Ellen Gordon Reeves - Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job

Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?

THE CRASH COURSE
Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job

By Ellen Gordon Reeves

Copyright 2009 by Ellen Gordon Reeves

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproducedmechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopyingwithout written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son, Limited.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-0-7611-4145-7

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Printed in the United States of America
First printing March 2009

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To my family and friendsand to everyone who asked the questions.

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Set Yourself Up for Success

Finding and Making the Most of Your Connections

The Piece of Paper that Says It All

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

Setting Up Your Fan Club

Preparation Is Everything

What to Say Before Ill Take It!

Now What Are You Going to Do?

(Whether Its Your Choice or Theirs)

This book was Lindy Hesss idea and I want to thank her, the staff and students of the Columbia Publishing Course (formerly the Radcliffe Publishing Course) for their help and advice, Susan Caplan and Leslie Hendrickson in particular. Before she went on to become an agent, Jennifer Griffin signed up the book with the enthusiastic support of Peter Workman; she left me in the capable hands of Savannah Ashour and editor in chief Suzie Bolotin. The book couldnt have happened without Savannahs essential contributions on every level. Thanks to Katharine Cluverius who signed the book up at ICM and to Kate Lee who took over when Katharine left. Also at Workman, many thanks to David Matt and Janet Vicario for their expert design, Kristin Matthews and Oleg Lyubner for getting the word out, and everyone in sales and marketing for all of their hard work.

Many people read and edited chapters, including Sam Appleton, Michaela Daniel, Lori Goldstein, Jennifer Rappaport, Caroline Reeves, and Linda Saxl Minton. Emily Griffin, Sophie Rosenblum, and Bennett Singer took the time to read the entire manuscript and offered invaluable comments. Many friends provided advice, information, and anecdotes, including Asa Danes, Lisa Bernstein, Rose Bowen, Mih-Ho Cha, Simone Cooper, David Deschamps, Vicki Eastus, Melissa Ehlinger, Ted Janger, Marc Johnson, Lisa Gerson, Linda Heuman, Rona Leff, Michele Levin, Laura Meiselman, Andra Miletta, Maureen Miletta, Alice Naude, Thomas Neenan, Amy Remensnyder, Marika Rosen, Richard Rosen, Pam Rich, Stephen Saxl, Robert Schlesinger, Lizzie Seidlin-Bernstein, Bryan Simmons, Caroline Bliss Spencer, Lynn Turner Tennenbaum, Ann Vershbow, Ralph Vetters, Brenna Wilmott, Diane Wachtell, Peter Zachariah, and many others.

Nothing happens without family and I dedicate this to mine: Mom, Caroline, Jim Lee, Daniel, Andrew, Pamela, Jeffrey Goldberg, Talia, Elisheva, William, Edna Wharton, and the Ress/Reeves clan. Then there are family members who are no longer here, but I know they know: Dad, Annie and Joe, Rose, Ethel and Max, Jane, Bernie and Charlie, Grandma and Grandpa. Thanks to my other families and extended families: Billington, Cha, Gerson, Kaufman/Goldfine, Landes, Meiselman, Miletta, Mensch, Saxl, Silverman, Singer.

Nothing happens without community and I count myself lucky to have several: Harvard, Radcliffe, BB&N, ASP, Lincoln, The Lyce Internationale de St. Germain-en Laye, The New Press, Boston, Providence, Paris, NYC, and Marthas Vineyard.

Special thanks to Harriet Hoffheinz, my first and wisest career counselor at Radcliffe, and to Jim Billington, who is always there.

This book isnt really about nose rings. Even the question itselfCan I wear my nose ring to the interview?isnt really about nose rings. Its one Ive been asked many times, by many job-seekers struggling with how to present themselves. My answer? Yes. If you wear one and intend to keep wearing it, dont take it out for the interview, get the job, and then wonder why youre never introduced to clients.

Of course, this book isnt just for job-seekers with nose rings, tongue studs, tattoos, blue hair, or pierced eyebrows. The nose ring is a metaphor for the complexities of the job hunt, which may involve more soul-searching than you imagineand lots of questions about how to present yourself now that youre out in the real world. If the mere thought of looking for a job has your stomach in knots, youre not alone. Ive dealt with enough college grads to know that the first job search can be a terrifying prospect.

As I write, a troubled economy makes that search appear even more terrifying than usualbut the key word here is appear. Heres what most new job hunters dont realize: An economic downturn will not destroy your chances of getting a job; indeed, it can actually offer opportunity, if you understand how to make the most of the situation. Entry-level jobs are often the least affected by recession. Why? Youre relatively cheap, and youre probably willing to work hard to prove yourself. If you position yourself correctly, youll also be perceived as highly adaptable and easily trainable. Yes, youll need to be more innovative and assertive in your approach, and more patient and flexiblebut stay optimistic and confident. The strategies I recommend are based on timeless principles.

When I began advising students at the Columbia Publishing Course on their rsums, I started collecting all the questions that came up. They werent only about rsums; the concerns were all over the map. People wanted to know how to look for a job without wasting hours surfing the Web, what to wear to a job interview, and what they would be asked. They wanted to know what to put on a blank rsum page when theyd never had a job or even an internship in their lives. They wanted advice about how to look for a job if they had absolutely no idea what they wanted to do and then how to negotiate a job offer once they got one.

Over the years, the list of questions grewand now they form the heart of this book.

When I graduated from college, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: teach, write, and edit. But I didnt have a clue how to turn those goals and interests into a job or career. While many of my friends became investment bankers, I got a part-time, minimum-wage job in a toy store called Henry Bears Park. (Me: I get 40 percent off all the toys! My parents: For this we sent you to Harvard?) I wish Id had this book, but I hadnt written it yet.

What I did have, it turns out, was a knack for helping people present themselves. Id edit a rsum for a friend; then for a friend of a friend; then for colleagues wherever I worked. (One of the things my career path taught me is that if you follow your interests, a path will emerge.)

I have unearthed the inner rsums of a white rapper, a missionary from Mexico (never use the word crusade on a rsum), and a MacArthur genius grant winner. I have successfully advised people at all stages of their careersCEOs, engineers, college professors, diplomats, investment bankers, lawyers, publishing professionals, and even an opera singer.