to review the situation, describing the problem (or overall challenge/responsibility), actions taken to reach the goal, result or accomplishment achieved.
• Use an action verb to start your statement and omit personal pronouns (i.e. "I" or "my").
• Be specific in describing equipment used, duties, languages and purposes of actions.
• Quantify the number of people, products, and profits involved.

Honors

• Honors may include academic awards (scholarships or honor's list), professional awards or recognition, leadership or athletics.

Activities

• Activities might include academic, volunteer, community, professional or living group organizations in which you held office or played a role. You may apply PAR statements to illustrate what you accomplished in the offices/functions you held. Interests or hobbies are options if related to professional goals.

Other Categories

• Other categories you might want to include leadership, internships, computer skills, volunteer work, language proficiencies, research, professional associations, publications, military experience, or accomplishments.