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

by Ellen Gordon Reeves

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 citizenship and past salary range. And things not to "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 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business

227 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2009

About the author

Career and workplace advisor Ellen Gordon Reeves is the author of Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview? featured in media including CNN, US News and World Report, Essence, EXTRA, The CBS Early Show, ABC Money Matters, Fox News Edge, MoneyWatch.Com, and NPR’s Morning Edition. Trained in comedy writing and improvisation at Second City, Reeves is a frequent public speaker, consulting to individuals and institutions. She offers her interactive Extreme Professional Makeover and Communications Crash Course boot camps across the country. Reeves has been a blogger for LearnVest and Jobs for Change/Change.org and is now QuantNet’s career columnist. Formerly Executive Editor of The New Press and past president of the Harvard Alumni Association, Reeves serves on advisory boards at The American Repertory Theater and The Harvard Art Museums. 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.

Reviews

[molly]

not sure what i expected from a book that loves the whole work industry, but man, capitalism is the worst. there was a sprinkle of sexism, a dash of racism, and a whole (surprising) wallop of transphobia! this book might have landed you a job in 2009, but it will only land you in a proverbial pit of sadness if you care anything about working class liberation.

[Amy]

A job hunter's guide, casual style, with lots of side bars, graphics, & humorous anecdotes to lighten the burden of the hardest job you'll ever do: hunt for one. A few examples of Reeves' tips follow from the chapter, Getting Through the Interview.

""What you are saying when you present yourself in an interview is, "This is as good as it gets. This is the best me you will ever see.""

and

the sub-chapter, Nobody Likes a Whiner states the following:

""Everything you say and do must project a positive vibe. If you know yourself to be a chronic whiner, complainer, or "glass-half-empty" type, do some serious attitude adjustment before your interviews--no reflexive complaining about the weather or the traffic.""

Reeves offers practical suggestions, resume basics, the usual in a job-hunting guide, while managing to keep her book to a manageable length. I like her style, and her positive manner. It's a definite go-to book for the young job seeker, whether fresh out of college, or not.

[Alyssa]

I will always wear pantyhose at interviews now.

Like: This has a matter-of-fact tone that I've returned to in stressful times. It also gives you directions to make your job search more hopeful.
Dislike: Despite its title, these are still pretty old-fashioned directions. Luckily my industry is pretty old-fashioned.

[Emily]

An easy read with a catchy title. Lots of good information in here.

[Joseph Santiago]

This is a great read for people fresh into the job market as well as those who have been searching for some time. The questions asked in this book like, "Can I wear my nose ring in the interview" is answered with a story about why the answer to this is YES.

The world is changing rapidly and this book offers fresh advice on how to look for work that means something to you. This is a great book for giving advise to college grads as well as those starting to change careers. If your going to be reading this book you probably have a desire to find work and this book will give you stories that will entertain during the interview. The author did a wonderful job transforming a somewhat painful subject into a lighter fun experience.

Mr Joe

[Julia O'Connell]

I was given a copy of this book by the Columbia Publishing Course, and it's been a huge help as I've started on my job search this summer. Ellen Gordon-Reeves gives intelligent and thought-out advice regarding every aspect of a young professionals life, from preparing to begin the job search to how to deal with changing jobs or being laid off. While most of the book is not overtly about nose rings, the author does give a sensible answer to the titular question within the first paragraph of the introduction. Ellen Gordon-Reeves is clear, well-spoken, provides lots of examples, and doesn't talk down to the young people she is writing for. I think many college students and recent grads could benefit from checking out this book.

[Lynn Calvin]

Eh. Ok - good for new college graduates or 20 somethings. Not a lot of new ground, although it is useful in that it is geared to 21st century jobhunting. I don't think it has a lot to offer upperend late career jobsearchers. [return][return]The main point of the title metaphor is a good one - you shouldn't present yourself in the interview as something you aren't willing or able to be long term. It has appealling presentation (sidebars, graphics, anecdotes) but don't expect nuances - it's a basic approach in a compartively short book. A good entry level book in easily digested format.

[TeenNonFiction Teton County Library]

TCL Call #: YA 650.144 Reeves E

D-3.7 stars
If you are new to the job search experience, (I assume most teens are) this is a great book filled with tips and guidelines for everything from how to represent yourself online, to how to prepare for an interview. "Can I Wear My Nose Ring" is comprehensive, offers great advise, and manages to cover many subjects by being concise and gathering all the most important points in one place. You don't need a book for your resume, for the interview, and for negotiating salary. This simple guide covers it all!

[Nicole]

I read this to prepare for the Business Communications class I'll be teaching in the fall. I think this should be required reading for every college senior or recent graduate! It walks you step-by-step through everything from starting your job search, preparing your resume & cover letter, surviving the interview and what to do once you actually get offered the job and hired. It answers all the questions you might have been too scared to ask and offers real-life stories of do's and don'ts. I'd highly recommend it and look forward to using it in my class this fall!

[Jared]

A useful book, that is easy to read and does not assume that the reader knows anything. For this reason I recommend this book to anyone who is attempting to get their first real job. I do wish she would have referenced other books about making resumes, finding jobs, networking, and getting references. This book is a nice summary that will keep me from doing some really stupid stuff. But it is not the end all be all. But at the end of the day it is still useful.

[Russell]

I would recommend this book to anyone who just started job-searching. I got to know this book too late and the author address many common doubt in a very specific way. Even though subjective in rare cases, the details of the answer helps reader to form a clear opinion and really helps reader to visualize the situation. There is not one book that will get you hired for anything, but this book is one of the best in the market and it will definitely set you for a good start.

[Sean Evans]

A decent primer on the job hunt in general, geared particularly at recent graduates who have never been through a job search. Not as in depth as some, but good overall. I think this book is a good starting point, as it's not as intimidating as something like What Color is Your Parachute. However, for those further down the career path, it may be too general for your needs.

[Raphaelle]

Very useful for those new to the professional arena. Offers common sense tips (that you may not have thought of) related to interviewing, thank you notes, resumes, networking, etc. Dissects good and bad examples of resumes and cover letters. As a recent grad and current job seeker, I'm glad I read this book.

[Lisa]

(Non-Fiction – Job-Searching) I highly recommend this book to 20-somethings searching for jobs. It may be a great refresher for anyone older than that as well. I honestly just wanted to read this book based on the title, but I was pleased to find lots of helpful information. The book has inspired me to refresh my resume’.

[Rebecca]

This book was assigned as part of one of my senior seminar classes. It was a great read and full of valuable information. It did get repetitve in parts and some topics discussed were common sense or things I already knew. However, it's a great tool for those going into the workforce from college regardless of level.

[Bookfanatic]

Good career advice for anyone searching for a job. In clear language, the author explains what to do and what not to do before, during and after the all important interview. Most people can benefit from the advice. I read this book a year ago when I was up for a promotion and I was going to be interviewed by four people on the interview panel. I'm happy to say I got the promotion.

[Katie]

This book is great, both informative and entertaining. I'm currently applying for a job and I learned a lot I need to know about cover letters, references, interviews and such. Some of the examples and stories are laugh-out-loud hilarious.

[Alex]

A lot of practical advice; however, a bit hard to actually follow what is recommended, which is where the true value of the book lays.

[Penn]

Great book! I highly recommend it for anyone job-hunting!

[Catharine]

I make anyone who asks me for job/resume/interview advice READ THIS BOOK FIRST. It's such essential information presented in such a fun, entertaining format!

[Aaron Mcilhenny]

Honestly v comprehensive/ not condescending