Dress for Success and Improve your Commute

The Staffing View

On business, the workplace and employee relations

_June, 2009

How to Prepare for a Job Interview

There is a large amount of uncertainty to any job interview, regardless of whether it’s a permanent or a temporary position But you can improve your chances of ending your job search and making a good impression by taking steps in advance Proper planning prevents pretty poor performance, to quote a version of an old military expression If you know more than a little about the job, the company and the people you’ll be meeting, you’ll arrive with more confidence and with a greater chance for success

Find out about the people you’ll be meeting in advance, if possible These days it’s not that hard to learn about people on the Internet They put the information out there for you Some social media sites, such as LinkedIn, allow you to search on a name and view a short profile Perhaps they’ve been mentioned in a news article By googling a name you might learn that they ran in a recent road race, contributed to a political party or are involved with some civic organization

Develop answers to pointed questions When Massachusetts Sen Edward Kennedy ran for president in 1979, his campaign was knocked off track early when he had trouble with the direct question “Why do you want to be president?” In a job interview there are similar questions that can undermine your chances just when you’re getting started One tough one is “Why do you believe you’re qualified for this job?” Take the question head-on and explain how your skills match well with the job description Give examples of what you’ve done and how that experience demonstrates your abilities to do the job

Seek out people who work in the company If you have a friend in the company where you’ll be interviewing, they may be able to provide insight into the job opening Perhaps they know about the people who’ll be interviewing you They may know the person who worked in the job previously and why it has become available If you don’t have a direct contact in the business, perhaps someone you know does Or post a query on an alumni website You may find an old classmate works inside or another alumnus that is willing to help

Review your work history Much of the discussion you have with managers or HR people will be about the skills you’ve acquired and the jobs you’ve held Reread your resume and make some notes about each position you’ve listed What did you do in that job that prepared you for the opening you’re trying to fill? Think of specific challenges you faced, solutions you devised and results you achieved Why did you leave that job? Hiring managers know they type of person they’re looking for Make them believe you’re that one

Good Looking Employees Earn More than the Not-So-Good-Looking

A study by a University of Florida team has found that, while intelligence plays a large role in holding a good job with a high salary, it doesn’t hurt to be good looking and confident as well

The study looked at 191 men and women between the ages of 25 and 75 who were interviewed three times six months apart starting in 1995 They were asked about their household income, education and financial stresses, as well as how they felt about their achievements The participants also completed several intelligence and cognitive tests and had their pictures taken Each person's attractiveness relative to their age and gender were rated by the research team, which included men and women of varying ages The authors then calculated an average attractiveness score for each participant based on those ratings

The researchers found a definite connection between how attractive the respondents were and their income There was also a connection between good looks and how well educated they were, as well as how they judged themselves It turned out that the people who were rated good-looking made more money, were better educated and were more confident

Researchers said that little is known about why there are income differences between “good-looking” people and “not-so-good-looking” people However it’s assumed that a person’s feeling of self-worth is enhanced by how attractive they consider themselves and that is realized in higher pay

But before you rush out for a makeover consider this: even with the findings about appearance, the study also said that a person’s income is more impacted by their intelligence than their attractiveness

“We can be somewhat heartened by the fact that the effects of general intelligence on income were stronger than those of facial attractiveness,” said the study's lead author, Timothy Judge, PhD, of the University of Florida “It turns out that the brainy are not necessarily at a disadvantage to the beautiful, and if one possesses intelligence and good looks, then all the better”

Motivating Employees during a Recession

A strong economy and climbing sales make it easier to keep moral and productivity up in your company But life becomes more difficult during a downturn Business slows, salaries are frozen or sometimes cut, layoffs occur and employees come to work fearing the worst It’s a difficult environment to get through

Effective managers need to step in and show their leadership skills Not only does morale depend upon that leadership, it’s also essential to keep productivity up and retain valued employees still with the firm The likelihood of employees leaving a company might be reduced during a recession But how the company manages that recession might influence their decision to stick around when a recovery finally occurs  Here are some thoughts on how to keep your employees engaged

Increase communication What’s happening in your company? Nothing weighs on company moral like uncertainty Have you had a layoff? Cut salaries? Frozen pay? Those are obvious signs of corporate problems Good managers will meet with the staff, explain the company’s situation and describe the plan to cope At the very least it presents the impression that the company isn’t helplessly spiraling downward At best it inspires the staff by providing them with steps to achieve certain goals

Emphasize the importance of what they’re doing Perhaps you’ve had to cut your staff size Make the team aware that it was a necessary, if painful, decision But now you’re down to a core of employees whom you are certain can help the company remain competitive, bounce back from the downturn and in fact eventually gain market share

Create new opportunities Are you trying anything new to offset sluggish sales? You can motivate your staff by getting them invested in the recovery plan If you’ve had a layoff there are likely to be new responsibilities to go around Don’t simply dump more work on already stressed employees Provide opportunities that will help them learn new skills and lead to new career opportunities in the future

What’s up with you? The news is full of stories of companies that cut jobs and salaries, only to have the CEO continue to live as though nothing has changed How are you different? What new tasks are you taking on? To keep your staff committed, make sure they understand the pain has been shared and you too are making sacrifices for the good of the organization

Easy Riding

It’s June and that means summer and summer means   higher gas prices The national average for the cost of a gallon of regular gas has risen from $195 at the start of April to $243 on June 1 If you drive to work that means your expenses are rising It might be time to saddle up and start riding that bike again Remember these tips:

Plan your commute The fastest route between Points A and B by car might not be the best by bike Traffic might move too fast and there may be stretches where you can’t safely pull over Scout out alternative roads with fewer cars and less stress

Load the bike, more than yourself You may look like Elmira Gulch stealing Toto if you use sidebaskets But a strong rear rack will do the job for strapping your briefcase

Use reflectors It’s tough enough working late on summer nights Don’t make it worse by getting run over riding home in the dark Make sure your reflectors are visible to motorists

Tune it Maintaining your bike is cheaper than maintaining your car Invest in some reliable Kevlar-belted tires to guard against flats and keep the moving parts well-oiled

Wear your helmet When was the last time you deliberately banged you head on the ground? That’s right, never Accidents happen and if you hit the road at 25 miles per hour without a helmet you might not get up Take precautions