Welcome back to My Reading Tutor! Early May is time for celebrating many college graduations and all the joy and anxiety that comes with it. If you're one of the lucky ones with a job lined up, whoo hoo! Congratulations! If your status as a job seeker is still there, listen up. Me thinks you will want to continue reading.As a new graduate in the job market, you will face stiff competition. There's no other way around it. How can you help yourself to stand out? It bears repeating - You never get a second chance to make a first impression. It will be easy if you follow these My Reading Tutor tips:1. Rethink your digital image. If you haven't already heard, potential employers have and will be checking out your Facebook, Instagram and other social media accounts you might have. You may want to review your privacy settings and go back and revise your account now that you are no longer a college student and are a real grown college graduate now. They don't care to see how many tequila shots you enjoyed last Cinco de Mayo, sadly. I know - sometimes being a grown up stinks. 2. Prepare yourself for a dazzling interview. Double check your cover letter and your resume before sending. Further your cause by remembering to bring a firm, confident handshake and to make eye contact with your interviewer (see below.) With our gadgets today, we are so accustomed to being connected that we sometimes forget to actually look at the person we're talking to. You will come across more likeable and personable if you give your interviewer the respect of your undivided attention. That also means cellphones are turned off and put away. No exceptions.3. You may find yourself in a more common scenario where interviews are conducted in a social setting, either at a coffeehouse or perhaps over lunch. Great! The cellphone rule applies here too. What cellphone? Good, you're a quick study. Continue to dazzle your prospective employer by remembering these dining tips. The meal starts when your host puts their napkin in their lap. That's your cue to do likewise.Not sure what goes where? Remember BMW: bread plate on the left, meal plate in the middle and water goblet on the right. Your bread plate is your garbage bowl for anything you want to dispose of. Do your favorite Etiquette consultant here a favor - if you are offered bread at the meal, please break off bite sized pieces to eat and don't stuff the whole thing in your mouth. Each piece should be buttered likewise. Keep in mind your bread is on the LEFT. When your host puts their napkin on the table, that is a signal the meal (and the interview) is over. 4. Always follow up with a handwritten thank you note to your interviewer. This is not the time to shoot a text or email (like everyone else?) You will take the high road by taking the time and effort to express your thanks for the meeting in a professional manner. Why be like everyone else when you can stand out?My Reading Tutor is available for group and private consultations for job interview preparations and all that comes with this event. Why make it hard on yourself? Bring the advantage of MRT advice and training with you to nail the interview and the job offer. My Reading Tutor is also available for the inevitable celebration, champagne suggested but optional.
