Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?: A Crash Course in Finding, Landing, and Keeping Your First Real Job

Writing with enormous authority and a compelling, lively voice, Ellen Reeves brings together her lifetime of experience of hiring, counseling, and résumé-doctoring into an essential guide for young job seekers.​

Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview? takes readers step-by-step through a process that was always tough, but is today especially challenging.Yes, if you're wedded to your nose ring, wear it to the interview. No, you shouldn't be e-mailing out hundreds of résumés. Begin the search with a professional mind-set—get organized, and set yourself up with business cards, a respectable e-mail address, and a working cell phone. The importance of networking and the rule of three—try to make three e-mails or phone calls a day, but never more than that. The "elevator speech"—hone your pitch to the length of an elevator ride and be prepared to use it at the most unexpected times. The art of writing cringe-free cover letters and killer résumés—from timelines, hooks, and grammatical do's and don'ts to why you should never use the phrase "References available upon request," never include your GPA, and never, ever make a typo. How to dress for an interview, including why to put on your business clothes when interviewing at home, over the phone. Things to be honest about: citizenship and past salary range. And things not to say: "I want this job because I need health insurance."

Then once you're in, how to negotiate salary, what to expect in a review, and basic first job common sense: take initiative, be humble and helpful, never use your boss as a confidant, and always say "I'll find out" instead of "I don’t know." Now you're on your way.

Ellen Gordon Reeves is a workplace and career expert who has lent her expertise to a variety of media outlets, including CNN’s Your Money, US News and World Report, EXTRA, The CBS Early Show, ABC Money Matters, Fox News Edge, MoneyWatch.com, NPR’s Morning Edition, and The Atlantic. Trained in comedy writing and improvisation by Second City, Reeves is a frequent public speaker, consulting to individuals and institutions. She is a graduate of Harvard College and holds an EdM from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Master of Arts in Writing and Teaching Writing from Northeastern University. Reeves is also a resident job-hunting expert at the Columbia Publishing Course with Columbia University in New York.