An Applicant's Tale...

Becky has to get a job really soon, otherwise she'll miss her rent payment! She throws on a tee shirt and some shorts and heads to a nearby fast food restaurant with her one-year-old in tow.

By the time she reaches McKFC, the kid is throwing a fit, drooling and screaming as she enters the door and her hair is starting to become ruffled. Still chewing the gum she started in the car, Becky asks the cashier for an application while she looks for a place to put her little boy down. She finds a seat and just gets settled with the baby when she realizes she doesn't have a pen! The busy cashier is interrupted for the pen while he's trying to complete a transaction with a customer. Unknown to Becky, the McKFC manager has been monitoring the situation. She's checked her out and rolled her eyes in response: "How am I supposed to speak with an applicant who has an upset baby with her, and more importantly, if the girl forgot to bring a pen on an application trip, how organized will she be when she works for me? And just look at her, she can't even dress right, she looks like she's been dragged in off the street...note to self: rule out this one from consideration if I ever get a legible application from her!"

There are many job seekers out there like Becky who haven't made the realization that the job application is just as critical as the interview. Many employers use your first visit to get an advance look at you before you ever interview. Or, it is just as probable that an employer could interview you right then and there to "cut to the chase". In either case, the applicant should aways, look, be and feel prepared!

During my "day job" I help screen applicants. When they approach me, I not only hand them an application, but I check them over on behalf of the management to look for any red flags.

Appearance makes or breaks you

Maybe you are trying to get a job with a regular 'ol fast-food restaurant and don't think your appearance is important. Your first impression with your choice of clothing and accessories is critical. Stand out from the drab crowd and wear something smart, crisp and clean, even if you are applying for a dishwashing position. The point is that you want an employer to envision you as someone greater than a tenant on the lowest rung of the job ladder. I can speak from personal experience. I put on a shirt and tie for a really drab job and got positive attention for it. Word got around that there was a professional looking applicant on the scene, and before I could get the app done, I was sitting down for an interview and "pre-promoted" to a much more suitable position.

Appearance Do's and Don't's:

• Don't wear body piercings or more than one modest earring pair
• Do cut your hair and/or shave
• Do wear a blouse / shirt, pressed pants / skirt
• No sandals
• No low-cut jeans or tee shirts (don't expose belly button...TACKY!)
• Don't show off tattoos! (You're better than that!)
• No gum chewing!

Resources ready!

It's really annoying to sit down to fill out an application only to realize that you don't have all of your reference and previous employment information together. This will put you at risk for an incomplete app, which won't fly well with managers. Before going out to apply, always remember to be prepared with a list of former employers, their addresses and phone numbers, and the same for your references. And bring that PEN!

Final Tip

Realize that during and after your visit there might be a buzz going around about the new applicant. It is up to you if that buzz takes a positive or negative tone. Good luck!