Louis Gerstner

Rachel Osterholt

902037

Management 3100

Reaction Paper for Class on 9/7/06

Today Keith Cook of Region's Bank and Patrick Quinn of Major Brands joined us for a lecture on interviewing essentials. The first thing they capitalized on was the importance of first impressions. They said that a first impression is a lasting impression. So in order to impress that person you need to wear a fitted business suit that is clean, pressed, professional and understated. Women need to remember not to be too revealing because that will take the attention away from their job capabilities.

Men should always wear a long sleeve button up. Keith and Pat both agreed that this looks the most professional. The tie should hit the tip of the middle of the belt that coordinates with the shoes. Your shoes should be black and shined, not dirty and scratched up. Dark long socks are also important because, once again, they look the most professional.

Women should wear a three-piece suit. Pants or a skirt are fine for the bottoms and a fitted jacket is perfect for the top. The blouse should be white or cream colored and NOT sleeveless. I enjoyed the story Pat shared with us about women wearing their camisoles underneath their business jackets. He pointed out that this may be the style right now, but most of your employers are not concerned with your fashion sense and this would again distract your future employer, causing you to miss an opportunity at getting hired. Both men and women need to be careful in choosing a perfume (if any) so that it is not too strong. The fabrics for both genders' clothing should be a cotton, wool or synthetic material.

Keith shared a couple of sample interview questions that introduced the concept of constructive questioning. The employer has a set of competencies