With warmer weather approaching, its time to take a second look at what we are wearing to the office. I know when the sun is shinning I am tempted to dress for afterwork at 8 am, but we all need to resist this urge and keep a professional image in the workplace.

Etiquette books still tend to take a very conservative approach to the office. Emily Post, for example, swears that "business casual" doesn't exist, while Amy Vanderbilt prefers women not to wear pants to the office.

So, is it "anything goes" today? What you wear continues to say a lot about your work. So think about your company, your teammates, clients, management, and your position when reaching into your closet,know that the catch phrase "dress for the job you want" still applies, and you'll always come out a winner.

Every day, you get a chance to make a statement about your value to the company through your choice of clothes. Moreover, salary negotiations can happen at any time. Here's a list of ways to say "pay me more" - or at least avoid saying "pay me less" - with your wardrobe.

Here are some "rules" for work place dress that probably apply to all workplaces in our area: (I already took out ones I thought were grey area so these are pretty basic "no's"!)

Tank tops
Tee shirts
Athletic shorts
Athletic sandals, flip-flops (or any shoes that slap when you walk)
Scuffed shoes
Shiny or see-through fabrics
Tight/revealing clothing
Ripped jeans
Showy belt buckles
Anything dirty, stained, or torn
Shirts with offensive words or pictures
Tattooes/piercings
Fishnet stockings
Visible lingerie (bra straps, garter belts, etc.)
Glitter/club makeup
Messy facial hair
Baseball caps, remove all hats indoors

Refer to your employee handbook or HR for detailed information.
Good luck, Please send comments and questions to jobs@bangordailynews.net

Last week at our job fair the recruiters from Hilton; Amy Shorette and Cindy McLellan mentioned to me that they both expect job seekers to fill out applications completely even when attaching a resume. Your resume does not have all the details an application asks for and that recruiters want. When you write "see resume" instead of filling in the blanks, many areas can be overlooked. Feel free to attach your resume which is basically a marketing piece which promotes your best sales pitch to get the job.
Always remember to be completely honest when filling out applications as they can be used as a means of dismissal if they are incomplete, misleading, or inaccurate.

A: Hello Jobseeker, It is important to remember that a resume attracts attention to you. An in-person interview allows the company to see if they like you. Between those two events, recruiters need to make sure you are qualified and do not have any red flags. Recruiters use phone screens (interviews) to focus on those two concerns.
Here are keys to successful a phone interview.

? Give accurate contact information in your cover letter so recruiters can easily contact you.
? Create a professional answering machine message, and ensure household members understand the importance of phone messages in your job search.
? Be prepared for an unexpected phone screen by keeping records close by. Include the job ad, company research, your questions and any material you sent the company.
? During the phone screen be in a place where you can talk freely, read and take notes, and concentrate with minimal background noise. Ensure you can hear and be heard clearly. Use a landline if possible.
? If the phone call/screen is at an unexpected time, ask the interviewer if you can call back at a better time where you can speak in a private place.
? Do not multitask during the interview.
? Consider standing, and feel free to use hand gestures even though you are on the phone—you will sound more professional and natural.
? If the phone call is scheduled, consider dressing nicely. You will project a more professional image even though you will not be seen.
? After you respond to the interviewer there may be silence before his or her next question. Feel free to ask a question of your own related to your last response.
? If possible, practice a mock phone interview.
? You will be asked to show you have the skills to accomplish the open position. Be prepared to give organized, rehearsed examples of how you performed these skills at work in the past to prove your skill set.
? Be ready for questions about frequent job changes or big gaps in work.
? Do not panic if you have special needs. If you are hearing-impaired, for example, phone interviews are still possible.
? If you sneeze or cough, say "excuse me."
? Don't chew gum or food, or drink anything noisy.
? Create a strong finish with thoughtful questions about the company and position. Ask for a decision-making timeline and about the next step in the hiring process.

The most important thing to do on an any interview is relax and be confident. This applies to phone interviews as much as in-person ones.
And don’t forget a key component of a successful interview (even for a phone interview) a thank you note.
Good Luck and Happy Job Hunting!

Send your job questions to jobs@bangordailynews.net
See you at the Job Fair on Wednesday, April 16th.

11th Annual Spring Career & Job Fair "EmployME `08"
April 16, 2008 -
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Come join us at the Spectacular Event Center at 395 Griffin Road in Bangor.

Sponsored by the Bangor CareerCenter and the Bangor Daily News

If you are looking for a job, new career, or training opportunities plan to attend this exciting event!

Bring your resume and have it professionally critiqued!

Door Prizes!!

Employers if you would like to attend this event or have questions about job fairs, please e-mail Paul Ruggiero or call 888-828-0568.

Some confirmed businesses are:

Acadia Hospital
Atlantic Landscape Construction
Augusta Electrical JATC
Bangor Daily News
Bank of America
Beal College
Bonney Staffing Center
Care and Comfort
CareerCenter
Charlotte White Center
Cianbro
Clean Harbors Environmental Services
Cumulus Broadcasting
Dirigo Pines
Duprey and Associates
Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems
Eastern Maine Medical Center
Employment Times
Fastenal Company
General Electric Company
Girl Scouts of Maine
Hilton Hotels (Hampton Inn & Hilton Garden Inn)
Hollywood Slots
Irving Oil Limited
Jackson Laboratory
Katahdin Paper Co.
Kelley Services
Labor Ready
Lane Construction
Linnehan's Credit Now Auto Company
Living Innovations
Loring and Penobscot Job Corps
Maine Air National Guard
Maine Army National Guard
Maine Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC)
Maine Oil Dealers Association (MTEC)
Maine Staffing Group
Manpower
MERT Enterprises, Inc.
MetLife
Muskie School of Public Service (providing resources for job seekers with disabilities)
OHI
Orono Commons
Penobscot Community Health Care
Pike Industries
RH Foster
Sam's Club
Time Warner Cable
United States Army
United States Army Healthcare Team
University of Maine
US Cellular
Vaughn Thibodeau & Sons
Walgreens
Walmart
Woodlands Assisted Living of Brewer
Work Source Staffing Service

I have a website
Submitted by Shatter24 on Thu, 2008-3-07 17:28.
I have a website where I put the material I've created. I also have my contact information on there, if someone likes what they see. I haven't had much for comments though, even with an easy way to post comments confidentially. How do I get more interest in my website, hopefully attracting potential job recruiters?

Hello Shatter24,
There are many ways to promote your website, some of them are even free. I recommend using Keywords in your html code so that your site will come up on search engines. Have you thought of running a contest when you ask for comments?... Are comments posted on your site right away or do you review them first? Maybe try a survey or provacative question. I reccomend creating a profile on a social networking site like linkedin where you can promote yourself and your site to get the job offers commming in. be proactive send a link to your site on emails to prospective employers. let me know how these ideas work for you? Good Luck!

Do you have a tried and true job tip, Send it to us at jobs@bangordailynews.net , we may publish it online or in the paper!

The number one complaint that I hear from Sales industy recruiters is that it is hard to find good sales people.

If you're a natural at selling products or services for your employer, why is it so hard to sell yourself on your resume?

I know great sales people are out there, maybe the message is getting lost in your resumes so here are some tips, I found on the internet:

Sales resumes need to be results-oriented, emphasizing how you contributed to your employer's bottom line. Start by creating a career summary that highlights your value to potential employers. Include the main reasons an employer should call you for an interview, and clearly show your areas of expertise and industry knowledge. For example, if you are pursuing a pharmaceutical sales representative position, those keywords and your supporting knowledge should be in the profile. This section is perfect for exhibiting the drive, energy and enthusiasm that is so important in the sales profession.

Use Action-Packed Achievements

It is very important for your professional experience section to show a track record of sales achievements. Under each employer and position, develop a brief paragraph that highlights your responsibilities (such as territory, budget, supervisory responsibilities, etc.). Then provide a bulleted list of your top achievements, making sure they are quantifiable and meaningful to someone outside your company. To create powerful accomplishments, go beyond stating your work's results -- describe how you achieved such excellent results. Take a look at these examples of powerful achievement statements:

Built sales organization from ground up, conceptualizing and realizing strategic plan that generated $1 million in software and consulting revenue within one year. Sustained strong revenue gains, despite a fiercely competitive and declining market.
Cultivated relationships with customer base in the semiconductor industry and uncovered new customer needs.
Achieved a 100 percent reference customer base of nine semiconductor fabrication clients that had previously been dissatisfied with company's customer service. Identified problems and worked closely with operations managers to regain confidence and develop win-win solutions.
These Questions Will Get You Thinking About Your Achievements:

How did the company benefit from your sales expertise?
How did you perform in comparison with your peers?
What were your specific sales figures (provide a dollar amount if the information is not confidential or a percentage increase)?
How well have you met your quotas or other sales expectations?
Have you won any sales awards?
Were you rewarded with a new territory because of your performance?
Did you land any difficult accounts? Did you salvage any accounts that had previously been languishing?
Were you involved in product development or a new product launch?
Did you surmount serious obstacles, such as selling in poor market conditions, overcoming objections or breaking into a new market?
Did you establish a sales training program or teach other sales pros to improve their performances?
Did your dedication to customer service, impeccable follow-through and support lead to repeat business or a high number of referrals?
Have you led contract negotiations resulting in a positive business deal?
Have you negotiated with vendors or suppliers to secure favorable pricing?
Have you written for any industry publications or spoken at events or conferences?
Did you serve on any committees or boards, or participate in special projects?
The Confidentiality Factor

Keep in mind that many companies consider their sales strategies and performances confidential information. The threat of competitors finding out about company success strategies is very real, so be sure not to include any information that would compromise your current or past employers' confidential information. You certainly can include information that is available to the general public (for example, stats found in an annual report or on the company Web site).

Sample Sales Keywords for Your Resume

Job Titles: sales representative, sales professional, district sales manager, regional sales manager, VP of sales, account executive, account manager, sales executive, sales engineer, director of sales, sales support manager, territory sales representative, territory manager, channel sales manager, manufacturer representative, technical sales, medical sales representative, pharmaceutical sales, e-business sales manager, investment representative, IT sales.

Industry related words: solution selling, relationship building, relationship selling, relationship sales, customer service, customer relations, client relations, territory expansion, consultative sales, product marketing, negotiating and closing, channel sales, B2B/B2C, lead generation, OEMs, VARs, communication skills, new business development, sales presentations, PowerPoint, meeting and exceeding sales quotas, outside sales, inside sales, sales expansion.

Dear Lisa, I got an interview and when the HR manager called she said it would be a speed interview format and I should expect the "interview visit to last 1-2 hours". What was the Manager talking about? What exactly is speed interviewing? - Penny

Hi Penny, Thanks for your E-mail, I want everyone to know they can ask questions by e-mailing me at lrancourt@bangordailynews.net. According to a November 2007 article, The Wall Street Journal says speed interviewing is gaining in popularity as companies strive to hire multiple positions in short periods of time.
The basic premise of speed interviewing is that recruiters see many candidates very quickly and can size them up to one other. As a job seeker you may meet individually with 2 or 3 company reps during the same day(s) as other candidates are also meeting. After the meetings, the decision-makers get together and decide on the top prospect. In some cases they call the candidate back to meet with the group. Other times a job offer is made that same day or in within a few days. This is a divergence from traditional recruiting where there is an initial interview followed by second and perhaps a third interview spaced out over several days to weeks. Although an advantage for the job seeker is a quicker offer, the job seeker may not have as long to decide and weigh their options. Companies like "speed interviewing" because top candidates may hear from their company first, locking them into their company. It is easier for the decision-makers to compare candidates against their peers, since they meet with both candidates in close proximity.
As a job seeker remember to do your homework about the company, ask insightful questions, make sure the company is the right fit for you and when you receive an offer take a day and think it over. Good Luck! -Lisa

Lisa,

I found a co-worker's resume in the copier and noticed that she lists some of my responsibilities as her own. I am so mad, I don't want her to get away with this, I know our boss does not know that she is looking for a new job, should I tell my boss about what my co-worker did?

Mad in Camden

Dear Mad,
Oh, what a predicament, seems to me like you have two options,
On the one hand, your work ethic and results are awesome as demonstrated by the fact that someone else would like to lay claim to them You could look at it as a form of a compliment. Way to go! You can ignore your coworker's resume, and bravely assume all will be vindicated in good time (Karma!). If she tries to bring your expertise to a new job, her actions will speak for themselves.

On the other hand, you certainly don't want someone else taking credit for your work, what if you both applied for the same job? Are you positive your co-worker is not simply exaggerating her own input on teamwork, rather than stealing yours?
It sounds like you are an honest, hard working person who's feelings have been seriously hurt, and if this event will weigh heavily on you, then have the Talk. Ask for a few minutes of your co-worker's time. Explain in straightforward, nonthreatening language that you are disappointed in her, use specific examples from the resume. Use phrases like" I feel, when I read this..."

Regardless of what you decide and the outcome, your work does speak for itself.
Thank you for your question, I hope my opinion helps, Lisa

Hello:

My brother has a interview today!!
What kind of questions should he ask his potential employer?

My favorite question is what qualities are you looking for in your employee in this position?
Then he can confirm that he is all of those things, using examples.

It is also a good idea to ask how receptive they are to new ideas and what should be the process for presenting them?

If you are inrviewing with your potential supervisor, ask them what their management style is, and what you can expect for feedback and supervision... good luck to him!
Lisa