Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job (53 page)

anatomy of,
79
–81

answering want ads,
98

closing/signing off,
98
–101

contact information,
81

copies,
100

don’ts,
85

for entry-level jobs,
87
,
96

faxing,
100
–101

format,
79

grabbing interest,
82
–83

humor in,
97

for interview talking points,
78

jazzing up,
97
–98

language,
84
–86

for multiple jobs,
101

one-page,
79

out-of-state,
99

paper stock,
100

PDF format,
100

as personal introduction,
77

proofreading,
101

purpose,
78

reading,
78

with references,
99

relationship to résumé,
86
–87

research,
96
–98

role of,
77
–79

samples,
88
–89,
90
–95

selected experience in,
98

show, don’t tell,
84

spinning experience,
87
,
96

structure,
88
–89

tailoring to the job,
78

addressing employer’s needs in,
84
–85

terrible openings,
83

with “to whom it may concern,”
81

addressing weaknesses in,
97

typos in,
79
,
101

credit checks,
180

curriculum vitae (CV),
43

daily agenda,
8

deal breakers,
10

Dickinson, Emily,
146

direction, choosing,
16
–17

discretion, on the job,
192
–193

discrimination,
179
–180

dress.
See
attire

drug checks,
180

education section of résumé,
43

alternative education,
46

college transfers,
46

course work,
44

dropping out of school,
46

GPA,
74

high school,
44

honors/awards,
44

scholarships/college financing,
44

sorority/fraternity,
45
–46

study abroad,
45

thesis,
45

EEO.
See
Federal Equal Employment Opportunity

elevator pitch,
27
–28

e-mail

account, while job-hunting,
5

cover letters,
78

foolproofing,
29

networking through,
29
–30

for new jobs,
186
–187

professionalism in address,
15

thank-you notes,
164
–165

employers.
See also
bosses

contacting references,
114

cover letters and,
84
–85

Ephron, Nora,
196

etiquette

for interviews,
121
–122

networking,
26
–32,
35

office,
186
,
193
–196

experience,
39

selected, in cover letters,
98

spinning

in cover letters,
87
,
96

in interviews,
129
,
140

experience section of résumé,
26
,
45

activities,
49

computer skills,
50

detail,
47
–48

vs
. education,
45

foreign languages,
49
–50

interests,
49

internships,
47

job locations,
48
–49

job titles,
49

marketing skills,
48

volunteering,
48

Facebook,
14

family,
21

business,
63
–64

as references,
106

faxing,
100
–101

Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO),
150

filing/tracking system,
3
–4,
188

flexibility,
124

on new jobs,
191
–192

foreign languages,
49
–50

format

cover letters,
78
,
79

references sheet,
112

résumés,
57
–58

friends,
21

functional résumés,
43

getting out of house,
8
–9

giving notice,
207
–208

Google,
14
,
36

GPA, listing on résumé,
74

grammar,
126

group interviews,
122
–123

handshaking,
157

headhunters,
19

health insurance,
185

hidden job market,
19

hierarchies, on the job,
193

hobbies,
8
,
21
.
See also
activities; interests

jobs
vs
.,
11

holiday parties/social events,
190

honesty

in networking,
30
–32

in résumés,
55
–57

hooks,
51
–52,
54

How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life
(Lakein),
13

human resources (HR),
74
,
180

influence of,
118

interviews with management,
118
–119

learning from,
119

humor,
97

industry keywords,
86

industry-specific résumés,
58
–59

informational interviews

as casual,
119

questions for,
120

setting up,
24

initiative,
144
–145

on new jobs,
191

insider terms,
51

interests,
12
,
49
–50

Internet,
10
.
See also
e-mail; Facebook; Google

corporate sites,
125

job sites,
19

online social networking,
13

internships,
17
,
22

age for,
25

in experience section of résumé,
47

formal/informal,
24
–25

interview(s),
6
.
See also
informational interviews

arriving late,
156

assessing,
165

assignments after,
161

attire for,
126
,
129
–136

blanking out,
160

body language,
157

complaining and,
127
–128

contacts from,
168

cover letters as maps to,
78

day of,
153
,
154

don’ts,
159

ending,
161
–163

etiquette,
121
–122

faux pas,
146
–148

footwear,
135

getting there,
155
–156

Googling before,
125

group,
122
–123

hairdos,
133

handling calls,
117
–118

handshaking,
157

with HR management,
118
–119

interruptions,
160

jewelry,
132

at job fairs,
123
–124

nail polish,
135

nervousness,
145
–146

news after,
167
–168

night before,
154

note-taking,
137

obesity and,
134
–135

on-the-spot,
124

perspiring during,
135

by phone,
119
–121

positivity,
127
–128

practicing,
143

preparation,
12
,
116
–117,
124

rehearsing for,
127

remembering names,
158

rescheduling,
133
–134

research,
12
–13,
125
–126

restroom break,
160

résumés amplified,
129

scents for,
134

screening,
118

second,
166

sitting in,
156
–157

suits,
135
–136

talking during,
126
–127

thank-you notes after,
123
,
163
–164

third,
166

types,
118
–119

wearing glasses/contacts,
133

what not to bring,
154

what to bring,
153
–154

women and,
136
–137

for wrong job,
159

interview questions

detecting subtext,
152

illegal/inappropriate/strange-sounding,
150
–152

independence/teamwork/leadership,
144
–145

job/field/company,
142
–143

manageability,
141
–142

self-image/personality,
141

sidestepping,
152

skills/qualifications,
139
–140

strengths/weaknesses,
149
–150

“tell me about yourself,”
140

time management/organizational,
145

jargon, industry-specific,
51

job(s).
See also
contracts; negotiations; new jobs

cover letters for entry-level,
87
,
96

cover letters for multiple,
101

firings on résumés,
63

hidden job market,
19

hobbies
vs
.,
11

Internet sites,
19

interview questions about,
142
–143

interviews for wrong,
159

leads,
18
–19

offers,
6
,
169
–180

job departure,
63

change of staff,
209

checklist,
209
–210

collecting unemployment,
212
–213

discretion regarding,
192
–193

giving notice,
207
–208

leaving on good terms,
209

moving on,
203
–204

paper trail,
208

preparation,
206
–210

reactivating network,
213

as solution,
204

time to leave,
205
–206

unexpected,
210
–212

vacations and,
207

warning signs,
205

job fairs,
19
,
22

interviews at,
123
–124

job hunting,
1
.
See also
Rule of Three

anxiety and,
15
–16

changing habits,
8

embracing change/rejection,
15
,
20

getting out of house,
8
–9

identifying what you want to do,
9
–12

organization,
3
–5

taking charge of,
6
–7

timeline,
4

Job, Inc.,
1

CEO of,
2

as number-one priority,
8

research in,
12
–13

setting up,
5

job offers

accepting,
180

advanced perks,
173
–174

fielding many,
176
–177

negotiations,
170
,
172
–176

previous plans and,
177

prior obligations and,
176

terms of,
170
–171,
172
–174

turning down,
178
–179

job-specific résumés,
58
–59

Lakein, Alan,
13

language.
See also
body language; foreign languages; résumé wording cheat sheet

casual,
126
–127

in cover letters,
84
–86

grammar,
126

industry keywords,
86

insider terms,
51

jargon,
51

punctuation,
52

speech tics,
126
–127

tentative diction,
84

leadership,
138
–139

leads

following up,
30

job,
18
–19

library,
8
,
10

lowball,
174

lunch time,
189

markers,
52
–53

mentorships,
17
,
179

cultivating in-house,
199

developing,
37

mnemonics,
158

motivation,
13
.
See also
initiative

needs, discussing during negotiating,
174

employer’s,
84
–85

negativity.
See also
positivity

on new jobs,
194
–195

references and,
114

negotiations,
169

don’ts,
175

job offers,
170
,
172
–176