First Impressions are not Everything! (and other counterintuitive myths)

I know it’s hip to be counter-intuitive, contrarian, and a little ironic these days. I mean, I love “Portlandia” as much as you do. If you don’t, then can we at least agree on The Colbert Report or Jon Stewart… right?

Irony and counter-intuitiveness has even made its way to Linkedin, which recently reposted an article in Business Daily that began with this quote:

“Thinking blending in is good for your career? Not necessarily. In fact, dressing differently just might help you get ahead at work.”

And where did Business Daily get this nugget of ironic wisdom? Elton John? Or if you don’t remember him… Lady Gaga?  No – they gained this nugget from – wait for it – a Harvard professor. Well, not a professor exactly…it was co-authored by a Harvard doctoral student. But you get the drift. An “allegedly” smart individual.

But here’s the thing. Wearing T-shirts and a three-day growth of beard for you guys, and flip-flops and a tank top for the women, might cut it if you do get the job at that high growth technology start-up that provides employees with a diving board so they can dive into a vat of Jell-O to blow off steam, or relax in the meditation room for those days that you need a break …but the thing is… first you have to get the job. Then you can dive into the Jello.

Actually, it’s no laughing matter if you want a job. If you think that dropping a swear word in to familiarize yourself in the interview, or having a drink to, “loosen things up a bit” is a good idea, well, it’s not, because you’re not living in the “Mad Men” era. Those things aren’t considered sophisticated on job interviews in 2014.  There wasn’t a ton of Human Resource activity back then. (And if there was, it was likely in a smoke-filled room with a whisky cart nearby.)

So LOSE the outlier-style statement (You’ll have plenty of time to prove your individuality when you get the job). Look good, dress appropriately, and DON’T ASSUME anything.

Now for my good news, and a little advice, too, because there are still things that really matter when you’re looking for the right job. So for now, let’s take the beard, T-shirt and flip-flops off the table – with all due respect to Harvard’s doctoral students – and focus on the reality of the old standbys that still matter to hiring managers, recruiters, and about everyone else whom you need to legitimately impress  in order to move to the next level.

Flip-flops off? Wearing well-fitting, appropriate articles of appropriate clothing? Great, let’s begin with what you actually need, and what still matters:

• Timing: Use your gut instinct. Search the job boards, see who’s in and who’s leaving, and when you sense it’s time to strike, hit it. Look at growth organizations that can benefit from your experience. Trust me – high growth is challenging as you sometimes might have hired the wrong person a year or two ago – ad your top grading the organization hard. It happens !

• Follow Up: Once you get that interview, or, increasingly, a series of  “discovery ” sessions (come prepared to be interviewed by multiple people from different departments), then follow up with each of them in writing. And for the love of god, word each note differently, with a reference to what was discussed in the meeting. You would be AMAZED at who doesn’t practice this lost art of basic courtesy. Thank you notes, whether email or paper (email is fine), never go unnoticed. I would recommend a hand-written note to the most senior people you meet – another lost art that says a great deal about it in a positive way . Get some stationary: you’re a professional, after all.  You may not get the job, but you’ll win points for class and respect, and a general sense of style never hurts.

• Punctuality: Do not be late for an interview. Never, never never. The interviewer can be late – bad form as it may  – but not you. Repeat this phrase in your head ten times: I am selling myself and EVERYTHING I say or do is reflective of what type of person I am and employee I’ll be. No, make that twenty. Speaking of, arrive early – not thirty minutes, but 15-20. (C’mon, you can do it.) No one minds people waiting in the reception area – that’s why companies have them.

• Materials: Don’t assume your interviewers have clicked through all your links to your resume or white paper or blog or whatever, unfortunately most have just looked at it for he first time 5 minutes before you walked into their office. Be able to speak to your background – tell a story. Bring physical material. Create a slide deck or something clever, and make it short and image rich – not a ton of text. So bring your best stuff – you have it, right? – and show people you care about this experience and want this job. Because guess what – I have interviewed thousands of candidates – and it shows every time you meet someone who cares and has PASSION around what they are doing and how they present themselves etc .

• Energy: I’m going to level with you, because I’ve seen thousands of candidates come and go, and if there is one thing you must demonstrate, it’s energy. Intellectual curiosity. Good humor. Brisk movement. Self actuated, involved in the discussion, not just answering questions. So PLEASE – LEAN in – give it your all but be receptive to comments and not overbearing, whatever the role your interviewing for. Oh and POLISH your shoes – smart interviewers notice EVERTYTHING. Showing goes a lot further that telling!

• Passion in Delivery: Again – more on his – but an interview is no time to act like you don’t care one way or the other if you get this job – IT SHOWS. Playing hard-to -get is for sophomores, folks. Know it. Live it. You have to want it, and you have to let them know you want it. Let them know what you like about their company, and why you think you can be a part of it.  Position the adventure that they are on and let them know you are into joining and why. And most important, let them know how you want to help the organization grow – because you have been around, have seen that, had this experience etc., etc. Trust me when I tell you – smart interviewers listen much more than they they talk in a session – they’ll be listening to you closely, both for content and for style. In this case, passion for the job is style.

EVP  – Employee Value Proposition:  Ask what it is – why they joined , what did they see that helped them decide to join the adventure? How long have they been here – have they moved into new roles? THEN – help them understand what you can bring to the party.  Wait. Back up. Not the usual string of clichés about being a team player blah blah blah, but what do you bring to the company?  Do you see what I mean? Rather than saying, “I think I’d be a good fit,” think about something like,  “It looks like you are investing here – I have experience relative to that when I was at XYZ and we monetized that to ABC – or whatever. Again – tell a story here.

So you are armed and ready. Be engaged – dress like an adult that has had some success, be curious, CARE about what you are saying and doing – and oh yeah – get those shoes shined and that suit cleaned!

Happy interviewing!