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

I read this book in anticipation of hearing Ellen lecture about her book and finding a place in the job market. Little did I know that not only would this book be a key tool in securing a job, it also gave me the courage to negotiate the salary that was being offered up by 7%; needless to say in a recession and the lack of courage I thought I had in myself this is nothing short of a miracle. One important element in this book is self-confidence which is easier to talk about than being able to portray to a stranger in a high pressure situation. But what CAN I WEAR MY NOSE RING...accomplishes is to rationally break down everything you need to know into bite-sized pieces so that everything is digestible from the get-go, so it when it comes to actually applying that knowledge, you're more prepared for a job interview (or any tense situation really) than you could possibly imagine. TRUE STORY: After several rounds of job interviews, I received a phone call while sitting in a Starbucks from a lovely woman in Human Resources offering me the position. The only thing I can recall was being stunned--she kept talking but I didn't hear a word she said after "We'd like to offer you the position". It was between complete excitement and awe that I found myself thinking, "Okay, what's the next step?" In Ellen's book she says to graciously thank the person who offers you the job and politely ask them if they may send you an email that in detail, outlines the entire offer and includes a salary offer, requirements of the position and benefits. You're asking for this information because you need time to consider the offer. After I said this, the human resource rep was stunned for a moment, surprised that I had even thought of this, and said absolutely. The next morning after I had thoroughly gone over the email I called her back and politely went through the benefits and requirements list agreeing with practically everything. When I came to the part about the salary, I reminded them of the extensive experience on my resume and explained that I had done my research and in the industry I found the median salary to be X (which was actually $4,000 more than they were offering me, and $2,000 more than I believed I would get). When she replied back saying that 92% of people in my entry-level position make X, I instantly deduced that meant 8% of people in my position make MORE than X. With that nugget of courage I was able to offer a term of X +7% more than they originally offered. She had to discuss this with the department, which made me nervous but when she called me later that day to say they were able to offer me the salary we had discussed, I was thrilled. I accepted the position and I now have a higher foundation salary. In short: This book is necessary for anyone who has ever considered a career or who is looking for a new one.

If this book had been available when I was graduating college, I could have saved myself a lot of career-related heartache. It took me awhile to realize that the world of work was not the same as the world of college, and that it has its own rules and ways of doing things. Ellen Reeves's book is a practical guide for navigating the world of employment the right way, from the beginning. This book will be useful for any recent grad or 20-something, but I think it will be particularly useful for people who are not from affluent families and who have to figure things out for themselves. Ellen's book will give you a leg up.

Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the interview? is a perfect balance between a witty, well written book and a how-to informational guide. I found myself quickly turning through the pages because Reeves approaches the subject of the interviewing process from a direct, yet incredibly entertaining manner. The book covers all aspects of the job search and breaks down each individual part in a way that makes it manageable; I have recently gone on several interviews and because the text was so easy and enjoyable to read, I remembered all the important aspects and have been very successful. Further, I followed her resume, cover letter, and reference sections almost exactly and saw a tremendous improvement in the feedback I received. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in perfecting the entire job search process and feel this is an incredibly beneficial tool to have.

This is the first book I've read that really makes sense for young people just entering the job force. As a recent graduate who has attended countless career-prep events, read blogs and websites, and flipped through many books, I must say that this is one of most helpful resources out there. It covers everything, from the very general (How do I network?) to the very, very specific (I was home-schooled... how do I list that?). Every time I had a new question, I came across the answer later in the chapter. I find that many career books don't help people like me - current students or recent grads with a lot of classroom and internship experience but no actual grownup jobs on my resume. I need to know how to list extracurriculars and relevant class projects (things like building a website, not writing a paper). I may not ever have interviewed with an HR department. I want to know how I can write about after-school jobs and highlight my transferable skills. I'm worried networking seems fake and forced. This book addresses all of those concerns, and others I hadn't even thought of. It also offers examples of good resumes, cover letters, reference lists, etc, which I found helpful. If you ever have the chance to hear Ellen's presentation in person, I recommend it. Regardless, this book is worth a look.

I love to read, laugh, and learn new things, so it's no surprise that I couldn't put down Ellen Reeves' job hunter's guide, Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview? Her book is easy to read, gives clear tips on the job hunting process from beginning to end, and is funny too. Here's one piece of advice that made me laugh out loud, "Don't e-mail after midnight or before 6:00 a.m. or they will think you're an insomniac freak." I'm close to 50 and have applied for a number of jobs since college. I am currently looking for a job and have been sending my resume and cover letters out into cyberspace (I thought that was the thing to do), but haven't gotten any responses. I didn't know (until I read Ellen's book) that 80% of available jobs are actually in the "hidden job market"--filled by word of mouth. No wonder one of the major focuses of Ellen's book is on networking. I have made a major shift in my job-seeking approach since finishing Nose Ring. Ellen explains, "Don't look for a job--look for a person," and that's what I've begun to do. In fact, today I got a great contact from one of the "regulars" in my Yoga class. I networked, and it worked! Thanks, Ellen.