Interview Advice

Dear parents,
I'm probably preaching to the choir here because I think most of you (if you have young children) are doing a good job at raising your children.  However, just in case, here is my advice.  This advice is free of charge and is the result of some recent recruiting experience.

Please teach your children what is appropriate to wear not only at school or work, but especially when going to a career fair or job interview.  A tight pink mini skirt with a slit up the front is not considered professional attire unless you're interviewing to be a stripper.  Neither is a see-through black shirt with only a black bra underneath.  If you're trying to get an engineering job, then stick with the traditional suit or other conservative attire.  If your children are so poor they can't afford a suit, then buy them one so they can get a job and support themselves in the future.

Even if they roll their eyes when you tell them this stuff about what is appropriate to wear, stick to your guns and reinforce the lesson when possible.  Remind them that the people hiring very frequently have the same views as parents even if those views are old fashioned to the young whippersnappers.  Hopefully some of your advice will get through to their brain by the time they're old enough to be going on interviews.  While gaudy tattoos and piercings in obvious spots like your tongue, eyebrows, etc. will not automatically disqualify you from a job, they may contribute to lack of a job because all the interviewer might be seeing is those gaudy things when you really want them to be concentrating on what you're saying and trying to highlight your professional skills.

Please love and teach your children in a way that instills humility while also giving them confidence in themselves.  Too much of one or the other is a big personality derailer in the professional business world.  If the interviewee in the space of a 30 minute interview calls herself a dork twice and says every day at her current job is a "struggle bus", that sends off big warning bells about lack of confidence.  On the flip side, an interviewee that over-exaggerates their skills and/or gives the impression that they don't listen, don't need help, or that they're not willing to accept or ask for help is also a big red flag.

Finally, if you're going to claim to have a skill on your resume, don't over exaggerate.  Very often the people who will interview you will be experts at that skill already, and most of them can spot a phony pretty easily in the space of 2 or 3 questions.  Pay attention in school, know your stuff, and don't think you can get by on personality or bluffing alone.  Maybe the HR person can be bluffed with personality, but you will crash and burn on the second round of interviews when the technical experts grill you if you truly don't have those technical skills.

Best regards,
MelBMarvis