SUBTEXTThere are many other sources: trade journals, magazines, com-
pany employees, news releases. Any of these may supply you
with facts you need to know. The point is, know as much as you
can about the company before you walk into the interview, and
you'll be able to match your strengths to the job.
All this knowledge can help you to slant your resume to present
a subtext that will appeal to that particular company. While it is
obvious that you can't change what you've done, or lie about it,
you can, by emphasizing certain aspects of your experience, match
the needs of the company.
My own job interview was with a drug company, and although
I had never worked for a drug company, I achieved a subtext of
medical know-how by emphasizing that I had been a premedical
student, had run a medical laboratory in the army, and had written
articles about medicine and the biography of a doctor. The company
that interviewed me wanted a medical writer, so I also emphasized
my writing experience.
WHAT TO WEARSo you start with your resume, and it's successful enough to earn
you an interview. The next problem is what to wear and what
your personal grooming should be. Remember that you will send
out some sort of subtext the moment you enter the room. Bear in
mind that no matter how "laid back" a company may be in terms
of its dress code, none of it applies to the interview.
A personnel assistant for a Texas firm that operates petroleum
pipelines assured me, "Even if you're going to wear them on the
job, we don't like to see jeans in an interview!"