Mark Anthony Dyson, Author at The Voice of Job Seekers

How To Shop For A Job Interview on a Budget

Editor’s note: Brandhyze Stanley is a frugal expert, and knows how to find high-quality clothes at the best prices you’ll see anywhere. Her guest post offers some advice job seekers whose money is too tight to mention. See her bio at the end of her post and highly recommend spending time at her perusing her frugal fashion advice.

FINALLY got the job interview, but now don’t have a thing to wear? That’s totally understandable when many job seekers may be in between jobs. But before you fret over your workforce gear…here are 5 tips to help you shop, save, and look great for that next interview.

Buy a quality suit in a neutral color – Clothes can really affect the outcome of your interview, so be strategic in your choices. Pick a classic neutral colored suit (think black, brown, navy, or dark gray) to get the most mileage out of your investment. When you are building a wardrobe and are on a budget, I say it’s a good idea to cover your basics first. So, ladies I wouldn’t go with that fuchsia option this trip; or guys I would leave that really busy suit there on the rack for the next adventurous soul. Instead, go with something a little more classic, and try places like Marshalls, TJMaxx, and Burlington Coat Factory for great name brands, at a fraction of the cost.

Buy all components of suit – I say buy all matching coordinates of that staple suit, so you can mix them and match to get the most wears out of it. Ladies, that means if you purchase a jacket, skirt, and slacks; one day you can wear the jacket, a nice blouse with a pop of color, and the slacks. And another day you can wear a sweater with a belt around the waist and the pencil skirt. Guys, for you that means you can wear the jacket and slacks one day with a subdued tie; and another day wear the vest with the slacks and a tie with a pop of color.

Accessories make a suit go a long way – Accessories can completely change a look. So, for women this may mean trying different statement necklaces, patterned tights, earrings, or scarves. And men…I know you all feel
courtesy of Frugal-nomics.comyou have few opportunities to express yourselves with accessories, but feel to try different patterned ties/ascots, a nice watch or a belt (just don’t get too crazy).I usually find some really great accessories on eBay…..while I may have to wait a little longer for them to be shipped, they usually are in great shape and come at an insanely low price.

Invest in a great pair of shoes– Both ladies and gents need to invest in a durable/quality pair of black and brown shoes (ladies, I’d even go so far as to recommend getting both colors in a pump and a flat for those long office hours).For deals on shoes, sign up for companies like 6pm.com and DSW’s mailing list and their social media pages for first dibs on coupons and promotions. Also, remember, if you wait til major holidays like Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, President’s Day….you can score some extra savings.

Try your local consignment/thrift shops – I personally feel thrift store shopping is ALWAYS a good option. I should know because it has afforded me the opportunity to COMPLETELY revamp my wardrobe. Once the queen of Target (I still love it), I’m now able to regularly rock designer labels like Louis Vuitton, Theory, and Oscar de la Renta because of 2^nd hand stores (did I mention I got these brands for less than a $1/piece?). Men, just so you know….so many thrift shops have great suits that may need just a little tailoring for that custom fit, and you can stock up on oxfords/button downs made by great designers like Ralph Lauren and Thomas Pink–you just have to know where to look. So, shop your local thrift store chains or try online at places like Goodwill and Housing Works.

Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime — created after a massive unexpected layoff forced her to hone in on her true passion. Brandhyze has been featured on The View, The Early Show, The Today Show, MTVStyle, Essence Magazine, and TJMaxx.com. A Wilhelmina Model for nearly a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze currently contributes Style and DIY tips to Newsday Westchester and the popular How-To Site, eHow. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

A Moment with Amit De, CEO of Careerleaf

Here is a fresh look at a new job seeker community, Careerleaf.com, an all-in-one job search platform that cuts the time to apply in half, publicly launched. Careerleaf’s partner-driven platform helps job seekers search for jobs, showcase themselves, and track and manage the entire process. You can read more at Careerleaf.com.

Amit De was gracious enough to find a few minutes provide some answers to questions I had. I will say that he had to correct me when I called the site a job board. In fact, the site was created to avoid the feel and function of any job board site. It was his own frustrating research experience using job boards that inspired this site.

What myths do you tackle and debunk with Careerleaf that makes you standout?

We provide a community for candidates that lets them access niche and other job boards, while structuring their job search effectively and efficiently.

What were some of the challenges you faced in starting out?

Building out the features that would help the candidate most, as our solution focuses on the candidate. However, getting the right mix for users is always a challenge.

Please explain the thought process of what you liked and didn’t like about job boards that you were using?

Just searching the large boards, where you have postings which receive hundreds of applications and get no responses. There needs to be a more efficient way of finding the right jobs.

How did you come up with Tracklet?

We created the Careerleaf Tracklet to help job seekers easily track and manage their search. Many job seekers don’t just look for jobs in one place, so Tracklet was created to allow them to easily manage all of their searches across the Web.

Was your goal at the beginning was to cut the initial time from the application to the search?

One of the goals was to cut the time. But overall, to create a more efficient system.

I saw a screen shot of the job seeker profile and it looked very attractive. Are there other considerations to the job seeker profile that would make it stand out to potential employers and recruiters?

There are lots of other features we can add, but too much is also not good. Hence, we felt this was a good balance to allow candidates to showcase themselves efficiently and tailor their profile.

So what would be key elements that a user must have to attract employers and recruiters on their profile?

A fully completed and well-thought out profile will certainly give users a better chance of attracting employers. Job seekers should focus on creating a strong summary of themselves in their bio section to allow employers and recruiters to better understand what they are searching for.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Mark Anthony Dyson

5 Signs The Thrill Is Gone From Your Job Search and Why it’s Giving You The Holiday Blues

How do you know that the thrill has gone from your romantic relationship? An easy way to tell is that it FEELS like your stalking. There are ties between relationships, holidays, and your job search. What you did during the year can dictate how the holiday fares.

Oh yeah, it’s the holiday season, too. This could suck badly.

You are the only one calling, texting but no reciprocation, and impatient, so you repeat the cycle. Your job search lacks excitement. Without leads, it became a chore or an obligation, perhaps that you took for granted. The feeling is similar to a dating or marriage relationship.

The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone baby
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong baby
And you’ll be sorry someday

~B.B. King, The Thrill Is Gone

May I suggest that some of those signs exist in your job search? You have hope in a process that doesn’t exist, or should I say effort that didn’t exist.

Let’s see, there is the whole she-says-that-she can’t-go-out-on-the-weekend-thing. Or maybe, in certain terms, he or she said they were not interested in a way you didn’t expect. Or they were no longer interested in your approach.

So has the thrill gone out of your job search yet? Don’t know? Well, here are signs that your job search is fading.

1. You no longer admit a job search exists

Oh, we’re no longer dating, you say. You just haven’t told him. Well, it’s like all the social media profiles that have gone untouched. It takes time and effort. Together. It doesn’t exist because you are not initiating contact with employers. Stop relying on the machine to do the work.

2. You can’t wait to do your own thing

A night with the girls for the third time this week speaks volumes. And if you think that your networking-less efforts will be career-fulfilling, then ask her again why she hasn’t spent time with you. Because YOU are boring! That covers both job and relationship dilemmas now, doesn’t it?

3. “We were never lovers…just friends.”

She likes your company, and you make her laugh. But that’s it, she likes you only as a friend. There should be some affection from your job search. A kiss on the lips is like getting an interview rather than a kiss on the cheek in the form of a five-minute phone behavioral assessment. Otherwise, you were just a friend.

4. They take you for granted

No more gifts, cards, or little notes for you. Ok, you received one little note once. It’s not the small meaningful but affectionate expression he or she used to offer. Little things like thank you, you’re welcome, and please mean so much when meeting people is a small window of opportunity. If your job search spirit is gimme, gimme, lemme, gimme, most of the time, you take people for granted without consciousness. Give. Give without strings attached. Be wise, but you are showing a willingness to help.

5. Both of you were on the rebound.

He wants his old girlfriend back, and she can’t get over her old boyfriend. The familiar little ditty in the way your old job made you feel because it was special, and your achievements inspired others to treat you like a superstar. The reality is that they have moved on, and it’s hard to accept. Why would you want someone who doesn’t want you?

And it’s giving you the holiday blues because…

In my experience, I’ve gotten hired or started more jobs during the month of November and December. The holidays will be depressing if we take the accumulation of what I mentioned above. Multiply by ten if you have friends who are changing jobs because they sought out a promotion and salary jump. Experts will tell you this is the best season to get hired, but it will seem monumental if you haven’t done the right things.

Perhaps your job search is not interesting, so no one from an employer’s perspective is interested. When that happens, the thrill is gone. How do you know the thrill has gone out of your job search? What are ways you can get it back?