There are a variety of reasons people use Twitter and the reasons change as fast as new tweets are posted. If you’re not tweeting, the rate of tweets posting is FAST and it’s virtually impossible to follow all the conversations and information so we use the Twitter #hashtag to help sort and search terms.

What is the Twitter #hashtag? According to Twitter, the hashtag (#) is used to highlight keywords or topics in a tweet. The original intent was for tweets to be categorized and to some extent that is the case. 

Job Search: With 9%+ unemployment Americans and American businesses are finding creative low cost ways to recruit employees. Many job seekers are utilizing social media for the job search as are prospective employers. It is no longer your father’s job market where you scan the Sunday newspaper for job opening and submit a paper resume to the business via U.S. Postal Service or fax. Now we have LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Hot Jobs, Monster and a host of other resources that we can search at any time of any day.

At Black Tie Exchange we want you and your job search process to be a success which is why we offered 10 reasons Twitter is important to the job search back in June.

Here is a sampling of job seeker hashtags:

•  #job
• #jobseeker
• #career
• #analyst
• #assistant
• #writer
• #freelance
• #freelancewriter
• #accountant
• #finance

At Black Tie Exchange we like to use these hashtags:

• #dresstoimpress
• #menswear
• #Arizona
• #Scottsdale
• #men
• #formalwear
• #business
• #attire
• #dressforsuccess
• #menswear
• #interview
• #interviewsuit
• #wardrobe

Events are often followed via #hashtag.

• #agchat
• #phoenixcooks
• #ccevent
• #smazzie
• #superbowl
• #worldseries
• #allstargame
• #nfl
• #oscars
• #MTVAwards
• #emmys
• #bigbrotherfinale
• #bachelorette
• #thebachelor
• #RoyalWedding

For trivia buffs there are a variety of #facts and #tips:

• #agfacts
• #carfacts
• #quote
• #sleeptips
• #dogfacts
• #mensweartips
• #catfacts
• #pizzafacts

During the recent hurricane #Irene and #HurricaneIrene were used on Twitter.

There are no standard hashtags so make up your own! Please contact Black Tie Exchange and let us know how we can help you #dresstoimpress.

In today’s economy it has never been truer that job seekers never get a second chance to make the first impression. According to Janice Hurley-Trailor, The Perception Expert, “It’s hard to see ourselves as others perceive us and yet knowing how to achieve Optimal Perception will change your life.”  A big part of perception is outer appearance at events, meetings and job interviews. At Black Tie Exchange we want to help you Buy-Sell-Trade your way to being dressed for success with these tips. 

Invest in yourself by buying an interview suit that is currently in style. Are you wearing a suit you inherited from an older relative? Is it a leisure suit? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, you need our help to find an appropriate suit and accessories.

Colors matter especially in your career. Which colors should you wear to land the position for which you are interviewing? According to the article Best Colors to wear to an Interview, red, purple, pink, yellow and orange are not good colors to wear. Blue is the best color along with gray, brown and green. Black should be worn sparingly so as not to look arrogant or too authoritative. While blue makes you look authoritative, it also reflects your trustworthiness. It’s all about perceptions when you first walk in the door so keep these colors in mind when you are selecting your interview attire.

When you think about your interview outfit, go with less is more for everything from hair gel down to shoes. Select a conservative color suit like navy blue or dark gray. Save the color for a stylish tie and avoid ties featuring cartoon characters and the like. Wear a long sleeve, white shirt with a plain white t-shirt under it no matter how hot the weather. A matching belt, dark socks and conservative shoes.

Personal grooming is essential no matter the industry. Getting a haircut and professional shave will be well worth your time and money when you land the job of your dreams. Trim your nails or get a manicure because it’s a tight market and every little detail matters.

Bring copies of your resume in a portfolio, pop in a mint and relax. You’re going to be great!

With unemployment at historic highs and a slow to no growth economy it is difficult for many Americans. Whether a job seeker or someone looking to climb the corporate ladder, this market is like no other we have seen. At Black Tie Exchange we understand how to dress you to impress in any economy and offer tips for re-inventing your career. 

Dress to impress and give your wardrobe an update! What you wear matters. It reflects your personality and quality of work and can cost you the job or promotion. That could mean money out of your wallet. Why not help yourself put money in your wallet by buying, selling or trading business clothes with Black Tie Exchange? 

Myrna Hoover from Florida State University Careers recommends understanding the difference between business attire and business casual because they are not the same. She also recommends fully understanding the company dress code. What it says and how it is interpreted may be different; you want to be on the same page as the people who will promote you.

We agree and offer additional tips in our article What is Business Casual and can help you have a business appropriate wardrobe no matter the industry. Make an appointment and visit us!

Be creative and create yourself as a brand. According to Jessica Pierce, Founder of Career Connectors, job seekers in today’s economy are needing to create a personal brand to even get in the door at many companies. In her article Branded in the Right Way, Jessica recommends asking yourself three questions when defining your personal brand. Who are you? What solutions can you bring to the company? and What is your expertise. Once you answer these questions you have begun to create your personal brand.

What does a personal brand have to do with fashion? Everything! Maybe you’re a suit in a casual world or vice versa. Once re-branded, take steps to change your career. Don’t worry about the wardrobe because Black Tie Exchange can help!

Many older Americans are headed back to college or looking for ways to reinvent themselves in the job search. According to U.S. News & World Report article Smart Strategies for Older Job Seekers many Americans are working until 70 and beyond. If you are among these people, know that we can help you dress to impress!

We would love to hear how you are doing out in the job search or re-careering arena. We’re always looking to help our customers and community.

Did you know employers are looking at the social media profiles of prospective candidates? It’s true and these profiles are making and breaking deals across the nation. Think about it from an employer prospective and ask yourself if you would interview or hire someone. AtBlack Tie Exchange we want you and your social media messaging to be dressed for success. Here are social media tips for job seekers:

1. Spring Break 2004: Think the spring break beer chugging profile picture is appropriate? Not so much especially to a prospective employer. Have a professional head shot taken and use it as your profile picture.

2. Have it & keep it current: Recognize the importance of having and creating social media profiles is the first step. The next step is to keep the content current. Don’t create a Twitteraccount and never tweet or have a Facebook account and no friends on your page. That will make employers wonder about you.

3. You may need to unfriend people: Do you have friends who use foul language or language that you don’t want an employer to see? Most of us do. You may need to adjust settings on your accounts to prevent these people from being seen by professional contacts. Other options are to ask them not to use that language or to unfriend or disconnect them from your social media sites. While it might be difficult, keeping them in plain sight might cost you a job or promotion.

4. Create two pages or profiles: Have a professional profile for colleagues and professional contacts and another for friends and family. It is important to communicate the target audience for each page especially if you have cross over contacts. You don’t want your college roommate to share stories from back in the day on your professional accounts.

5. Keep it clean: A friend once posted, “My page is so benign some days it even bores me,” on a social media site. Set an example by keeping stories, posts and profiles professional even when chatting or responding to friends and family. This will help others understand your standards for social media.

We wish you the best in your job search and hope our tips helped you understand the importance of personal social media management.

Whether you embrace it or not, social media such as Twitter is here to stay. As they say in Socialnomics, it’s not if we use it, it is how well we use it. We at Black Tie Exchange understand the importance of having an appropriate work wardrobe as well as an active and appropriate presence online. We offer five reasons Twitter is important to the job search.

1. Social media is free. Rather than posting jobs to sites that will charge for listings or newspaper ads, companies are tweeting jobs in the free space of Twitter. As a job seeker you have free access to these companies and often access to hiring managers or key human resource employees simply by following them.

2. Be in the know. Follow companies and people that interest you. Be the first to see jobs posted and be the first to apply. Having a relationship with the company goes a long way to helping you land a job at your company of choice.

3. Did you know up to 80% of recruiters are looking for you online? They have turned to social media sites such as Twitter to find new employees.

4. Keep it clean. Just as with other social media sites, it is important to tweet appropriate information. Companies are not only looking at people actively searching for work but also what they call passive candidates. A passive candidate is one who is not currently actively looking for a job. You never know who is looking at you in cyberspace.

5. Create a following and you will create measurable influence on Twitter. By utilizing the site in a constructive way prospective employees will gain a better understanding of you…and you may not even know it!

6. Know your resources so you look good online. For example, Twellow is the yellow pages for Twitter where you can search for companies or people to follow.  Twitalyzer measures influence across a variety of categories and provides reports and a lingo glossary for users. There is a wealth of information available on these and other sites related to Twitter.

7. Complete your bio. As mentioned in our Linked In post, having a complete profile speaks volumes about your quality as an employee. Would you hire someone who doesn’t complete tasks? They wouldn’t either.

8. Think you’re too old to tweet? Think again. 35% of users are over 35 years old.

9. Be active. 200 million accounts have been created but only 56 million are active. Don’t start tweeting unless you are going to keep tweeting. Prospective employers want to see your follow-through.

10. Personal online branding is important to landing the job you desire and Twitter is a big player in that arena. Other social media sites offer linking options. For example, you can add your tweet feed to your LinkedIn profile.

Just as you do with your wardrobe, be appropriate with your social media. We look forward to seeing you in our store and hearing your social media tips

You receive the call you have been waiting for and the company wants to bring you in for an interview. In the midst of the conversation the caller mentions they wear business casual and runs down the standard pre-interview checklist of items to bring with you to the meeting. In the back of your mind you are thinking, “What is business casual?” At Black Tie Exchange we can help you find business attire appropriate for your interview and your job.

If a company’s dress code is business casualwhat should you wear to the interview? At this point in the job search process it is important to focus on the interview rather than the company’s dress code. Remember the old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” It’s true. You want to dress to impress and in most cases that means wearing an interview suit, appropriate shoes and matching accessories.

They aren’t just looking at your resume.Remember to be well-groomed with an appropriate haircut and clean fingernails. They don’t care that you worked on your motorcycle this weekend and shouldn’t see that in your appearance. They are looking at whether your belt and shoes match and if your shoes are in good condition. Sounds crazy, right? Think about it from the company’s point of view. You represent the company, their brand, and if you are wearing brown shoes with a black suit they have already decided you are not the person for the job. It’s better to wear the suit than not in most cases.

A great article on About.com called Business and Business Casual Attire breaks down business attire for interviews and after you get the job.

Interview attire for men includes a modern, conservative suit in a solid color such as dark blue. Blue signifies trustworthiness rather than black which is overpowering. Long-sleeved, freshly pressed white shirt with a plain white t-shirt underneath, conservative tie and matching belt are recommended. White represents openness and cleanliness. Leave the jingle bells or stars and stripe ties at home. Be sure to have nails and hair well-groomed and limit cologne use. You don’t want to lose the job because the interviewer is allergic to your Old Spice.

You get the job, now what? We hear the term business casual attire, especially here in Arizona, but what does it mean? In Business and Business Casual Attire, it is recommended, and we agree, that men wear the following in a business casual environment:

• Neatly pressed pants in a neutral color such as khaki or black
• Long-sleeved, pressed collared shirt
• Clean dress shoes and socks
• Tie is optional

Does business casual mean jeans and t-shirts are okay to wear? In a word – No. Remember the old rule of thumb that you want to dress for the job you want and not the job you currently have or currently seek. Jeans & t-shirt scream that you just don’t care even if you do.

If you are uncertain of what is appropriate interview or business attire we are happy to help. If you know what you need we can help find it in our store for you. We want you to be dressed for success!

About Dapper Dan’s/Black Tie Executive:

We are pleased to announce a new Dapper Dan’s Designer Tuxedos & Suits location at 2051 S. Dobson Rd., Ste. 4, Mesa, AZ 85202. Dapper Dan’s and Black Tie Exchange partner store is located in Scottsdale, AZ, provide men’s formal and high quality business attire with professional customer service. What sets them apart is the scope and concept of the businesses. Dapper Dan’s is a unique men’s only formal wear shop, similar to the popular stores for women. Black Tie Exchange is a “buy-sell-trade…shop for the creative, selective and professional male” providing a mix of modern and vintage styles from business casual to black tie events. As the name suggests, Black Tie Exchange wants “gently used, designer, vintage, or designer vintage clothing” and will pay in cash or store credit. Contact information and locations are available on their respective websites.

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