How Portable is Your Professional Brand?
By now most of us have gotten the message that we're all self-employed, regardless of whom we work for.
We're in charge of our careers and job opportunities, and that means being ready to land on our feet should a pink slip happen to land on our desk.
And a big part of that "being ready" is making sure that you've built up professional visibility – your brand – outside your employer.
Do an online search on tips on dressing for an interview and you'll get lots of help – about 11.5 million hits, in fact. Everyone has very definitive "do's and don'ts," but the reality is that each work environment – and job within that environment – is at least slightly different from every other one.
Not only that, you're equally unique. You may, in fact, have an amazing sense of personal style that enables you to pull off wardrobe choices that brilliantly speak to your strengths (rather than revealing your utter lack of fashion savvy, which is the case for many of us…).
what outfit makes you feel both comfortable and confident.
One of the best ways to distinguish yourself among other job applicants is to ask thoughtful, targeted questions during your interview, both in response to questions asked of you during the interview and at the end of the interview, when most applicants are asked if they have any questions to ask of the interviewer or interviewing panel.
Assume you may go through at least a couple of interviews, and use each one to ask questions that will give you additional insight not only into the job itself, but also into your potential boss's management style and the company's or department's culture.