LH AGENDA > Articles by: Kathie Kelly

Author: Kathie Kelly

First date and first interview. Two very stressful moments in your life which both require consideration and preparation in the area of what to wear for an interview. I was always terrible at dating (just lucky my husband persevered!), so I’ll concentrate on the interview attire!

Obviously it’s not just what you wear to an interview that gets you across the line, but first impressions are a vital factor in securing your next role. For more tips on interview etiquette, check out my post on interview questions. It’s a well known fact that an interviewer will form an opinion about you within the first 90 seconds of your meeting. You need to make sure that it’s a favourable one.

An interviewer will form an opinion about you within the first 90 seconds of your meeting

How to dress for the interview

The first step in putting together your interview outfit is to conduct a little research on the organisation. Have a good look around their website especially at their newsletters or staff bios, disregarding the standard stock photos (you know the ones where everyone looks like a model, smiling in grey suits!). If you are going through a recruiter, ask them for guidance. Clearly some industries are more formal than others. But regardless of whether you are an accountant or in advertising, some basic rules apply.

Iron your clothes. Simple but true, you would be amazed at the amount of people who turn up with crinkled pants or shirts.
No denim, no see-through tops. If you would wear it to a club, don’t wear it to your interview (unless it’s in a club perhaps!).
Closed-in and polished shoes. Heels preferred but not too high – keep the Jimmy Choos at home unless you are interviewing in a creative or fashion environment.
Clean hair – styled, if long then pop it into a sleek ponytail – leave the flashy headband at home.
Check stockings for snags if wearing them, if not ensure legs are smooth and not overly fake tanned.
Skirts should be on the knee or just below – not longer or shorter.
Trousers should be on the tops of your shoes, not dragging on the ground.
Ensure tops are not revealing and your buttons aren’t gaping.
Don’t forget to cut the thread stitched over pockets or splits on a new jacket or suit. Check no threads or worse still, no tags are showing.
If you are travelling in a hot climate, or prone to sweating, make sure your blouse is not going to show wet spots.
Keep the jewellery to a minimum – just choose one bold piece that is coordinated with your outfit. Steer clear of too many rings, earrings or bracelets.
Sit down in your outfit and check for gaps or skirts riding up or down.
Be on trend but not trendy – power suits are not necessarily the answer, and you don’t want to look dated. A black pencil skirt worn with a white shirt and coloured fitted jacket can look just as great. Alternatively try a shift dress with a jacket.
Go with muted colours, with just a pop of colour for a truly professional look.
Wear appropriate underwear – make sure you can’t see your bra or knickers, this may be a bit too distracting. You don’t want to be remembered for the wrong reason.
Clean, structured hand bag – don’t carry a large tote overflowing with enough stuff to last you a week. Ensure your bag is not peeling, broken or too flashy.
If you wear glasses, ensure they are clean not streaky.
Keep make up natural looking – leave the red lipstick for the wine bar.
Make sure your nails are clean, manicured and polished. Go for a light colour in most instances.
Deodorant and breath mints – don’t underestimate the importance of both of these, especially if you are travelling a long distance for your interview. Also don’t overdo the fragrance.

Of course there are many different industries and different levels of business attire. However these rules tend to apply in most environments, clearly the more conservative the organisation or industry is, then the more likely it is that the expectation is a suit. Don’t make the mistake of forgetting these rules for what is perceived as a casual job – basic preparation in terms of presenting a polished image is important no matter what type of work you do. Clearly an interviewer doesn’t run through this list ticking each item off, but if you adhere to these guidelines you will present an overall polished impression.

Don’t forget the must have accessory to finish off your interview outfit. A confident smile!

Good luck and let me know if you have any interesting interviews coming up.

Tell us what your favourite interview outfit is and if you have any other ideas for the list.

Kathie Kelly

Kathie Kelly has spent a number of years in recruitment, workforce planning, business development and community/corporate partnerships. She has taken these skills and founded Square Pegs Consulting to provide assistance to not for profits, businesses and individuals needing help with finding their right fit.

Kathie is also a travel junkie, has a keen appreciation for music, dance and live theatre, along with being a mad rugby league follower. You can connect with Kathie on LinkedIn at http://au.linkedin.com/in/kathiekelly

Featured image: Victor1558

So you’ve made it to the interview stage, you’ve answered all their questions and then comes that dreaded final one, “Do you have any questions for me?”

“What’s the company policy on Facebook usage?” Probably not a great start….

But what are the types of questions to ask in this circumstance? In a lot of situations, you just feel relieved that the end is in sight and you’ve made it through relatively unscathed. It’s very easy to then finish off with, “No thanks, I think you’ve covered everything I needed to know.”

Wrong answer. Not only does it have the potential to seem like you’re not prepared, it can also send the message that you’re really not that interested. At the very least prepare three questions, however a better scenario is to ask a question related to something that the interviewer has already discussed with you. An example of this would be, “So from what we’ve discussed today, it sounds like your organisation has expanded a lot quicker than expected. What sort of impact will this have on your medium to long term planning?”

In preparing your questions prior to your interview, make sure you research not only the organisation but the interviewer(s). Do both a LinkedIn and Google search on them. You may find they have worked previously with someone in your network (or even at companies you have worked for). There may be an opportunity to ask them about their previous work history, which will show you’ve done your homework. Use this information sparingly however, as you don’t want to appear like a stalker.In preparing your questions prior to your interview, make sure you research not only the organisation but the interviewer(s).

I’m often asked for the best questions to ask at interviews. Firstly, make sure the question you ask is not easily accessible on the organisation’s web site. If you are applying for sales or marketing roles, do NOT ask who their main competitors are – you should have been able to find this out yourself from your research. A better question is to state that from your research you believe that XYZ and ABC are their largest competitors and ask if they would agree. A great question to ask is, “I see that your competitor XYZ has recently announced (insert something of interest here i.e. a new service, a takeover of another company, a new CEO etc). What sort of impact do you predict this will have on your current business?”

As I’ve mentioned in a previous post, you can search interview questions online and thousands will appear. Be careful to not just trot these out verbatim as you will look lazy and uncreative. Have a think about what you want to know and put your own individual spin on each question.

Some of my favourites are:

What is your company’s point of difference compared to your competitors?
How do divisional units interact and communicate with each other to reach their goals?
What excites you about this company and keeps you motivated?
What are some of the key achievements others have made in this role?
What are some of your key issues that you would like to see the successful person address?
What are the intangible cultural qualities that attracted you to this company?

There are, of course, loads more and you can download them to your heart’s content. However, the key thing to remember is that even though it may feel like you are being interrogated, the best thing you can do is to treat the interview as a two-way process and find out as much as you possibly can. You spend a lot of time at work so you want make sure it’s as compatible and enjoyable as you can make it!

Kathie Kelly

Kathie Kelly is the National Manager – Recruitment Solutions of BUSY At Work an organisation which provides workforce planning and recruitment services to businesses throughout Queensland and Australia.
Kathie is also a travel junkie, has a keen appreciation for music, dance and live theatre, along with being a mad rugby league follower. You can connect with Kathie on LinkedIn at http://au.linkedin.com/in/kathiekelly

Top image: The_Warfield

It’s beginning to feel a lot like post-Christmas. Too much food, wine and a credit card with a strip that’s wearing out from overuse. All culminating in that night of nights when we make loads of ambitious resolutions and by February have forgotten all of them. Sound familiar? Here’s some advice on how to make at least one of them stick. If you are keen to find a new job for 2013, or move up the corporate ladder, then you should follow these five steps in order to achieve that goal.

1. Write it down

Write down in detail exactly what you are looking for in terms of a new job or promotion. This ensures you are not bogged down in applying for everything and anything in your industry. Think about what you enjoy now and the skills you want to develop further. Be specific, for example – I would like an external sales role specifically which looks after existing clients, travelling regularly within my state (but not overseas) and promoting a service that I would be proud of within the road transport sector. Then visualise yourself doing this job, how you will feel and what unique advantages you will bring to the role. This helps at the interview stage. Write all this down positively – what you want to do, not what you want to leave behind. This simple act of writing down your goal starts you on the road to achievement.

2. Share them

Now I don’t mean with everyone you know via Facebook and Twitter. Firstly that will open you up for some negative feedback from one of those ‘friends’ who secretly enjoys seeing others fail. Secondly, this will probably find its way back to your boss and you may find yourself needing to fast track your goal due to no longer having a job! Share your career goals with someone you trust and who will hold you accountable – and allow them to provide you critical feedback without becoming defensive, so choose carefully and remember you asked them for their help.

3. Be specific

Break down your goal into several smaller steps which you need to achieve to reach the end goal. Exactly what you need to do to get what you want and when you will do it by. So if you would like a team manager role by May 2013, you will need to review your resume to ensure it is geared towards those roles, decide if you need to undertake any further training, gather your work examples and referees and commence your job hunt by setting up job alerts on the relevant web sites.

4. Review regularly

Review daily or weekly depending on the end date you have set yourself. Tweak your goals where needed. A few weeks in, you may realise that there is very little need for your ‘dream’ role so you may need to rethink your original plan. However, keep focused and review any changes against your original plan (you don’t want to end up back in the same rut again). Ensure you remove any distractions – real or created – and continue to track your progress so you can reward yourself for small steps along the way.

5. Be realistic

Look, if you really want to be the next judge on The Voice, then I’m sure if you’ve got a few million downloads of your new hit song you might have a chance. For the rest of us, ensure that when you set your new job goal that it’s potentially achievable. If it’s too large or too much of a leap, then I’m sorry to say that you just won’t get there.

Don’t set your sights too low either, as it needs to be something to stretch yourself – that way when you achieve it, you will genuinely feel rewarded. Make sure you have the time allocated to conduct your search (you need to allow yourself time after hours if you are still working) and honestly assess if you have the correct attributes. Search people via the types of job roles you aspire to on LinkedIn and review their CVs and identify any gaps that you may need to fill. Mostly you need to believe in your proposed new career. Moving jobs for a couple of extra dollars won’t cut it long term; motivation and desire to come to work are the key drivers for success.

Now is the time, the blackberry is turned off (or at least not beeping every minute), the morning alarm is non-existent, and afternoon naps are standard practice. Use this downtime to reflect on what you have done this year and what you can change in order to achieve that next step in your career. No doubt you’ll be active on social media platforms, so use that time to connect with former colleagues and to network. Make sure you send holiday greetings to your past managers, remember they are the people who will be your referees in the future.

2013 doesn’t have to be yet another year when your drunken resolutions have all fallen through before the end of January. Follow this simple advice and you will be on track to fulfilling your ambitions of a promotion or a step closer to that dream job.

Kathie Kelly

Kathie is also a travel junkie, has a keen appreciation for music, dance and live theatre, along with being a mad rugby league follower. You can connect with Kathie on LinkedIn at http://au.linkedin.com/in/kathiekelly

top image: Spencer Finnley

At some stage in your career you are sure to find yourself on either side of the dreaded interview scenario. Let’s just put it out there – there are some terrible interview questions that make their way into the interview process.

“If you were an animal, which animal would you be?” I’m guessing a sloth is not a great response here. But really, what on earth does this tell you about a person’s ability to do the job? Apparently it tells prospective employers how you perceive yourself. A less dated version of this might be; “Tell me what your last boss would say about you if I met them in a social setting? What about your partner, mum, or best friend?”

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” If you say “right here in this job” you appear ambitionless. ‘In your seat’ and you seem predatory and ‘succeeding in this company’ sounds like a suck up. A better question to ask would be, “How do you hope to be remembered when you retire?” This will help the applicant talk about what really motivates them and what they really enjoy.

Perhaps out of arrogance, interviewers tend to spend all of the allocated time asking questions. A more fruitful experience for both parties is a two-way conversation An interviewer needs to give something of themself in the process otherwise what reason would the applicant have to work for them? This is a marriage of sorts, as it’s well documented that it’s not all about having the right skills to generate success in a new company, but rather fitting in culturally with the immediate and greater teams that will see you settling in and achieving quickly. Some good tips here are to talk (in broad terms) about the goals you have for the team/department, some recent achievements and give some context to the career path on offer.

Compatibility of both parties

Now here’s a tip that we use as recruiters – find out the pain points of your candidate. It doesn’t matter whether you are interviewing or you are the applicant, this technique will help you gain some insight. What’s important to your applicant or to the hiring manager? It could be some factors such as growth opportunities, location, flexibility, generating new business, deadlines and reputation. Once you have ascertained this information you can then align the two parties. Remember what your mum used to say, “You can’t put a round peg into a square hole.” It holds very true in the recruitment process, but sometimes we don’t marry up all our pain points and one party is left seriously underwhelmed.

Be prepared

Of course, you can Google interview questions and thousands will appear. Before you head into an interview though, stop and think about what you want to achieve and what you need to find out to make an informed decision. If you are an employer, never go into an interview under-prepared as this interaction could be the only impression an applicant gets about your business. Or, if you are the applicant, remember that even if the role you are interviewed for is not an exact fit, the interviewer may know of other vacancies that are yet to be advertised.

Finally, and again I am talking to both applicant and employer, have a think about what your non negotiables are compared to which aspects you are willing to be flexible about. For employers, think about what you really need this person to achieve in the next 12 months; does the position description accurately reflect this? And for applicants, really think about why you want to leave your current role and what needs to be different in your next position. Is the grass necessarily greener and will this new role provide you with that all-important job satisfaction? As in any business negotiation, know your bottom line.

With all of these things in mind, you should be able to approach your next interview with a clear plan of what you hope to get out of the meeting, and perhaps you might even enjoy the conversation!

Kathie Kelly

Top image: jamelah

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn. Every day it seems there is a new tool for people to interact via social media. I’m often asked what I think is the best way to find a new job by using these platforms.

Many mid to large employers are using the online world to seek out skilled workers, using some or all of these tools.

Of the above platforms, LinkedIn is by far the most professional digital network for jobseekers looking to maximise their employment opportunities; and a key thing to remember is that it’s not just about being there. Just like you wouldn’t walk into a networking function dressed inappropriately and spewing forth your details to every person you walk past, there are some protocols worth taking note of.

Quality not quantity. There is a misconception that LinkedIn is all about the number of connections you have – well it isn’t. To make the most of this site, and indeed any corporate networking avenue, you want to keep in mind quality rather than quantity. So basically, having 1000 connections that you have no contact with is almost pointless. A hundred or so connections that you have some level of interaction with are much more beneficial- particularly if your connections have networks of the same quality as your own.
First impression matters. Everyone that visits your page is likely to spend no more than five seconds on it. As a result it is important to ensure it stands out and is clear and concise to attract attention. One of the most important things to consider for your LinkedIn profile is the headline. At a glance, it should tell a prospective employer what you do, or if you are between jobs, what you ideally want and would like to be known for.
Make sure you have a good photo that represents your professional persona. Unless you are a party planner don’t publish a photo of yourself looking half cut with your mates. If you’re in construction or mining, a photo in a hard hat is a good idea.
Don’t forget to complete your full profile including your skills. You should also ask your network to provide recommendations. In today’s transparent world I would caution about embellishing your roles, as it is very simple to check out.
Enroll in different groups that reflect your professional interests. I’d encourage you to post interesting articles, make comments and generally contribute in a unique but professional manner to the group. This will help build your online reputation and also your network.

Of course not everyone on LinkedIn is looking for a new job. However, as a professional networking tool, LinkedIn enables you to build a presence for yourself and potentially get noticed. This could be by prospective employers or prospective business partners or clients. Either way, spend some time ensuring your profile accurately reflects who you are professionally, in a complimentary and non-generic way.

Kathie Kelly

Top Image: Credit