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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Well obviously there are 2 sides in an
interview. But if I’m taking the time to bother going to an interview at
all it means that on the surface anyway the job looked interesting to me.
There has been more than one job that I successfully got an offer from but
decided during or after the interview that it wasn’t a good fit for me so
declined the offer.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>It amuses me that so many think the tail
wags the dog rather than the other way around. I remember back during the
boom days of IT how many people came in acting as if they were doing us a favor
by showing up and how often we’d pass on them. The “I wouldn’t
have wanted to work there anyway” comment I’ve seen here a couple
of times sounds a lot like “I didn’t want the grapes anyway, they
were sour” to me. </span></font></p>
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10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Having worked in the 70s, 80s, 90s and the
new millennium I know that the economy has ups and downs and pretending you’re
above it all is a great way to insure you are more impacted by the downs.
Many folks during the tech bust thought jobs were “beneath” them.
I have more respect for an IT genius flipping burgers at McDonald’s than
I do for the IT so-sos that sit on their derrieres collecting unemployment for
a year.</span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
ale-bounces@ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces@ale.org] <b><span style='font-weight:
bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Warren Myers<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, July 16, 2008
9:45 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> ale@ale.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [ale] Since we're on
the subject of jobs lately</span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I'd argue that the
company is trying to sell itself to you - and that if you show up all
decked-out that you're over doing it, and they'll know they don't have to try
hard to get you.<br>
<br>
If you're competent - and you don't show up looking like a total slob - they'll
want you.<br>
<br>
I never show up in anything more interesting than pants and a polo or
short-sleeve button-up shirt. If they're that stuffy, I don't want to work
there.<br>
<br>
Course, if you *like* suits and ties (I haven't worn either in over 10 years),
then go for it.<br>
<br>
WMM</span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 8:24 AM, Jeff Lightner <<a
href="mailto:jlightner@water.com">jlightner@water.com</a>> wrote:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I disagree with the tie comments.<br>
<br>
There's an old saying:<br>
You never get a second chance to make a first impression.<br>
<br>
I've been employed in the IT field since 1991 and it was sometime before<br>
1996 that everyone went casual - despite that as I noted above I've<br>
always worn a suit and tie to interviews. Once the job starts it's<br>
casual all the way.<br>
<br>
You're there trying to sell yourself to the potential employer. Often<br>
you're interviewing with a recruiter or HR person who knows little to<br>
nothing of the technical end of the business and may not pass you on to<br>
hiring manager based on perceptions. You then often are interviewing<br>
with management types who might well interpret casual dress (especially<br>
if it isn't "neat") as a sign that you're not "serious"
about the job.<br>
While you will also interview with technical people usually this comes<br>
AFTER the first two things. The technical people are going to judge you<br>
on what you say about technical questions and aren't going to hold a tie<br>
against you the way some on this list have implied if your answers are<br>
correct.<br>
<br>
By the way there are still some jobs where suit and tie is required not<br>
because its IT but because of the business. I was even once asked to<br>
shave my beard for an interview by a recruiter. I didn't do it but am<br>
just using it to illustrate the point that sometimes appearances as well<br>
as technical ability do matter.<br>
<br>
Of course you could always ask when arranging the interview whether they<br>
would like you to wear a suit and tie. Often enough they'll tell you it<br>
is casual and you won't lose any points for coming in casual. Just<br>
remember casual in a business setting seldom means cutoffs and a<br>
t-shirt.</span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: <a href="mailto:ale-bounces@ale.org">ale-bounces@ale.org</a> [mailto:<a
href="mailto:ale-bounces@ale.org">ale-bounces@ale.org</a>] On Behalf Of<br>
William Bagwell<br>
Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 5:23 AM<br>
To: Mike Harrison; <a href="mailto:ale@ale.org">ale@ale.org</a><br>
Subject: Re: [ale] Since we're on the subject of jobs lately<br>
<br>
On Tuesday 15 July 2008, Mike Harrison wrote:<br>
> I recently (two days ago) interviewed a guy I'd like to hire,<br>
> who wore a tie. Badly. It was new, shiney and like his new blue<br>
> shirt, just didn't fit.<br>
<br>
You should have rung a cowbell and cut his tie off with a pair of<br>
scissors.<br>
<br>
Hey, it happend to me! Not a job interview, this was about 20 years ago<br>
in<br>
a steakhouse somewhere out west... Think it was this one.<br>
<a href="http://www.pppatio.com/OldFiles/history/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.pppatio.com/OldFiles/history/index.html</a><br>
<br>
Garish green with white polka dot clown tie that hung down to my waist,<br>
so<br>
I even got an extra insult ad-libbed into the script:) Can't recall ever<br>
<br>
wearing a tie since.<br>
--<br>
William<br>
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<br clear=all>
<br>
-- <br>
<br>
Warren Myers<br>
<a href="http://warrenmyers.com">http://warrenmyers.com</a> </span></font></p>
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