Looking for a Job?

[Uabassoon]

THANK YOU. I am very much looking for a job right now. I also really, really, don't want to change my hair color. Would you automatically rule me out? (I am the one with pink hair in my signature.)

I hate admit that I would automatically rule you out. I would put your application in my TBNT (thanks but no thanks) folder.

I'm also shocked at how people don't know how to dress for an interview. You should dress nicer than the dress code of the place you are interviewing for. If you show up in jeans, shorts or flip flops you are not getting hired.

I second #3 I will not leave a message if I don't know who I am calling.

[Aspen and Misty]

So I've recently applied for a job. I did an informal over the phone interview (the job is in Haines Alaska, I'm in Atlanta Georgia) and after that she asked me to send in my resume via email. When I emailed her I told her how nice it was to get to talk to her, thanked her for her time, included my resume and told her I looked forward to hearing from her soon (or something along those lines, it was very nice professional and well written). I then did a formal, over the phone interview with several board members, afterwards they asked for me to send them my references again via email. In my email I again thanked all of them for their time, told them I really enjoyed learning more about the job and that I look forward to speaking with them in the near future (or something along those lines, again it was very nice, professional and well written).

Now my question is do I send another thank you? Or was the one sent with my references sufficient enough? Is there anything else I could do that would help me to possibly land this job?

Ashley

[Miss Z]

Thanks for posting this, I'm astounded that the majority of people out there don't think that it's obvious to consider all the points you have made.

I'm considering looking for some employment soon. I know that I would never show up to a serious interview in anything other than a suit. I would keep make-up natural and jewelry to a minimum. I never plan to dye my hair all the colours of the rainbow, or get any form of tattoos. I just think someone in a well-cut, crisp business suit with natural features looks so professional, and a lot of jobs are secured on first impressions.

[sasvermont]

Right now I am in the throws of finding a new job. I have worked in law firms for so long that it is hard/difficult to shake the history.

I interviewed for a job I would like, and of course, ran into the "over qualified" comment again. I don't want a job like I had before. I want to be able to leave the place each day, with nothing to bring home.

I will know by the end of the week if I did get the position. I surely hope I will, but gee, I know they see "old fart" when they see someone with my years of experience AND hair that has streaks of gray! They seemed bright enough to know how much I can bring to the table. If I get the job, I will let you know, for sure.

There is so much that goes into hiring and working.....and much of it has to do with timing and luck.

Sas

[Edwina's Secretary]

Ashley - I would send another email -- to share some research you find about something related to the company or organization. It is a chance to keep your name in front of them. Again say how excited you are about the opportunity and why you are specially qualified for the job.

Sas...I've think I've mentioned this but...a year ago my husband faced the same thing. He was turned down as too qualified. He went back and asked to speak again. Explained why he wanted a job for which he was "over-qualifed" and why they should hire him. And they did.

If they told you that....send an email...Over-qualified vs under-qualifed - which is better? Light-hearted but pointed -- better work ethic, able to handle emergency. Maybe list the reasons people fear over qualified - want too much money, going to quit as soon as something better comes along, will want my job - and give a response to each one.

[Vio&Juni]

I have been interviewed quite a few times and I interviewed a few also. Selecting a few out of a hundred was a pretty difficult task. But I think the most difficult was to listen why they wanted the job - so many of them had no idea what the job was about.

It is important to be dressed properly, to have the proper make-up, and so on, and I try to stick to these rules when I am being interviewed, but I have to say that the most un-professional and the worst colleage I've ever had (who I was against hiring) had everything a good candidate should have: proper outfit, proper hair colour, good looking CV, she even had a Master's degree, but boy she was stupid! And lazy! And apparently very impolite. So, keeping this in mind, I will try to give people a chance to open their mouth. The one she was hired over was dressed a little too "pretty" (she was another employee we had at a lower paid job), and anyway she kept doing a big part of the job of the "proper" one. How's that for a lesson how to dress for an interview?

[Barbara]

So here are my five cent:
The question why you want to be hired by especially that company is important to answer: of course you may apply by different companies that appear fairly similar - e.g. two different publishing houses tat both publish travel guides. In any case you should have an answer in front of company A why you chose it. (And a different one for company B).
And : if you sent printed materials (and not e-mails): make sure it is good clean white paper ( a little heavier maybe than your average printer paper), there are no typos, there is not too much design (unless you are in advertising or something artsy) and you sign it properly. It is what first gets the attention.