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Job Hunting? Make A Lasting Impression Up Front

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 20, 2008

BRANDON - A Hispanic training consultant who helps companies develop cultural awareness in today's international marketplace, Ivette Mayo of Riverview is the last person to advocate judging a book by its cover.

She's aware that appearances can be deceptive.

But in her guise as an employment coach, putting on workshops and seminars for the Tampa WorkForce Alliance and staffing agencies such as Jobing.com, Mayo also realizes that managers do evaluate potential employees based on first impressions.

"We live and die by first impressions," she said. "When you walk into an office for an interview, that person has made a judgment about you within the first five to 10 seconds. The potential employer spends the next five to 10 minutes determining whether or not he likes you, and then the rest of the interview justifying those feelings."

As a result, Mayo said, how the job candidate dresses, sits, addresses the interviewer and answers questions with confidence is all-important.

"Dress for the job you want, not the job you have," Mayo said.

She said a job seeker should never walk into an interview unprepared.

"Sending out a resume isn't enough," she said. "Research the company. Find out what's important to them. Look closely at the job description and where you fit, how you correlate with that description. Do mock interviews with friends or family members so you feel comfortable and your confidence level goes up."

She said many hiring managers use standard questions to streamline the process. Among them is the STAR approach: asking job seekers to describe a situation they successfully resolved in the workplace with a Situation, Task, Action and Result.

This is the one time when it's OK to brag a bit, Mayo said.

"The only way they know you is through a piece of paper, your resume," she said. "So you have to overcome your modesty and really highlight your strengths."

In the meantime, the employer won't simply look at job skills.

"There's a saying in the industry, 'You can't train someone to be nice,'" Mayo said. "You can teach someone skills but you can't teach someone to be a cohesive member of your team, and that's more important than skills. They're looking for someone who will fit."

To see some mock interviews by Mayo, go to http:// tampabay.jobing.com/tag/ ivette%20mayo.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampa trib.com.

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