iPad Job Search Tips | Take You With You (Part 3)

I love to tell the (all true) story of being introduced to a room full of conservative peers for the first time.  Of course, I was there taking notes on my iPad (v1) – since I am all about employing emerging solutions. 

When my name was called and I stood up – I fat fingered my Home Button and My Music came on at full VOLUME with Lady Ga-Ga getting busy with Judas.   The 17 seconds (that seemed like 17 minutes) it took me to unlock the iPad with my code was a great way to kick off the meeting. I made an impression for sure.  I’m just glad it wasn’t Darling Nikki.

I retell that fable since it is a reminder as the final Chapter of “iPad Job Search Tips | Take You with You” is here (where we’ve been talking about bringing you – and your body of work on your iPad - into an interview).  However, taking your iPad into “the room” is not like curling up under a blanket at Starbucks.  A measure of prudence and planning (and common sense) is needed before strapping on you iPad for your next interview.

And the ring at the end of my nose makes me look rather pretty

Some quick review items (I hope that you already know): 

• Clean your Home  Review your Home Screen(s) for apps that might not be a good companion on your interview.  If your apps consist of only Angry Bird type games and iNap at Work- and nothing that indicates you might read a book from time to time – here’s your sign.  You Apps are definitely a reflection of you – but remember we want just the part of you companies are willing to hire for pay.
• And the ring at the end of my nose makes me look rather pretty  Check your photo library.  Pictures (or worse videos) of you on the couch in a wife beater or your wife in a bikini at a Holiday Inn swimming pool is also something to remove from your iPad.  I know you put your work examples in one Album and Spring Break 2009 photos in another – but (as the Duke once said) I wouldn’t want to live on the difference of you fat fingering Photos (and showing “all of you”).  
• Wallpaper (See guidelines above)
• You and yours  Ethics.  Remember – take your iPad to an interview, not your company issued one.  There’s a wrong vibe in doing (like putting your work email on your resume).  Also make sure there is no client or company confidential information on there as well.
• I didn’t know someone could go to McDonald’s that many times in a day  Personal confidential items (consumer apps with “save password”) are other things to review.  You don’t need someone surfing your US Bank account.
• Turn your passcode off  You don’t want you to you resume to close on someone – or not be able to quickly dispatch with something like the aforementioned Ga-Ga incident.
• Cloudless  Have an offline plan.  Some interview locales may be impervious to even LTE.  Don’t assume you can show them things online.  And before you fire up Safari - remember to close the tabs in your browser.  You may not want the last 4 websites you visited to come up.
• Fight the (lack of) Power! Make sure your iPad (and all the accessories you bring with you) are all powered up.

In other words (that was 637 words to say),  “plan and ahead and be smart”.  Don’t bring anything into the room that could submarine your changes.

Related and not so related links:
Judas (Lady Ga-Ga)
iPad Job Search Tips
Venus & Mars/Rock Show (Wings)
My Rifle, My Pony and Me (Rio Bravo)
Fight The Power (Public Enemy)