“No I haven’t had time yet” is never the right answer to “have you looked at the Web site?” As matter of fact, it’s the wrong answer to any interview question.

Fashion counts or so says my “post grad in the office” blogging assistant. Latest commentary (under her breath of course): “Honey, your bag is not fierce. Your bag is the love child of Pepto Bismol and a drugstore.”

If you’ve been working for five years, no one really cares about your sophomore year summer internship. Lose it on the resume.

Unless a man is here for something other than job advice, leave the cologne at home.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/139486/dear-bevs-career-bytes.html#ixzz1fxkvgb7x

What about, “If you were shrunk to the size of a pencil and put in a blender, how would you get out?”

Companies like Goldman Sachs, Google, Aflac and others ask tough, specific questions to get a certain kind of answer. They want to see how you think, delve a little deeper into your personality than a normal interview might. What other kinds of questions are there? Take a look at this slideshow from The Huffington Post to find out: 15 Ridiculously Hard Job Interview Questions from Top Employers

Dear Bev: Is There A Surefire Technique to Recruit A-Players?

Check out Bev’s latest column on Media Post.com.

Dear Bev: Should I wear a tie and suit or blue jeans with my shirt out? What’s up with business dress codes for guys?

By Beverly Weinstein

If you attended the recent MediaPost Outfront Conference hoping for an answer to this question, you probably left more confused.

Joe Abruzzese, president of media sales and marketing at Discovery Networks, always considered one of advertising best-dressed execs, didn’t disappoint. He was garbed in an elegant dark suit, perfect tie and coordinating pocket square. Sitting next to him was Jon Nesvig, president of Fox Broadcasting Company, looking dapper in an open collared shirt, slacks and a sport coat. And so it went .

One agency exec made his fashion statement in a pair of blue jeans. The closing speaker was Al Gore, dressed in a traditional suit and tie, but his company’s CEO, Mark Rosenthal, opted for the open-collared look.

So what’s appropriate and what’s not?

It would be a mistake to think that anything goes, especially if you’re talking about your first meeting with a potential employer. Even though they may show up in jeans, it’s a bad idea for you to do the same and risk making the wrong first impression. At the same time, a traditional suit and tie may send the wrong signal.

A senior level digital executive, who had early professional roots in the magazine business, met with an old friend from the print side eager for advice on how to break into digital. The print guy showed up in a conservative suit and tie. The exec’s comment: “This guy just doesn’t get it. He looks like he’s living in some other era.”

Don’t make a mistake and assume all digital dress code is more casual. One of my clients at a digital start-up described his ideal job candidate as someone who wore a suit and tie to see clients. “I think it lets our customers know we’re serious, we’re professional and we’re grown-ups,” he said.

A former TV exec working in a downtown digital portal announced in no uncertain terms, “If someone shows up in jeans to an interview, they’re automatically out.”

So how do you decide? The key to knowing how to dress is knowing your audience. Do some research on the company and the company’s culture. Google the executive you’re meeting with and look at press photos, try the company Web site, and check out their LinkedIn and Facebook photos. Are they wearing ties in these shots? If so, wear one when you meet them.

What do you do if you find them in a variety of looks? My advice is to stay on the safe side. At the very least, carry the tie in your jacket pocket.

Read the column on MediaPost.

Dear Bev: Are There Job Search “Best Practices?”

By Beverly Weinstein

Absolutely! I talked to a senior level ad agency executive recently who conducted a five-month job search with great success. In my opinion, his search was pitch perfect and worth noting.

What to Look For in a Contact List…(Hint: It’s Not Just Contacts)

Step one in this successful CEO’s search was developing a list of contacts under the broad heading of “anyone that could be helpful” in finding him a job. He also understood that not every contact would be a direct route to his end goal. His conversations always had a purpose, and he stressed the importance of being specific about what he was looking for. It might have been as simple as someone’s opinion on marketplace trends or as specific as help getting in front of someone that was looking for a candidate with his skills. He met with more than 100 people.

Searching as a Full-Time Job

“It’s important to keep your search going each week like it’s your job,” he advised. “It’s hard to dip in and out of search. I did take the opportunity to visit family and take a vacation, but you have to stay at it. You can’t treat it like a part-time event. That’s a dangerous mind-set because you can wake up one day, and it’s been a year that you’ve been out of work.”

Find a Good Coach

Outplacement, which included a personal coach, was part of this executive’s exit package from his previous post. He credits his coach with being instrumental in the success of his search, not only in helping him prepare for interviews, but also in helping him refine his job criteria and make a choice that would best serve his career development.

“I worked with my coach to prepare for interviews, gave him the feedback I received from interviewers, and then he helped assess and refine the way I presented myself,” he said. “On another level, the coach was someone I could turn to if I was feeling down or needed some help to lift my spirits.” He was lucky that his former employer footed the bill for a coach, but didn’t hesitate to say that it was so valuable that it was something he would have paid for himself.

Interview Tips

“When I started interviewing I was way too casual. I relied too much on my past history,” he admitted. “I later realized the importance of going into an interview and being able to provide two or three points where you can add immediate value to an organization.”

In addition to researching the company he was interviewing with online, he tried to have a preparatory conversation with someone from the company so he didn’t walk into the interview cold. “I found most people are willing to take your call and answer a few questions.”

Say More Than Just “Thank You”

After many interviews, this successful job seeker’s feeling was that a “thank you” note without meaningful content was a waste. “Take time to compose something that reflects back on the interview conversation and includes some simple points about how you can add immediate value to the company. A few strong paragraphs will suffice,” he said. He also though follow-up notes should be sent within 48 hours of the interview.

Visibility

He made a point of remaining active in the business community during his period of unemployment. “Stay visible within your industry,” he advised. “Go to conferences, even if you pay out of your own pocket.”  He found value in making a point of scheduling meals and meetings in places where he was most likely to run into people in the business. “If people don’t see you or hear from you, you’re not going to be top of mind,” he warned.

Don’t Be Afraid To Negotiate

This executive’s aggressive job search got him back in the saddle in five months, but he puts emphasis on finding the right job for you and not just a quick fix to unemployment, even if it takes more time. “I was more focused on the job I wanted, rather than a salary benchmark,” he said. “If you’re really looking at the right job, then the salary should be in the right range that’s appropriate with your contribution level and the kind of company you want to join.”

And just because you’re unemployed, he said, doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate. “Being unemployed doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go back to the company and says, I appreciate the offer, but points one and two still don’t fit for me, and these are the reasons why.”

Read the column on Media Post.

“One of our values is, “Create fun and a little weirdness.” So one of our interview questions is, literally, on a scale of 1 to 10, how weird are you? If you’re a 1, you’re probably a little bit too strait-laced for us. If you’re a 10, you might be too psychotic for us.

It’s not so much the number; it’s more seeing how candidates react to a question. Because our whole belief is that everyone is a little weird somehow, so it’s really more just a fun way of saying that we really recognize and celebrate each person’s individuality, and we want their true personalities to shine in the workplace environment, whether it’s with co-workers or when talking with customers,” Hsieh told NYT.

I think aside from showing your individuality, what Hsieh hopes to accomplish with these types of questions is getting candidates to loosen up. While most job seekers are worried about looking pristine and perfect for an interview, it seems some employers just want the real you, even if the real you is kinda weird. Of course, you should still look polished and come prepared, but remember to express your true self in an interview, not who you think the employer wants you to be.

Good advice from someone who seems to be a pretty cool boss.

Unfortunately we’ve been hearing that this holiday season brought more than good tidings and mirth. For many it also brought the unwanted gift of unemployment. (WSJ) A great way to put a damper on the holidays, but don’t let it ruin the new year! While everyone has had big hopes for 2010 to be a better year for media and a better year for employment in general, the end of the fiscal calendar always leaves companies trimming and reorganizing for a new year. You’re not alone and don’t lose hope, because with the new year comes, of course, resolutions!

There are the typical resolutions we all make…read more, exercise regularly, take up a new hobby, maybe lose a few pounds. We’re all concerned with bettering ourselves for a brighter future. So why not look at your job search as an extension of yourself? After all finding that new job is all about a new future. If you resolve to go for a run every day to take better care of your body, why not resolve to take better care of those job search tools too and put your best foot forward both literally and figuratively?

Phyllis Korkki at The New York Times had this same spirit of renewal in mind when she wrote a guide to re-energizing your job search. Here are some highlights and tips:

Your Resume: Korkki says, “When was the last time you took a word-by-word, letter-by-letter look at your résumé? Make sure it’s completely up to date and tailored to the types of jobs you are seeking. (After all, your situation might have changed since you started looking.) Now is also the time to create alternate versions, to reflect different types of positions.”

You may also want to look into hiring a resume writer if the document needs a lot of attention and you haven’t created one in years.

Your References: “If you have not talked to your references lately, call or e-mail them. Make sure they are still in the same jobs, and tell them you’re still looking. This helps expand your network, because references may know of job openings. It’s also a good time to consider whether to add or remove some people as references,” she wrote.

Digital Presence: And we can’t stress this one enough! “Check and update your LinkedIn profile and make sure that it’s consistent with the information in your résumé and any other online presence you have… Hiring managers look at LinkedIn, and any discrepancies could be red flags..Review your contacts on LinkedIn and reach out to new ones. Check whether anyone new can write a recommendation for you on the site. And, while you’re at it, Google yourself and check Facebook or other social networks to make sure that nothing embarrassing shows up.”

These are just a few ways to get serious about your future. Stay tuned for more advice in the coming posts!

Read the rest of Korkki’s tips at the New York Times.

By Beverly Weinstein

The first interview is a little bit like a first date. You want to give just enough information to keep someone interested, but not so much that the next night you’ll be eating dinner alone.

Some candidates have launched into well-produced and neatly bound PowerPoint presentations that are all about who they are before the interviewer has a chance to offer them a glass of water, much less give them an overview of the job.

What’s the rush? You want to be able to tailor your comments and emphasize your experience in a manner that’s as relevant as possible. If you talk before you listen, that’s virtually impossible. What you do say can be much more damaging than what you don’t.

Too Much Too Soon

“It’s an ill-conceived idea to just start with a presentation on yourself before you know what’s expected,” said Gary Schuman of CDL Consulting, a management and leadership consulting firm.  “You have to understand what the buyer’s (aka the interviewer) needs are. Understand what the product is about before you present something.”

Show and Tell

This isn’t to suggest that you shouldn’t come armed with examples of your work, so you’re ready if it’s relevant to the discussion with the interviewer. Whether you’re working in a job like promotion or design, or you’re a finance person that has developed a new reporting tool, visuals can make an impact. However, be careful not to leave anything behind that would be considered proprietary.

Presenting With Technology

I’ve been interviewing candidates recently for a promotion job. Several have created Web sites with samples of their work. It’s easy to pull up a link on my computer. In addition, I’ve noticed that with the growing popularity of netbooks, candidates simply power up and share their work that way.

Read the Column on Media Post.