I was listening to the radio and a guy told a story about
how he heard that there were a lot of oil jobs in North Dakota, so he put on
his suit and drove 20 hours north and tried his luck in finding a new job. He wasn't the only one with the same idea, but
he was the only one dressed in a suit.
He got a six figure job that day.
Did wearing the suit get him that job? No, but it was one of the factors that
figured into his hiring!
I have a friend that runs a staffing agency. He once told me that none of his clients ever
called him back and said, "I really liked that candidate, but she was
really overdressed!"
Every time I talk to a group of owners and bring up this
story, they always chime in with the times when a job candidate shows up
inappropriately dressed. Always!
I believe that job candidates do this because they have
never been taught the right way to find a job.
Have you ever gone into a business and seen a teenager
sprawled out across a counter filling out a job application. Usually, they are not dressed well; this may
be the first impression they are giving to the person who will be hiring - not
good!
Here's a plan. Dress
up in business casual and go to the place of business where you want to
work. Ask for an application and ask who
does the hiring (see if you can get contact information). Also, ask when this person works.
Next, take the application home and take some time filling
it out. Find someone with great penmanship and spelling skills to help if you
can. Dress up again and go in and turn
in your application to the hiring manager, if possible. Pick a time when you think the business is at
a slow time of the day - don't go into a fast food place at noon.
If you are able to actually turn your application into the
hiring manager, be sure to ask for the job.
After you leave, if you were able to get the manager's contact
information, send a thank you note and again express your desire for the job.
If you do this, you will stand out!
Professor Tom Laurie
