So, how do you navigate this crazy job hunting world? Well there is no secret answer to landing a job in a week, but there are some things that will help you in the long run when working with a recruiter, staffing firm, or while submitting resumes on your own to companies.

FIRST – Don’t be desperate!
I’m fairly certain this has never worked in the dating scene and it doesn’t work in on the job hunting either.  We have all heard stories from friends about that person, who just reeked of desperation. As a job seeker, you want to avoid being this person at all costs. If the words, “I need,”  “I have to have this,” or any other variation of this pass your lips, just stop yourself there. It isn’t that we aren’t empathetic or compassionate to your situation; it’s that a lot of our candidates are in the same situation and we are working as hard as we can for everyone. There are better ways to make you more presentable to employers. Instead of “I need” try “I would love to do this…” Make sure to always dress for success and be excited about a potential new opportunity as well.

Second – Listen!
No, seriously. Listening makes everything easier. I can say I’ve been guilty of this before, especially during an important sporting event, which of course is all of them. Listening shows you actually care. If we ask you to update your resume or application, we really want you to do this. Kind of like when your significant other would like you to take the trash out, they really want you to do that. By completing the tasks we ask you to do, it shows that you are serious about your search and also shows us that we can trust you. 

The candidate who we ask to take assessments and responds with, “Why do I have to do this, I’ve been using so and so program for years,” has already hurt their cause and hasn’t even interviewed yet. The better thing to say is, “I will complete those as soon as I can.”  You have to help me help you.

Third – You have to have an idea of what you want!
I’ll let you in on a secret – we stink at reading your mind. As a recruiter, it makes life a whole lot easier when a candidate has an idea of what they are looking for in their next job. It doesn’t have to be specific, just some things you like to do will help. If you love working with Microsoft Office products, helping customers, or talking on the phone, I can at least look into administrative, customer service, or receptionist positions for you. When you respond with, “I don’t know,” then I hate to say this, but “I don’t know,” either. Ask yourself before you come in to an interview what you love to do and what you don’t like doing. 

While the job hunting world can be scary, much like the dating world, it helps to be prepared. Have a plan, show excitement, be yourself, and listen to what is going on. Understand that sometimes you find success and it takes a day, but sometimes it takes a month. We can help you, but you have to help yourself as well.

Celebrity Staff Recruiter, Tom Piper

About the Author, Tom Piper
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Tom graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a second degree in Psychology. Tom began working for Celebrity Staff in January 2011 as a staffing assistant and has since been promoted to a recruiter. Prior to joining Celebrity Staff he spent time recruiting for high volume call centers, as well as working in the legal field during college. Tom has helped countless people find rewarding careers.

So, now that we are all aware we are “winging” a process that impacts the most important decision we make in our organization — WHO decisions — let’s review the most common interview pitfalls and mistakes made by hiring managers so we know what not to do!

First impressions. A study by the Wall Street Journal indicated that 70 percent of the hiring decision is based upon the following: emotions, biases, chemistry, personality, and stereotyping. All of which have nothing to do with whether someone can actually do the job for which they are being interviewed.

Do you find yourself “liking” someone in the first 90 seconds of the interview? Take a step back for a moment and remember that we don’t have to “like” someone in order for them to be a good fit for the job. I’m not saying likeability isn’t an important factor; however, if we “like” someone we have a tendency to not interview as in-depth as we should. Our questions are easier, we smile more and nod approvingly to the answers and may not ask the same questions. We like them!  Of course they can do the job! We ignore negatives and our investigative process stops.

On the other end of the spectrum, what happens if we don’t instantly like someone? Our gaze may be more intent, we don’t listen as closely, our smiles are less frequent, and the head nods are non-existent. We put more emphasis on the negatives and undersell our opportunities.

Some hiring managers like to hire teams that are like themselves. While you may be a great manager, remember we all have flaws. A team that brings a variety of strengths to the table can help off set individual weaknesses and can often be much more powerful than a team full of “quarterbacks”. After all, someone has to run the ball in and without the kicker you may not hit those “extra points” in business.  (I know it is baseball season, but I am a football fan at heart!)

Interviewing Styles. Are you the “Chatterbox” who talks AT the candidate versus asking questions OF the candidate to learn about them? An interview should be about questions, not about monologues. What about the “Art Critic” who can “read” people by getting to know them through a series of non-work related questions but end up learning nothing about their genuine experience. Do you take the “Sponge” approach and let everyone in the office ask the same questions in hopes you and your team “soak up” information about the candidate? 

Another favorite of mine is the “Fortune Teller”. The questions center around “what would you do…” which only set the stage for your candidate to tell you exactly what you want to hear. In this strategy, the truth is yet to be told, but there is no better predictor of behavior than past experiences. The past predicts the future. 

Does your company use Aptitude Tests in the hiring process? There are many wonderful tools out there, however remember they are TOOLS in the process, and should not be used as a determinant to proceed. Most firms that provide assessments will tell you that it is just one piece of the candidate puzzle, and all pieces together should help you formulate your decision.

So what do you do now that I have told you all you are doing is wrong? Prepare.  There are more than 1.8 MILLION Web sites on preparing for a job interview.  Your candidates are preparing, why aren’t you?

Here are some questions to ask yourself to help you prepare for your next interview.

• What is our interview process, or do we even have one? Who is involved and have they been trained in interviewing? 
• Do we ask the same questions of each candidate?
• Do we know how to describe the position and why someone would want to work for us?

As Elizabeth Ambri, Manager of the Celebrity Staff Lincoln office and I reviewed these hiring pitfalls in our last seminar, many attendees chuckled and even volunteered which method they have used and where they have fallen prey to traps. If you are like many of our customers, you have made some of these mistakes at one time or another. I have. They are easy traps. It takes a concerted effort to refrain from making a decision about an interviewee in the first 90 seconds, it takes practice to develop an appropriate interview style, and it takes restraint to reserve making your decision about a candidate for at least 30 minutes after the interview concludes. 

So the next time you contact your Account Manager at Celebrity Staff for assistance in finding the right candidate, invest in some preparation so you make a good evaluation of the candidates we present. What is the pay off to preparation? Reduced turn over, increased productivity, and saved time and money by hiring the right person the first time build a more effective team, and the list goes on and on. One more pay off? The people you hire are a reflection of you!

Want to join the next one-hour seminar available for continuing education credit for free? Become a Celebrity client!  Contact us today about your upcoming vacation coverage or strategic staffing needs and let us help you identify talent to help your company get ready for the economic recovery.

Patty North, CPC, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager

About Patty North, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager
As the regional manager of Celebrity Staff, a leading staffing and recruitment firm, Patty North has assisted organizations across a four-state region with the development and implementation of best practice strategies in the areas of talent acquisition and talent management. Her collective insight and expertise on workforce planning, garnered from her 15 years in the staffing industry, has enabled clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations to improve performance and gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. Celebrity Staff is based in Omaha, Nebraska and serves the Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri region.

Sarah Bonow, Celebrity Staff Operations Manager, after completing her first half marathon in Lincoln, Neb. on May 2.

For this employee, remaining active is a way of life. Sarah Bonow, who is the Operations Manager of Celebrity Staff, likes to stay active by participating in group fitness classes at her gym, walking with friends, and also running. Like many people, Sarah has a hectic schedule so it can be difficult to find time to fit in her fitness.

“I have to just make time. Some weeks are easier than others, and I have to turn down a lot of happy hours, but I feel so much better for it,” Sarah says.  She also recommends finding the time of day that best works for you. For her, evenings work best and give her a chance to clear her mind and de-stress from the day.

Everyone has his or her own personal reason for staying active. For Sarah, it’s the feeling she gets when finished. “I believe I’m a lot easier to be around when I have worked out. It’s a great stress reliever, increases your endorphins, and just makes me more energetic.”

On May 2 Sarah completed her very first half marathon. In the past she’s participated in several organized events, such as the Corporate Cup, Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer walk/run, and the Memorial Day Run at Boys Town; however this will be the longest organized run she’s completed. Running the 13.2 miles is a huge accomplishment because of all the sweat and dedication that went into training for it.

“Training is tough, like everything else, you are on a limited and busy schedule, the weather does not always cooperate and life gets in the way sometimes. Luckily, I have several friends also participating in the run and they keep me motivated to keep working,” Sarah said.

In fact, group fitness is one of Sarah’s favorite ways to stay in shape. She participates in free fitness classes through her gym membership at Lifetime Fitness. Some of her favorite classes include Total Conditioning, which is an interval class, Kickboxing and Dance Jam. She says the classes challenge her to work harder. With an instructor she feels she is able to not stress about what to do next, rather she just listens and reacts.

When asked about her summer plans for staying active, Sarah is most excited about yard work and mowing her lawn. “I love mowing because you get to be outside, getting something done and getting a little work out in at the same time!”

Admin Day, formerly known as Professional Secretaries Day, was created by The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), formally called the National Secretaries Association, as an event to recognize the important contributions of office support staff and to encourage students to consider careers as administrative professionals.

To our administrative professionals, thank you for being a valuable part of our team and for everything you do to make Celebrity Staff successful. Happy Administrative Professional’s Day!

Top Ten Things NOT
to do/say in a meeting!

1. Stand up and act indignant. Demand that the boss tell you the ‘real’ reason
   this meeting has been called.
2. Spill coffee on the conference table. Produce a little paper boat and sail it
   down the table.
3. During a meeting, each time the boss makes an important point, (or at least
   one he/she seems to consider important), make a little inappropriate noise
   showing you disagree in the comment.
4. Stay behind as everyone else, including the boss, leaves. Thank them for
   coming.
5. Give a broad wink to someone else at the table. In time, wink at everyone.
   Sometimes shake your head just a little, as if to indicate that the speaker is
   slightly crazy and everybody knows it.
6. Arrange to have a poorly-dressed young woman with an infant quietly enter the
   meeting, stare directly at the (male) speaker for a while, burst into tears,
   then leave the room.
7. Bring a hand puppet, preferably an animal. Ask it to clarify difficult
   points.
8. When there is a call for questions, lean back in your chair, prop your feet
   up on the table, smile contentedly, and say, “Well, here’s the way I see it,
   J.B…” (or any other impressive-sounding initials that are not actually your
   boss’s.)
9. Complain loudly that your neighbor won’t stop touching you. Demand that the
   boss make him/her stop doing it.
10. Bring a small mountain of computer printouts to the meeting. If possible,
    include some old-fashioned fanfold paper for dramatic effect. Every time the
    speaker makes a point, pretend to check it in one of the printouts. Pretend to
    find substantiating evidence there. Nod vigorously, and say “uh-huh, uh-huh!”

Should you sell yourself at work? If you want to move up the corporate ladder and get noticed, then yes you should.

At the end of the day, we’re all salespeople no matter what job we do and in virtually all aspects of our life. We sell ourselves to potential employers, potential customers, potential significant others, and potential friends.

Selling yourself simply refers to showing others what you are capable of and promoting your skills and worth to others. In a work context, selling yourself could refer to letting your peers and superiors know about your skills and the reasons why you exist in the company.

If you work for a large company where it’s easy to get lost, the importance of some degree of self-promotion becomes even more important if you expect to get noticed by higher ups.

Do you work with people where you wonder exactly what that person does for the company? What purpose do they serve and would anyone notice if they stopped showing up to work? Learning how to market yourself is the best way to ensure you don’t become one of these people.

Here are a few suggestions to help you get noticed and to sell yourself at work:

Speak up in meetings
Obviously you don’t want to just speak for the sake of speaking, but how many times do you attend a meeting where you say nothing and let others do all the talking? Contributing during meetings is a great way to sell yourself and to get noticed by others. If you have something to say, say it. Not saying anything and not getting involved in meetings can be misconstrued by others as proof of indifference on your part.

Check out the Top Ten List of things NOT to do in a meeting. 

Get to know people in other parts of the company
I once worked for a company with more than 5,000 employees on payroll. It was easy to get lost in the shuffle and it took me awhile to get to know people and for them to know me. That changed when I was nominated to work on a project that involved several other departments.

Pretty soon, I had people from departments I’d never heard of contacting me to discuss my work and to learn more about what I was doing. I very quickly started to get known in parts of the company that would never have known me if not for me being nominated for this project.

Moral of the story: Look for ways you can nominate yourself for projects that will get your name known in other parts of the company.

Offer to work on a project or task that no one else wants to do
I once worked on a project that no one else wanted to do, a project that several other people had already tried and failed completing. I started working on the project and quickly managed to push it farther than anyone else had in the previous three years and received a great deal of praise from superiors because of it. I also got to know people in other parts of my company and they got to know me, too.

The best part of this task was that even if it had have failed, it probably wouldn’t have looked bad on me because several others had already tried and failed, too. Succeeding where others have failed is a great way to sell yourself!

Make sure you get credit when credit is deserved
Ensure that you market yourself with the work that you send to others. Your work shouldn’t come from an anonymous source. Ensure that your reports show that you wrote them and when possible make sure your boss (and their boss if possible) see what you are doing. There is no better way to sell yourself than by consistently completing good work but no one will know it’s from you unless you tell them.

Grete Ruder, Celebrity Staff Recruiter

About Grete Ruder

Grete joined Celebrity Staff in 2005 and has helped build its Kansas City office from the ground up. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas, has served as Chamber Champion for the KC Chamber of Commerce for two years, and has completed numerous training sessions on professional cover letter and resume writing.

My best friend is a dental hygienist. She speaks so passionately about teeth that you can’t help but get excited about flossing. She is a captivating, interesting person whom I love spending time with, not only because we share common interests and values, but because she is full of passion for what she does. She LOVES her job.

When you are passionate about what you do, you do it better. You work past quitting time, not because you are buried in paperwork, but because you were so excited about what you were doing that you weren’t watching the clock. The weeks fly by, you have more energy, you are a positive energy source in the office, and people love to be around you.

So how do you find that passion? How do you become the most positive person in the office? Here are some handy tricks we suggest on how to LOVE your job.

1. Do what you’re good at.
There are different components to all of our jobs, some more desirable than others. They’re all necessary, but what we suggest is that you become an expert in one or more facets of your job. Are you a rock star writer? Offer to help a co-worker write an awesome employment ad, story for the Intranet, or company memo, etc. Doing things you’re good at on a consistent basis raises your self-esteem and leveraging your talent helps the team as a whole.

2. Get creative.
When we do the same things routinely, they have a tendency to become boring. Think of a new or different way to do the tasks you have on your “to do” list. Be innovative and forward thinking to break up the monotony.

3. Get to know your co-workers.
We spend more time with each other sometimes than we do with our own families! Find out something interesting about a co-worker today that you didn’t know before. Are you training for a decathlon or taking a cake-decorating class? Share your interests with co-workers and they’re bound to reciprocate.

4. Give and take compliments graciously.
Recognizing a co-worker for a job well done is a great way to spread the LOVE. Even the little things are important and it’s nice to see that someone notices. And when someone compliments you, don’t defer the praise to others or brush it off, accept credit where credit is due, smile and say, “Thank you”.

5. Get a little nostalgic.
Remember your first day at your job? I remember how excited I was to dive in and really change people’s lives by finding them amazing job opportunities. Tap in to that energy and remind yourself why you got into your profession in the first place.

Grete Ruder, Celebrity Staff Recruiter

About Grete Ruder
Grete joined Celebrity Staff in 2005 and has helped build its Kansas City office from the ground up. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas, has served as Chamber Champion for the KC Chamber of Commerce for two years, and has completed numerous training sessions on professional cover letter and resume writing.

We can all agree that the bottom line to a company’s success depends on the caliber of its employees, right? So, the number one priority in hiring is getting the most qualified candidate in the job for all parties involved. Or is it? 

Well, let’s see. There’s the process, the precedence, the principle, the budget, an existing relationship, a contract, a pricing agreement, and a dozen other factors that are often thrust into a hiring decision. Everyone involved should have the same end result in mind, but unfortunately, the more people involved in the hiring process, the more factors there are convoluting the simple concept of hiring the best person for the job.

We all hope we won’t soon need an attorney, a doctor, a pharmacist, or even a plumber, all of which are absolutely necessary professional services. Similarly, HR professionals hope they won’t need to outsource recruiting functions. Many HR professionals view staffing services and headhunters as “a necessary evil”.  Why outsource a search you can handle on your own at no additional cost? (Coming soon: The Fallacy of “No Additional Cost” Recruiting)   

Outsourced recruiters are absolutely necessary and having a relationship in place with the best recruiters in your niche is essential even if you don’t think you will ever need one. Let me explain. Take insurance, for example. We all hope to not rely on life insurance, but, if we’re smart, we buy it. We make the payments month after month just in case we ever need it. It’s a harmonious business relationship. Your insurance agent wants to sell you adequate coverage for your family needs and you want to buy it to protect your family.  This is the kind of business relationship we all want. Much like everyone should have insurance, everyone involved in the hiring process should have or develop a relationship with a recruiter, someone you trust in your niche.

The challenge in recruiting, though, is that on the surface we all have different perspectives and objectives.

HR professionals generally believe that centralizing the hiring process will streamline and create efficiencies thus controlling expenditures. They believe that managing the entire process and limiting vendor relationships will increase buying power and, once again, reduce overall costs. They’re right.

Hiring managers generally place less importance on the existing process or the existing agreement thus creating more options for themselves. They believe that maintaining control and developing their own relationship with headhunters and recruiters will result in better service and increased quality. And, they’re right.

Recruiters want to make a placement. Bottom line. But, make no mistake; good recruiters only want to make solid placements that will result in future business and referrals. Recruiters believe they will perform better if they have direct access to hiring managers. They desire to go direct to the source to see body language or hear emotion, which can paint pictures that words cannot replace. Recruiters feel that, much like the telephone game, essential information is lost in translation when they’re required to work through HR or any mediator. They, too, are right.

So, how can all three be right?

All three parties may be viewing the situation from a different vantage point, but all three ultimately have the same end result in mind – hiring the right person the first time. 

It is possible for all three parties in this relationship triangle to have his or her objectives met when all three keep the end goal in mind. None of the other factors aforementioned, such as a streamlined process or an existing contract, for example, should ever become a priority over hiring the best candidate.

HR professionals should absolutely take the necessary steps to streamline wherever possible. However, if Recruiter A is a preferred vendor but fails to produce the candidate you need, turn to Recruiter B. HR has a responsibility to manage costs. However, if the budget for hiring the department manager would be stretched to its limit with the recruiter’s fee, but the candidate presented is the best option, the budget should be secondary. Resistance to outsourcing is expected by HR, but refusal to outsource in the right circumstances can be an even more costly decision.

Hiring managers have the unique challenge of respecting and following the systems and processes in place while, at the same time, ensuring they have the most appropriate key players. Processes are important yet hiring the right person is critical. Similarly, when the hiring manager holds an established relationship with his or her own trusted recruiting source, one which differs from the preferred source of HR, he or she should be at liberty to tap into that resource with the intention of introducing all parties to one another. Furthermore, the hiring manager should be receptive to the resources HR has identified. Everyone involved, all the while, must ensure that hiring the best person remains the priority.

Recruiters who choose to partner with a company that has adopted a centralized system should absolutely involve HR at all stages of the recruiting process. The key word here is “involve”. Direct communication should never be removed. The vendor and the end user must work together to experience a truly successful partnership.  There are a number of communication mediums that can involve all interested parties to eliminate second hand messages or misinformation such as joint meetings, conference calls, e-mails, etc. Recruiters need feedback directly “from the horse’s mouth.” The emotion, the emphatic tone, the excitement or even the frustration can sometimes convey more meaning than the words themselves. Direct communication between the recruiter and the hiring manager is imperative but both must, when asked, keep HR involved throughout.

Though each party in this three-way relationship may approach the process of hiring from a different point of view, the trade-off for a bit of compromise and a sincere effort toward collaborative teamwork, as outlined above, is that everybody wins.  

So, is three really a crowd? Can the chime of the hiring triangle ring in harmony? With synchronized objectives of hiring the highest caliber of candidates into the right roles, it’s safe to assume each member of the “ménage a trios” of recruiting are sure to have a gratifying experience.

Monica Fuehrer, Celebrity Staff Account Manager

About Monica Fuehrer, Account Manager

Monica has worked for Celebrity Staff since 2000 having held a number of positions in business development, recruiting, and leadership roles encompassing internal staff development and training. Currently, Monica is a trailblazer in the attorney placement niche. In 2008, Monica was recognized by the Midlands Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 Business Leader in Omaha. She is the Co-Chair for the Media Relations Committee with the Human Resource Association of the Midlands and is also the Chairperson of the Board for Outlook Nebraska, Inc., a nonprofit with a mission to employ the blind and visually impaired. Off the clock Monica enjoys cooking, reading, music, and creating fun with her husband and two children.

The announcement is featured in the magazine’s January/February 2010 “Best of Omaha” issue.

“This is very exciting for C&A, to have been recognized not only this year but for two years in a row,” said Scot Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, C&A Industries. “Whether in prosperous or challenging times, our mission is to be the staffing provider and employer of choice. To be named as among Omaha’s best employers says a great deal about C&A.”

Since 1992, Omaha Magazine has been awarding, based on public vote, the “Best of” in a wide variety of categories, including restaurants, arts & culture, retail, and more. Omaha Magazine is a regional lifestyle publication that serves a readership of more than 100,000.

For more than 20 years, Omaha Magazine brings its readers captivating stories on area politics, home and garden, leisure life, food and dining, style, the arts, entertainment and travel, as well as service articles and compelling features on the area’s most interesting people and places.

I’m sure that like many of you, the man in the commercial prepared tirelessly for his big interview, ironing his shirt, researching his potential employer, rehearsing answers for common interview questions, and a host of other tasks. However, his preparation was for naught when he accidentally dribbled coffee on his shirt. While the commercial depicts a comical representation of a typical interview, I feel that it is a stunning example of how sometimes it’s not the glaringly obvious faux pas that can cause an interviewer to form a negative opinion of a candidate, but sometimes it’s the “little things” that contribute to a negative first impression.

After working in the recruiting industry for four years, I have learned a lot about myself as an interviewer. The biggest, and perhaps most shocking personal quality that I have uncovered is that I judge candidates based on their physical appearance. Yes, I said it!  I may be doing it consciously, but I may not. We live in a superficial society and whether we would like to admit it or not, individuals are judged on their outward appearance. Now, I hire individuals for administrative, marketing, and management roles, not for entertainment or modeling purposes. I am not judging people as if they were in a modeling contest, but on the basis of how their appearance and work performance correlate. I am also not judging them in the moral sense of the word. I’m sure some of the scruffiest people have hearts of gold. But at the end of the day, when you are programmed, like I am, to make decisions quickly about the suitability of a candidate for a particular role, the most easily observed criteria often play a large part in my evaluation.

I’m not alone! In fact, major findings by the Job Center of Wisconsin concluded that:

• 95 percent of the employers interviewed said a jobseeker’s personal appearance affected the employer’s opinion of that applicant’s suitability of the job.
• 91 percent said they believed dress and grooming reflected the applicant’s attitude toward the company.
• 61 percent said dress and grooming had an effect on subsequent promotion as well.

“It takes only three to five seconds to make a first impression, but it can take a whole career to undo it,” says Dana May Casperson, author of Power Etiquette: What You Don’t Know Can Kill Your Career.

When preparing a candidate to interview for a job, the biggest piece of advice I can give them is to prepare oneself knowing that the interviewer has perception biases.  For example, my dad believes that all individuals with tattoos or multiple piercings are lazy and untrustworthy.  If my dad were to interview a tattooed candidate, he would not be able to look past the surface exterior of the candidate. He may ask the perspective candidate a series of 20 questions and if one answer semi-matches his perception (all tattooed individuals are lazy) he would automatically think “Aha! I knew I was right about you!” and therefore decide not to hire that candidate. 

While Tide may have not won me over as a customer, they have made me more conscience of the “little things”.  I find myself looking closer in the mirror for stains, wrinkles, or anything else that might do the “talking” for me.  The old philosophy of hiring the most qualified candidate is long-gone. Now, it seems, the qualified candidate who makes the most of their first impression gets the offer.      

Grete Ruder, Celebrity Staff Recruiter

About Grete Ruder
Grete joined Celebrity Staff in 2005 and has helped build its Kansas City office from the ground up. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas, has served as Chamber Champion for the KC Chamber of Commerce for two years, and has completed numerous training sessions on professional cover letter and resume writing.

1. Pack Like a Professional
Be prepared with extra copies of your resume, examples of your work, and something to write with. Even if you have already submitted your resume online (and they obviously got it, hence the interview), having hard copies is crucial-especially if you’re interviewing with more than one person.

2. Know the Dress Code
There’s a really cheesy saying that holds true about how to dress for a job interview: dress to impress. If you walk into an interview in dirty khakis and a wrinkled shirt, you’ve already lost the opportunity. No matter what the job is, when you look in the mirror, two words need to come to mind: neat and clean. So, unless you are applying somewhere very casual, wear a suit. You can always dress it down with a colorful top or a funky piece of jewelry for a more business-casual setting. Just be sure to stay away from anything low-cut or too form fitting.

3. Be on Time
Walk in late and you might as well walk back to your car. Nothing screams “irresponsible” more than a tardy arrival, and employers won’t take lightly to you wasting their time. Eliminate any risk of being late by printing directions the night before and you might consider taking a test drive to the location, plugging the route into your GPS, and leaving with plenty of spare time for wrong turns or gridlock.

4. Kill ’em with Confidence
You don’t want to act like you own the place, but smiling and making eye contact with your interviewer will show that you believe in yourself and your abilities and that you’ve got poise. Put out vibes that say, “I’m the perfect person for this job.”

5. Give Straight Answers
Almost every interviewer will ask you to tell them one of your weaknesses. Don’t make the mistake of saying that you work too hard. Instead, be self-aware enough to notice a fault, and follow with how you’ve been working to overcome the challenge.

6. Do your Research
Before you show up on the steps of your future employer’s place of business, you must recognize an important element of a job interview: the wooing. You must impress the interviewer with your knowledge about the company and the industry. After all, they’ll have loads of information about you, so don’t you think you should even the score? Gather as much information on the company as you can. First and foremost, check out the company Web site. This will give you a good overview of the company’s philosophy, earning power, and the power players in the office. You can also research major newspaper sites to see how the company is fairing in the media. 

7. Know the Next Step
You’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress checking your voicemails and inbox by asking the interviewer what the next steps are and when they might occur. It will also help you plan when to follow up.

8. Leave with Business Cards
After each interview, request a business card from whomever you meet. Write a thank-you note (or e-mail if the position is being filled quickly) reiterating your interest in the job, and be sure to send it off as soon as possible.

9. Avoid Stalker Tendencies
Sure, you haven’t thought about much besides the interview since it happened, but remember that not everything revolves around you. Call to follow up, but if they say they’re making a decision by Friday, resist the urge to pick up the phone at 4 p.m. that day. Stuff happens – people get sick or busy or have to deal with a sudden hold in the hiring process. So chill out.

10. Don’t burn bridges
If by some crazy chance you don’t get the gig, avoid slamming down the phone. Instead, express your appreciation that they considered you and ask that they keep you in mind for openings down the road.

The information above isn’t new or groundbreaking.  However, everyone can collect great benefit from reviewing these easy tips. In a market this competitive, be assured that any edge you have over candidates has great possibility to catapult you above the rest. With endless possibilities, comes great opportunities. As Emily Dickson would say, “I dwell in possibility.” 

Molly Hallgren, Celebrity Staff Recruiter

About Molly

Molly Hallgren has worked as a Recruiter with Celebrity Staff since August of 2009.  Molly searches for top talent by networking, sourcing, and referrals. In previous positions, she has managed marketing activity for a national N.P.O. and directed corporate salon sales for a Nebraska distributor. She also writes movie reviews for a radio station in Chicago and enjoys sharing her critiques on air. Originally from Cleveland, OH, Molly graduated with a B.B.A in Marketing and Communication. Outside of work she enjoys basketball, bike riding, and road trips.