What to Wear to an Interview February 26, 2010

Hello Everyone!

This week I will be writing to you about what a potential professional should wear to an interview.  First off, you should all know that interviews (most likely) are your first time meeting with a company.  This means what you wear to your interview presents who you are and what you have to offer.  Also, it is your first impression with the company.  This is a critical time for you, and you should remember that it is at this time that the company will be judging you.

According to mindtools.com the first three seconds of your interview is the time when the company evaluates you the most. With this information in mind, I think that you need to go into your interview as professional as possible.  You should have a great attitude and being wearing the proper attire.  The attire that you wear to your interview should represent who you are, but in a conservative manner and appropriate for the interview’s setting.

Lets keep in mind that your outfit represents who you are, as well as the company that you desire employment with.  During the interview, the company will be looking to see if you are likely to fit in with the company.  The company may assume that your attire represent the type of work you do.  So, if you dress colorful they may assume that your work is bright and creative.  But, if you show up to the interview in non-matching sloppy clothes the company may assume that your work is disorganized.  I think that it would be a fair judgment too.

Now that you can understand why dressing well to an interview is important, lets go over what you should wear and should not wear.  Women should dress conservative and professional. According to Lamas Beauty, women should wear either pants or a skirt. The skirt should not go more than two inches above your knee. I personally think that if women choose to wear a skirt that they should always wear panty hose, as well as closed toed shoes.  Also, I think that your shoulders should be covered.  Men should dress in slacks and a button down.  A jacket should be worn when you enter the building, but does not have to be worn during the interview if you felt that it was to formal.  Men should make sure that their color scheme matches and that they are not wearing sport socks or white socks.  Also, their shoes should be clean and worn properly.  Men should also wear their pants at a professional height, and should not be to baggy.  All of these are suggestions on what to wear to an interview in order to feel more confident and professional.  According to collegeboard.com, wearing professional clothes to an interview can make you feel more confident and actually preform better in the interview.  They also suggest to look professional, but stay comfortable. If you are uncomfortable, it might be obvious to the company, and they may assume something is wrong with you.

So yes people, it does matter what you wear to an interview!

Thanks for reading, Kristin

Tiger Woods’ Press Conference February 22, 2010

After all the buzz on Tiger Woods Sex Scandal, I was interested to see how his press conference would play out.  As most know, Tiger worked closely with public relations professionals and media adverse to see how he could improve his relations with the public.  As a Public Relations major, I have taken courses that discuss crisis management in public relations, but I have never seen it displayed first hand in such a public figure (besides Bill Clinton).  Anyways, after watching the press conference, I felt that Tiger’s PR professionals did a great job in prepping him for his press conference.  I think that people will react well to him and his public apology.

PR Theories Exposed in Reality TV Show Kell on Earth February 19, 2010

 Kell on Earth is a reality television show that focuses on Kelly Cutrone and the aspects of her Public Relations Firm, People’s Revolution.  In class we watched the first seasons second episode.  In the episode, Cutrone and her staff were preparing for Fashion Week.  Cutrone dealt with many different clients and obstacles during the show.  One theory that really stuck with me was the social learning theory.   

The social learning theory is the theory that people develop behaviors by watching other people’s behavior.  In this episode, Cutrone’s interns put together gift bags for their clients.  Stephanie, the top intern, put together the first bag as an example.  The rest of the interns followed her behavior, despite the fact that the gift bags were poorly put together.  When Cutrone asked why they preformed their jobs so inadequately, they responded that they did so because they were following Stephanie’s actions.  Throughout the episode, it was noticed that Stephanie’s performance was not as professional as needed, which possibly influenced the other interns behaviors or lets at least hope so because those were some UgLy gift bags!

Benefits and Pitfalls of Social Media for Job Seekers February 12, 2010

Hello Everyone!!

This week I will be writing to you about social media benefits and pitfalls for job seekers.  First, I am going to talk to you about the benefits that come with social media. According to Talent Management Tech social media is a new way that allows people to stand out from the crowd.  By being knowledgeable and familiar with today’s social media you can increase your chance of getting a job and set yourself apart from other candidates.  Today’s employment opportunities are limited and finding a job can often be overwhelming and difficult.  However, current social media are creating opportunities.  Companies are now hiring and opening up positions that strictly deal with social media.  Some positions only entail updating and keeping the company’s profile information current.  When I interned this past summer at Playa Pilates, one of my jobs was to create a fan page for the company.  It was a good job, because I knew how to do it. The primary reason for creating the fan page was to keep clients and future clients updated on current events and upcoming events.  I also had to create a Twitter account for the company and tweet about current sales or class changes or updates. I think that social media is great because it is a free way to advertise and get your company or product out there.  However, this can also be a pitfall of social media.

 If you are a former public relation’s professional and a current job seeker, your skills may be a bit outdated.  During my Events Management class we had a guest speaker come in and talk about today’s social media.  She stated that with today’s technology and online networking, writing press releases is not always the way to go.  She said that using Facebook and Twitter is almost better, and you can reach your target audience.  Also, she said that it was a great thing to use social media because it is free.

Another pitfall of social media for job seekers is that some people who use the social media outlets put up too much information, or information that is not appropriate.  According to Cummins, bosses peek in on potential employers’ facebook accounts to make sure that they are appropriate and professional.  If too much information or inappropriate pictures are posted, the chance of you getting that job could be at risk.

 Overall, today’s social media does have benefits and pitfalls.  It is your job as a jobseeker to make sure if you are using social media to keep it updated and professional.  According to BusinessWeek.com, professionals who use social media should use a proper code of conduct. If you do this you are using social media correctly and it will benefit you in the long run.  I also feel that we should use these modern tools to help us grow and communicate on a larger scale.  To avoid pitfalls, I think that we should keep focused on what we are presenting to other people and make sure to not expose to much about ourselves.  If too much personal information is exposed you could be putting yourself into harms way, and that is not something that we want to do.

Thanks for Reading, Kristin