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)

iPad Job Search Tips | Every Move a Picture

I mentioned the other day that I recently went through an interview cycle on the way to a new gig with an awesome company.  During this process, it is easy to see (what you should already know) how smart phones and social media are increasingly intertwined with the interview/job search process in big and small ways.

Here’s one small way: documenting what you wear to an interview.

Tryin' hard to look like Gary Cooper

Ok.  Guys have it easier on this front.  2 suits, a sports jacket, a few shirts and a few more ties and you’re ready for 3-4 rounds of interviews at a number of companies.

But for every gift there is a down-side.  Most dudes are not normally fashion conscious.  Unless our favorite sports teams have given us the Garanimals head-start (e.g. Patriots Nautical Blue suit with a white shirt and red tie), we may be challenged.  It is such a blind-spot for some guys that I have a recruiter buddy who escorts charges to the first meet to ensure they are dressed like an adult.

Snap, Snap!  Grin, Grin!

Enter the iPad camera.   Snap a quick self-pic on the way out the door and then tag the photo when you get home (e.g. Job x, Interview 2). 

Eureka! 

You’ve got a pictorial catalog of how much variety you are mixing into your wardrobe that you can store right next to your “customized for that job resume” you did (because you did – right?).  This “scrapbook” can be especially valuable given the extended sales cycles of most jobs in this market (interviewing with more people over and extended period of time).

Any interesting ways you are using your iPad or social media in your job search you care to share?

Related and not so related links:
“Every move a picture” (Jerry Lewis)
Putting on the Ritz (Taco)
Nudge, Nudge (Monty Python)

Facebook Strip Search

Having just successfully completed a job interviewing cycle, and having gone through more than my share of background checks for employers/clients (that required me to hand over my fingertips or a bottle of pale yellow liquid from time to time), I’m all for qualifying candidates.  I have often used “the Google”, Linked In or other tools on the “interwebs” during my hiring process (as have people that I have worked for – I know because they often have mentioned this blog during an interview).

Cutting to the chase, given the hue and cry in the news, I’m pretty sure I would think twice before giving my login credentials to my Facebook account during an interview. 

Let me be clear – I have nothing to hide on Facebook (which has mostly an open profile).  I assume that anything on my Facebook page is public – or may be  (“the web is forever”).   Therefore – sorry ladies – there’s no pictures of me shirtless on Facebook.  As my Facebook friends can tell you – my posts are mostly “tame” (and more often than not – much like this blog - obtuse and random).

The Right to Chose 

My pause to produce my Facebook passwords during an interview is based on – like the Bozo Interview Question – I don’t know why you care or what you intend to learn from my timeline?  Do you want me to dig up my high school yearbook so you can see what folks wrote in there (other than “stay gold”)?

How I look at it - unless I am applying for a job that requires top level clearance (TSA) or the job as your Social Media Director – it is likely not germane.  That being said – let that be a choice between me and the person interviewing me.  If you REALLY want to ask me for my password and I REALLY want the job – then you may get lucky and see pictures of my cats (who by the way – also have Facebook pages of their own).

Trying to write a law (Bill Would Put Facebook Off Limits To Employers) is silly and not needed. To quote my good friend Joe – “the marketplace is brutally efficient” and will take care of this hiring manager.  Companies will properly screen many candidates this way – which is to run away.

p.s. Max (the cat) said he’d also give his credentials to you for the right opportunity (such as Cat Food Quality Control Engineer).