The Law Recruiters: November 2015

Monday, November 23, 2015

What NOT to Wear to an Interview

You have the interview, and now it’s time to nail that first impression by dressing to impress. Here are some suggestions to help you put your best foot forward:

Err on the conservative side

Even if you know that the office where you are headed adheres to casual attire, you should still wear a business suit to the interview. You don’t want to be more casually dressed than the person interviewing you, and that person could be wearing a suit that day.

Ladies, if your suit has a skirt, the skirt should be longer than your fingers when you drop your arms by your side. Your suit also shouldn’t show off any of your assets – and you know what we mean – and your skirt shouldn’t be too tight. Tops that are low-cut should also be avoided. You want them to look you in the eyes, right?

Gentlemen, invest in a suit that fits. It shouldn’t be baggy and the sleeves need to be the correct length (i.e., not covering part of your hands).

Guys, now is not the time for graphic ties

This one is for the guys – leave the graphic ties at home. We don’t care if it’s Opening Day, don’t wear a tie with baseballs all over it to a job interview (unless perhaps you’re interviewing with a baseball team).

We get it, you’re fun and want to show off your personality. Save that for the company picnic . . . after you have the job!

Ladies, tone down your jewelry

Similar to our advice for the men, now is not the time for the ladies to show off their personality by wearing jewelry that distracts the interviewer from making eye contact and focusing on your skills.

Definitely ditch anything that makes noise as you don’t want to jingle or clang every time you nod your head during the interview, and we also advise that you stay away from any jewelry that is particularly showy or flashy.

Your shoes matter

While most of you are savvy enough to not wear flip-flops or tennis shoes to an interview, a cold winter morning might make you think it’s acceptable to wear rain boots or snow shoes. Sorry, but you either need to brave the wet and the cold for the job interview and wear your dress shoes, or perhaps change out of your rain or snow boots when you arrive at the interview building.

In addition - ladies, stick with heels that you can easily walk in (and even if you can walk in six-inch heels, go with a more modest height). And men, please take the time to shine your dress shoes.

No sunglasses

Sunglasses belong in your purse or briefcase. Even if the interview is being conducted outside at a café, sunglasses are not okay. It’s very important to make eye contact during your interview, and you can’t do that behind a set of shades.

Further, as cool as you think you look with your sunglasses on top of your head, we assure you it’s not the right accessory for an interview.

Cover tattoos and any unusual piercings

Yes, getting ready for a job interview means stifling some of the ways in which you express yourself. Do you want your interviewer to be more interested in the symbols on your upper arm tattoo or in reviewing your qualifications?

This isn’t about stripping away your identity. It’s about avoiding distractions.

Cover tattoos to the best of your ability and leave out any piercings beyond one in each ear for the ladies.

A little bit goes a long way

The interviewer shouldn’t be first alerted to your presence by the smell of your perfume or cologne entering the room. If you want to play it safe, skip your daily application. If you insist on wearing a scent - which we do not recommend - keep it very light. Remember, some people are very sensitive to scents, and you don’t want the lasting memory of you to be the scent that is left in their office when the interview is completed.

The goal of any interview is to be remembered . . . but for the right things. You want to be remembered for your poise, for being articulate, for your impressive experience. You do not want to be remembered as the guy who wore the Sponge Bob tie or the woman who had the bird tattoos on the inside of her wrists.

You want to work in the office, not be office gossip.

McCormack Schreiber Legal Search, Chicago's premier attorney search firm, places experienced attorneys of all levels at large, midsize and boutique law firms, as well as at regional, national and international corporations. We are confident that we provide unparalleled knowledge, service and results. We welcome the opportunity to assist you with your search and placement process, and invite you to contact us, in strict confidence, at info@thelawrecruiters.com, or visit our website at www.thelawrecruiters.com to learn more about McCormack Schreiber.

McCormack Schreiber Legal Search Inc.

303 West Madison Street, Suite 1725

Chicago, Illinois 60606

Tel: 312.377.2000

Toll Free: 866.819.4091

info@thelawrecruiters.com

www.thelawrecruiters.com

All inquiries to McCormack Schreiber are kept strictly confidential

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

How to Prepare for a Skype or Video Job Interview

If you haven’t been out on the job market in a while, you might not be aware of the increasing trend of conducting first interviews via Skype or other video platform. Video interviews save both time and money, and are particularly useful for interviews of out-of-state candidates. However, while you may not be meeting in person, this does not mean you should treat them any less formally.

Set the scene

Ideally, you want to set up with a neutral-colored background like a wall behind you with few distractions (i.e., not in front of bookshelves full of knick knacks). Further, there should be nothing random left lying around, such as a stray wine glass or half-eaten sandwich. We also recommend corralling any pets. As much as we all love our furry friends, you don’t want Fluffy jumping on your desk to walk in front of the screen or Fido barking in the background.

Ditch the wireless connection

If at all possible, hardwire into your internet connection instead of connecting over wireless (and turn off your wireless router). This will improve the quality of your video and audio and hopefully prevent any blips or freezing coming from your end.

For those of you with a cable modem, you can generally plug right into the modem. To further improve the stability of your connection, close all programs on your computer other than the program you’re using for the video interview.

Dress exactly the same as you would for an in-person interview

Whether you’re sitting across a conference room table from your interviewer or in front of a web cam, your attire should be the same. For the vast majority of attorney positions, you’ll want to be in a suit.

The same attention should be paid to your hair, makeup and other grooming as if you were going into the office for an interview. For women, we suggest making sure that your makeup is neither too heavy nor too light, and perhaps checking your appearance on your phone or computer screen prior to the interview.

Look at the camera (not at yourself)

Depending on which program you’re using for the video interview, you may be able to see your own video feed on the screen. For example, Skype places your video feed in the bottom right corner. This can be extremely distracting and can cause you to look at yourself instead of looking directly into the camera.

Just as you would want to look an interviewer in the eye in person, you want to look directly at them during the video interview. If your video feed distracts you, adjust your settings to remove it (not possible with all software) or use a sticky note to cover it.

Don’t forget body language

Don’t sit so still during the interview that person on the other end wonders if the screen has frozen. Body language and connecting with the interviewer on a personal level still matter. Smile, be expressive and show a little personality. Make them want to meet you in person.

Do a trial run

Enlist a friend to do a trial run with you. This ensures your software is up-to-date – there’s nothing worse than getting ready to connect for the interview only to receive an alert that you need an upgrade – and your friend can let you know if you and your background look good in action.