Overdressed and Tenacious!

First, I was labeled "overqualified." Now, I've been deemed, "overdressed." Yes, that was one of many things my most recent interviewer said about me. I'm going to let that one slide however, because he also said he could tell I am "tenacious" and "eager to work." Tenacious? I like it! Overdressed? It was a job interview. I was wearing black pants with a black jacket and blue shirt. What was I supposed to wear? I've always heard that you should dress above the position your interviewing for. I've worked in enough newsrooms to know that jeans, t-shirts and flip-flops are the standard daily attire. But again, this was an interview. Okay, now I'm going to let that comment slide.

The bigger story here, and perhaps a lesson learned, is in how I came about the interview in the first place. I had submitted my resume several weeks ago via the stations corporate website. I hadn't heard anything, but noticed the position was still posted. So, I called the station, found out who the hiring manager was and put in a call to him, cutting out the middle-man, so to speak. I didn't reach the hiring manager, but I left an unforgettable voice mail. I got tongue tied trying to spit out the phrase, "promotions producer position," and to save face I injected a little humor. Voila! I got a call back the next morning and an interview that afternoon. This is why I don't like submitting my resume through a corporate website; it turns out my resume never made it to the hiring managers desk. There is plenty of great advice out there about how to keep your resume from falling into a proverbial black hole, but the truth is, even if you follow all of the rules and play the game your resume may still end up in Area 51.

Make no mistake, your best bet is to get the name of the hiring manager and send your resume directly to that person, whether by email or snail mail. And always follow up. Never leave the ball in the employers court, especially if it's a job you really want. Be tenacious!