thecareerbeat.com Blog

Changing your looks to get a job

A majority of job seekers this year have changed something about their physical appearance in order to impress employers, according to an online poll.

The respondents in the Yahoo! HotJobs poll made changes in several areas:

• Clothing style: 11%
• Lost weight: 13%
• Hair style and/or color: 12%
• Face (Makeup, teeth whitening, Botox): 4%
• Two or more of the above: 19%
• Nothing: 41%

Some might consider these appearance-changers to be shallow or insecure, but maybe they recognize that “don’t judge a book by its cover” isn’t in the playbook of most hiring managers.

In fact, changing aspects of your appearance can be a very smart move. Experts say that most hiring decisions are made within 10 minutes, so the first impression is everything.

If you look too old or too young for the job — and you think it might be a distraction for your interviewer — try some inexpensive changes to your hairstyle or wardrobe so that it will be easier to focus on your achievements in the interview.

As executive image consultant Anna Soo Wildermuth says in her book “Change One Thing”: “Your change doesn’t have to be dramatic. It might mean sacrificing something you love, but it is guaranteed to make a difference in your life.”

Some folks will always go too far, but the lines are blurry. I may think men in their 40s paying big bucks for Botox and liposuction is too extreme, but tomorrow some newly hired, newly svelte CFO might call it his wisest investment this year (as he laughs in my face).

If you’ve been job-hunting for months with no results, maybe changing one aspect of your appearance could help your confidence, if not your career path.

For more related tips, see the following:

• Using Your Looks for Career Success
• The First 10 Minutes Are Top Priority
• 5 Threats to Your Job-Hunting Stamina

Bosses’ reputations get no help with recession

Friday is National Boss Day (Oct. 16), but most workers probably won’t be celebrating, if recent polls are any indication.

A recent Yahoo! HotJobs weekly poll found that 69% of respondents don’t think their bosses are doing a good job.  That figure is essentially unchanged from last year, when 68% said the same thing.

Q	Do you think your boss does his or her job well?
A	Yes 31% No 69% 6845 Votes to date

Last week, results of a five-year comparative survey took a similar toll on the overall reputation of bosses, comparing many of them to bratty toddlers.

The study monitored traits of bosses, as perceived by 345 white-collar workers. Between 2004 and 2009, the number of respondents who rated their bosses “self-oriented” or “interruptive” rose 50%.  The research was conducted by author Lynn Taylor, CEO of Lynn Taylor Consulting.

Maybe the best thing about the “holiday” this year is that it happens on a Friday.

Common interview surprise: illegal questions

More than half of job seekers have been asked an illegal question during a job interview.

That eye-opener comes from a Yahoo! HotJobs online poll, in which 62% of respondents reported being on the receiving end of a question about a verboten topic, such as one’s religion or marital status. Almost a third (32%) had not been asked such a question, and 7% said they didn’t know.

The numbers surprised me and several of my colleagues, so it’s worth reviewing what’s permissible and not.  Interviewers are not allowed to ask about:

• Your age
• Your race or ethnic background
• Gender or sex
• Marital status
• Country of national origin or birthplace
• Whether you have children (or plan to)

If you find yourself being asked a question you believe may be illegal, you can handle it in a variety of ways.

You can answer the question. This option may work if you’re not offended by the question and you really want the job.

You can tactfully point out that the question is illegal. Your interviewer may not even know that he or she has crossed a line. However, you also run the risk of putting your interviewer on the defensive, which won’t work in your favor.

You can side-step the question and bridge to something relevant.  Respond with something like: “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that is pertinent to the job we’re discussing, but I can tell you about [insert segue topic here].”

Avoid letting loose with indignation — unless you really don’t want the job and want to make an unpleasant scene.

Check out these three articles for more tips:

• How to Handle Illegal Interview Questions
• Using Tact With a Rude Interviewer
• When Interviewers Attack!

On the lighter side, check out one of the funniest depictions of an interview with illegal questions: It’s in the first episode of the “Mary Tyler Moore Show.” (You can fast-forward to minute 6 to get the interview scene.)  She tries a combination of the above three tactics, with hilarious results. What a classic!

Objectives on resumes are popular, poll says

Starting a resume with an “objective” statement is more prevalent than I expected. Results of the latest Yahoo! HotJobs poll show that nearly 3 in 5 job seekers use them.

Poll Results

Q What is the first major content section of your resume (after your contact info)? An “objective” statement 59% A “summary” statement 20% My most recent job details 21% 4445 Votes to date

Maybe I’m a little surprised because I don’t use an objective statement on my resume. I remember a few recruiters offering some good reasons why to skip it.

But it’s obviously an unsettled area. Check out these articles for more insights:

• Recruiter Roundtable: Objectives on Resumes
• Who Needs an Objective Statement?
• Great Resume Beginnings: Objective or Summary?

Poll: 3 in 10 like employer’s health plan

The latest weekly poll on Yahoo! HotJobs takes the temperature of how workers and job seekers feel about their employer-sponsored health plans.

Poll Results

Q Are you satisfied with the health-care insurance provided by your employer? Yes 30% No 24% I don’t get insurance from my employer 17% I have no job or health benefits 29% 6457 Votes to date

Looks like a majority might welcome a change. But every day it seems harder and harder to get away from the status quo.

Maybe work relationships haven’t changed much

A few weeks ago I wrote about how the recession may be improving relations in the workplace, but now I’m not so sure.

Check the results of last week’s Yahoo! HotJobs poll, which are essentially unchanged from last year:

Poll Results

Q Of the coworkers you deal with daily, how many do you find really annoying? None 13% One 23% Two 22% Three 10% More than three 32% 4876 Votes to date

When the exact same question was asked a year ago, the biggest difference was that 28% said “more than three” coworkers were really annoying. This year more people can’t stand multiple coworkers!

The difference between this poll and the Robert Half International (RHI) research — besides being more scientific and thorough — could be the time comparison. RHI checked 2009 results against those from 2005.

If Yahoo! HotJobs had asked its poll question in 2005, maybe the number of respondents irked by multiple coworkers would be much higher. That would again support the notion that the recession could be improving ties in the workplace.

The latest trend: pay cuts and furloughs?

A recent article in The Economist caught my attention by noting that some of the latest cost-cutting moves by employers — namely pay cuts and reduced hours — are getting quiet acceptance by many working Americans.

The graph from the article (shown here) shows just how prevalent these measure have become in recent months.

A recent poll (June 2009) on Yahoo! HotJobs had similar results: Almost half of the respondents (48%) said that they have their pay cut or hours reduced by their employers in the last year.

It’s not like employees have many options today but to accept these sorts of cuts. But how you handle the situation can still make a big difference. For some ideas, see “Four Types of Pay Cuts, and What You Can Do About Them.”

Best consumer perks for the jobless?

Despite the largesse of a cosmetic surgeon who is offering free Botox injections for unemployed job seekers, other discounts might be more appreciated by said job seekers.

Last week’s Yahoo! HotJobs poll bears that out, with most respondents preferring either restaurant meals (a la Denny’s free Slams) or phone-service discounts (big hint for Sprint!).

Here is the breakdown:

Q	If you were (or are) laid off, which free or discount plan targeted to the jobless would you appreciate most?
Travel refunds	10%
Botox injections	4%
Restaurant meals	38%
Phone service	39%
Income-tax preparation	8%
6183 Votes to date

Retailers and other service providers should consider cutting more slack to the unemployed — it’s great PR for the brand and could lead to more business! And in the upbeat wisdom of Avenue Q: “When you help others, you can’t help helping yourself.”

Poll: Salaries get the freeze

Interesting results in latest Yahoo! HotJobs poll: Most respondents had their salaries frozen at some time during this year.

Q	Has your employer frozen your salary at any time during 2009?
Yes	72%
No	28%
4911 Votes to date

Poll: Email keeps blurring work-home boundaries

More than a third of Yahoo! HotJobs visitors said they check work email after hours several times per week. While this phenomenon may seem like a necessity for many workers these days (due to the recession), it can also be unhealthy.

Q	How often do you check work email after work hours (nights, weekends)?
Many times per week	36%
A few times per week	10%
Occasionally	13%
Never	17%
I’m not employed	24%
4146 Votes to date

For some helpful advice about how to handle the blurring of boundaries between work and home, see these:

• Wireless Working: Rudeness Made Easy? 
• Wired at Work: Avoiding the ‘Leash’