The Tech Shack Personal

I recently went through a job ordeal. Let me tell you about it. It started in Portland, Oregon. I was in between jobs, was in a bad relationship with no hope in site. I then found some friends who worked for Apple Computer and told me who to contact if I ever wanted to work there in the future. I called, had a phone interview and passed, got a job offer and moved to Austin, TX. I worked there for 4 years, then got laid off and looked some more, went to Dell, Inc. for sales, did not like it much, quit and got hired on at Dell doing tech support, 2 days after I hit the floor I was interviewed for a supervisory roll for corporate escalations. After about 6 months my time was up with Spherion (a temp agency) and saw yet again no hope in site as it looked like they were not going to hire me. We got a new manager who was fantastic with resume's, interviewing and helped me get ready as they gave me over a months notice. I applied with many company's with yet again no hope in site, but then Progressive wanted to hire me and I went to 3 interviews with them. As I got my new manager she told me what I needed to do with my work performance as we had no manager for 4 months as they were hiring one for our team. Once I had the info I needed to be the best rep I could, I improved, and they wanted me to stay at Dell, Inc. as a permanent employee, made me an offer and here I sit. Some times things just fall into place. I was really worried as I have a family as well.

Here are some amazing maps I have found of the United States and the world, some are very hi-rez so be patient while it loads. ;-)
 
What can this site do for me?
Funny you should ask. Everything I am putting on here has contributed to where I am now, and wanted you to know. I will add tips and tricks to getting your next job, as well as great links on the left side for job searches. Dice and Monster helped the most, use them if no other tool. Where ever you live, make sure to use your city's newspaper as well, and any local free newspaper most have. Portland has the Downtowner and Willamette Week, Austin has the Chronicle. They can be very friendly in your job search and most will send you an e-mail daily or weekly with updated jobs that match your search criteria. This has helped me a lot. Some of what I will put in the text below will be things I have learned, some will be stuff I have found on searching the web that I think are helpful. Read on, what can it hurt? After all, if you are looking for a new job, you came to the right place for a few tips that maybe you were not aware of. One more important place to look is your state Employment agency as they can help you with many company's that are hiring state or non-state jobs. Also if you are a military veteran like me, the VA can help a lot too, and don't forget, I was in for 4 years and got an honorable discharge, therefore I get life time health benefits, and you may too. Be smart, look into it, especially if you are not currently covered.
I will have a lot of tips on here, but one I learned well is Dress for Success! I went to an interview and was just as qualified as the next guy, but got the job and was told I got the job based on my dressing for success in a suit as the others did not try hard by dressing nice and had jeans on. Now don't think if you dress nice that you will get the job, but obviously it helps. This job was a jan casual job, but the extra effort tipped the scale. If you wear cologne, don't over do it, and when you meet your interviewer, have a firm hand shake, but not a strong one, this is not a strength competition. It is a good thing to have a leave behind which is a link on the left side on this site that the interviewer can see and touch and keep, It is a nice folder with your references and resume in it, as well as a business card (if you do not have one you can go to the link on the left called Vista Print as they usually have great deals on nice professional cards, 250 for $5 (use my coupon codes on my shopping site to find the best deal) plus about $10 for shipping...I would also recommend glossy, usually will add $5 or so to the price) and I will let you know a great item to add that compares your old jobs with the one you are trying to get to show your qualifications. After your interview, have thank you cards with you and hand write one when it is over, maybe make a reference to something you talked about in the interview and give it to the receptionist or mail it to the interviewer, it will also make you stand out and most people do not do it. During the interview, bring a nice note pad to take notes on as if you were in an important meeting. Most people do not do this, but you should so you can have a cheat sheet to use, and to write the interviewers name down (It is very easy to forget as most people are a little nervous.) I have so many tips and advice and may re-org this stuff so it makes more sense to most of you later.

Some Must knows for that interview!

The Queen of England is reported to have told Prince Charles, "Dress gives one the outward sign from which people can judge the inward state of mind. One they can see, the other they cannot." Clearly, she was saying what many people are reluctant to accept; that people judge us by the way we dress. In all situations, business and social, our outward appearance sends a message.

Suits
Choose a conservative suit in navy, black or gray either pinstripe or solid. The quality of the material speaks as loudly as the color and can make the difference between sleaze and suave.
Ties
Ties should be made of silk fabric. Avoid the cartoon characters and go for simple and subtle if you want to enhance your credibility.
Shirts
White and Blue - A solid white or blue dress shirt with long sleeves offers the most polished look. The more pattern and color you add, the more the focus is on your clothing, rather than your professionalism.
Shoes
Shoes should without question be conservative, clean and well polished. Lace-up shoes are the choice over slip-ons or flip flops. Don't think for a minute that people don't notice shoes. Many people will look at your feet before your face.
Belts
Belts need to match or closely coordinate with your shoes. Once again, quality counts.
Socks
Socks should be calf-length or above. Make sure they match not only what you are wearing, but also each other. A quick glance in good light before heading out the door can save embarrassment later in the day. Check for holes as well if you'll be going through airport security and removing your shoes.
Jewelry
Keep jewelry to a minimum. In a time when men sport gold necklaces, bracelets and earrings, the business professional should limit himself to a conservative watch, a wedding band and maybe his college ring.
Hygiene
Personal hygiene is part of the success equation. Freshly scrubbed wins out over heavily fragranced any day of the week. Save the after-shave for after hours, but never the shave itself.
Accessories
The finishing touch for the business man is his choice of accessories: briefcase, portfolio and pen. When it comes to sealing the deal, a top of the line suit, a silk tie and a good pair of leather shoes can lose their affect when you pull out the ball point pen you picked up in the hotel meeting room the day before.

Business attire is different from weekend and evening wear. Investing in a good business wardrobe is an investment in your professional future. For those who think it's not what you wear but who you are that creates success, give that some more thought. Business skills and experience count, but so does personal appearance and that all-important first impression.

Some More Must knows for that interview!
1.  Knowledge of the possible interview questions, and what not to say.
2.  Be confident, not cocky - practice in front of friends, a mirror and a video camera.
3.  Remember a firm handshake and the "power turn" when shaking.
4.  Dress for Success at all times:
• Professional Suit
• Silk Tie - Do yourself a favor, learn how to tie a "Double Windsor"
• Matching, plain socks
• No bling, only: class ring, wedding ring
• Plain shirt, blue or white
• Shoes - Leather, conservative, not fancy dress shoes
• Leather belt that matches your shoes
• Smell good, but no cologne, only shower soap and shampoo
• Don't forget your nice pen (I like Cross brand) and a leather folder        
           with your resume, references, note taking paper and your thank
           you cards

Here are some nice brand names I found, but as long as they look good/professional on you the brand is not important.
Ties:
Beltrami
Cellini
Christian Dior
Stacy Adams
Shoes:
I found Rockports to be great.
Burma Bilas
Claybrooke
Zylos by George Machado
Chez Roffe
Suits:
You might be surprised, but I like the Men's Warehouse 2 button or double breasted suits.  A 2 button suit is recommended.  Good prices, good suits!



A necktie or tie is one of the most loved fashion accessories for men. Although it’s only just a small piece of clothing in a man’s wardrobe, it takes a big part in making his business attire look complete and best. It also has a great impact on his character and personality because it signifies that he has a good taste in fashion if he chooses the right tie that works well with him.

With so many choices for which tie to select among huge variety of style, design, color and patterns, it's really tricky and complicated to pick out the perfect one. So to help you out in choosing the right tie that best suits for you and complements well with your attire, here are some tips that you must take in consideration.

1. Consider the quality of fabric
When choosing a necktie, your first main concern is the quality of its fabric as well as the kind of material it has used. A good quality tie is made up of 100% silk. So it’s most recommended to buy a silk tie because you can’t go wrong with its luster and glossy that will definitely give you a polished appearance and perfectly complement your formal attire. Aside from this, it’s also durable to use because this kind of fabric will certainly last much longer.

2. Choose the Right Length of tie that is proportion to your height
Selecting the right length of the tie is another important key that should be considered when buying this kind of men’s fashion accessories. A tie can make or break your whole attire if it’s not proportion to your height. So if you are tall, you will look best if you choose a long tie and vice versa if you are shorter.

According to fashion tie experts, the best way to know the right length of the tie that best suit to your height, is that the triangular point at its wide end should meet your bucket when it’s tied properly around your neck. As much as possible, the tip of your tie should extend ½ inch past to your belt line.

3. Complement the Color of tie to your Dress Shirt or Suit
After choosing the quality and the right length of the tie that best suits for you, the next thing you need to consider is its color. Selecting the appropriate color of the tie should be matched with the color of your dress shirt or suit. So it’s necessary to know how to coordinate well its color to your attire for you to have a right balance and harmony.

For Plain White Dress Shirts


Any colored tie will match with a plain white dress shirt. So you will never go wrong in choosing in any of your tie especially if you are still in any doubt in dealing with its color combination.

For Colored Dress Shirts


The best way to complement a tie with your colored dress shirts is to create a contrast. Basically, if you have a dark dress shirt, it’s recommended to use a light colored tie. On the other hand, if your dress shirt has a light color, you should use a dark colored tie. Wearing the same color of tie and dress shirt is also possible provided that the tie should be either lighter or darker with the color of the dress shirt.

For Stripped or Checkered Dress Shirts


If you have a stripped or checkered dress shirt, just select a tie with a color that matches the dominant color of the stripes or checks in the dress shirt. 

4. Coordinate the Pattern of tie to your Dress Shirt
Dealing with patterns is really hard in choosing the right tie that matches well with your dress shirt. Unlike with plain dress shirts that only included the color coordination while choosing a tie, ties for the stripped or checkered dress shirts must also consider its pattern coordination. That’s because patterns can also turn you down if they are not well-complemented so you really need to be very careful in coordinating them.


A tie with box pattern, pin or polka dots can be matched to a stripped dress shirt. For checkered shirts, you can also wear a tie with diagonal stripes. But be sure to choose a color that complements well with the dominant color of the dress shirt before dealing with patterns.


And you must also consider the size of the stripes or the checks. Always remember that they should be different with the size of the stripes of your dress shirt to avoid looking dizzy. If you still in any doubt in dealing with patterns, just better consider the basic rule which is creating a contrast. So if you’re wearing a patterned dress shirt, just wear a solid colored tie and vice versa. 

As soon as you get the tie that looks well with you, it’s really important to know how to tie it properly. This is your last step and the best key to look at your best with your tie.

Looking the part for the interview
Learn how to climate control your wardrobe in order to look fresh for an interview.
by Rita Gworek

Finally you have been asked to come in for an interview. This is a major step in securing your dream position. You have done your research and know what the organization expects of you. You have found out what the dress code is for the interview. This is important so that you fit into this new organization. You don’t want to appear like an outsider. 


You have your clothing all laid out the night before so there are no surprises in the morning. You have made sure that everything is clean, neat and pressed. Are all your buttons sewn on tight? Are your shoes polished? Did you check to see that there are no stains on your clothing? Do you have the right colored socks to go with your shoes? Look in a mirror to check yourself from the back. That maybe one area you cannot see but others will see it. Did you remove the stitch that holds your jacket vent closed? Did you make sure to remove the informational label on the jacket sleeve of your new suit? You do not want to advertise for the suit company. Look the garment over carefully to spot any moth holes that may have happened over the years.

Now you have your clothing ready to go. Check yourself over from head to toe. Does your hairstyle fit into the new dress code of the organization? Make sure not to try some new hairstyle that may not come out the way you expect it to. You will lose your confidence and not be yourself. Your hairstyle should be conservative and not draw attention away from your face. Your hairstyle should actually complement your face’s shape. This makes it easier for others to look at you. And to stay focused on looking in your face, listening to what you have to say. Make sure your hair is clean and nicely combed. Do not put in a lot of gel or have that wet hair look. It may appear that you didn’t have enough time to dry your hair or that you misjudged the time it takes to get to the interview. Take a comb with you and stop in the restroom to check your hair. 


A nice close shave is important. Most office settings will expect this from you. If you have facial hair such as a mustache or beard, keep it neatly trimmed. The same goes for eyebrows that can become unruly. Just as you comb your hair, you may have to do the same with your eyebrows. Can you imagine how distracting it is when someone has one stray eyebrow hair out of place and you just can’t keep your eyes off of it?
Make sure to brush your teeth in the morning and take some breath mints or mouth spray with you. If you smoke or drink coffee there may be an odor to your breath that you may not detect. Bad breath is a turn off in so many ways. 

Do not wear perfume or cologne. If the person interviewing you is allergic to something you are wearing they will not be happy with you when they are sneezing the whole time.

There are so many colognes and perfumes to choose from in so many different stores. There are so many because we all have different tastes. Some people like a fragrance that smells like flowers and others like a musk scent. Some perfumes and colognes are very costly and some are very low priced. There are a lot of complexities to these products. Therefore the price is different. The more complex a product is the more costly it becomes. Our body chemistry can make one fragrance smell wonderful on one person and on another person it just doesn’t work. So if we all like different scents then it stands to reason that we may be offended by someone else’s choice in perfume or cologne. Have you noticed that when you wear the same perfume or cologne over a period of time that you become numb to that scent and you can’t smell it shortly after applying it? Then try to imagine that you also become acclimated to your own body odor too. So please listen if someone very kindly says to you, “You need deodorant.” You may not be aware of it but you may be offending others. 

With the added fragrances in shampoos, deodorants, and body soaps you should smell fresh without cologne or perfume. 

Keep your hands and nails clean and in good shape. You will shake hands during the interview and you want them to look good. This shows you pay attention to details.
Now from your hairstyle down to your shoes everything is in place and cared for and well groomed and you are ready to meet and greet your potential new boss. Good Luck!

©2006 Rita Gworek is a presenter for the TAP/ACAP seminars on “Dressing for Success.”

The Psychology of Color
Learn how color can work best for your new civilian work wardrobe.
by Rita P. Gworek
The human eye can detect more than 6 million colors. Did you ever stop to think about those colors and how they affect you and those around you? Did you realize that you could influence others by the colors you choose to wear?


There is a psychology to color. You can use color to evoke a positive response during an interview or you could receive a negative reaction if you do not know how to use it to your advantage.

Companies spend millions of dollars testing colors and how people respond to them. Take McDonald’s restaurants: They use red and yellow, colors that energize us and keep us in motion. After all, it is a fast food place - they want to get you in and out. 

There are many books written on color psychology, and you can apply these theories to job interviewing and interacting in the work place. One of the first places to start is your clothing.

There is one thing that you want to keep in mind: fashion designers use color to bring attention to the clothing they are trying to sell. This does not mean that it will look good on you. Designers try to convince us that we must be wearing the latest fashion colors to look updated, however, there are colors that are always correct to wear and do not look out of place. The best use of currently fashionable colors is in your accessories. 

Here are some appropriate colors for the business world:

Women who are trying to present a polished, professional, and educated should choose a suit in dark, intense colors rather than pastel. Dark colors convey authority and power. Pastel colors are approachable and soft, but not powerful. 
These colors include black, navy blue, forest green, deep purple, and burgundy. Navy blue should be the first choice as it conveys trust, honesty, and organization. Black shows confidence and power, and that is why law enforcement and some branches of the military wear black and navy blue. These colors carry power, authority and command. 

Forest green, deep purple, and medium blue can make you appear calm, relaxed and friendly. 

Of the reds, burgundy conveys sophistication, while someone wearing blue-red is seen as assertive. Orange-red is received as outgoing and lively. 

Be careful: medium to light green has never tested well for women.

“There is a psychology to color. You can use color to evoke a positive response during an interview or you could receive a negative reaction if you do not know how to use it to your advantage.” Bright colors convey assertiveness and energy, while neutral colors like tan, beige and taupe make you fade into the woodwork. Mixing colors such as purple and red shows creativity. Pinks and peaches are sweet and youthful, but you might not be taken seriously in a work environment. Yellow reminds people of sunshine and playfulness but it can also over-stimulate others. Orange is vivacious and interesting, but can appear a little outrageous.
Women should choose navy blue or black for a suit when they want to come across with authority. The suit should be teamed up with a white or cream-colored blouse; the shoes and hose should match the suit color. A simple pin and earrings will complete the look.
Men will convey command and authority in a navy blue or midnight blue suit. A pinstriped suit is more business-oriented than a solid color, while a heavy chalk-striped suit shows a lot of attitude. If you choose this suit, make sure you understand how people will feel about you that day.

Olives, browns, hunter green and burgundy-colored suits put a man in a fashionable and social setting. Meanwhile, suits with subtle designs of windowpanes, glen plaids, bird’s eye and small checks appear more creative. 
Charcoal gray is very conservative. The lighter the gray or blue the more social a man appears. If men wear black suits they may possibly be perceived as trying to intimidate someone or be more formal. 

The dress shirt should be white, off-white, or cream-colored and the tie should complement the suit and shirt, and be conservative in color. (This means the tie will have one or more of the colors of burgundy, gray, blue, and or green in it.) The color of the socks should match the suit or the shoes, and the shoes should be black or burgundy, or ox blood or cordovan color.
The colors you wear will influence those around you. Make it a positive experience! You have control - use colors to your advantage.

Rita Gworek, Vice President of Logical Fashion, Inc., has been a presenter for the TAP and ACAP seminars on “Dressing for Success” for eight years.


Fashion Tips for Men’s Suit
While deciding Men’s Suit fashion style, the main thing that one should consider how formal event is. For party purpose or special occasion, you need something that can emphasize your personality.
 
Quality Fabric for comfort and style
Selecting the fabric of your suit is very important. A wool Suit is best and it is wrinkle free and it saves your money on dry cleaning.  The fabrics used in high quality menswear suits are usually the best with the worst wool for business suits. These fabrics are used in the counts of 80s and 90s, or super 100s, to super 150 wool. The counts in the range of 80s and 90s also feel great and usually last longer than higher counts made at even the best clothing manufacturers.
 
At Tailored Silks we use 120’s wool for our wool – cashmere mix suits and 120’s wool for 100% cashmere suits.  While the lower figure for pure cashmere may confuse, this is because of the wool being 100% cashmere wool.  For further information on the properties of cashmere please click here.
 
Suit Button – Fashion and Flexibility
In men’s suit’s, three button jackets are thought to look unique.. For thin men double breasted suit or two button suits is often thought to be the most appropriate option.
The difference however, is as in many instances with formal attire one of subtlety, in terms of style choice there is no major difference between two button suits and three button suits.   Generally, two button suits are popular among gentleman while younger men prefer three button suits. Most important is how each individual carries themselves and in consequence you must judge yourself which suit matches your personality.
 
One button suits and more than three button suits are suitable for social events.
 
At Tailored Silks we offer a range of suit choices to match your personality and enhance your existing look for any formal or business occasion.

Men’s Suit Pant – for Perfect Outlook
The best choice to stay in style and look slim is flat front pants. You will indeed need a little stitching, the pants should stop right above your heel, and rest on your shoelaces, or where your shoelaces would go. Ideally your pant should rest comfortably on your waist with or without belt. Your pants should be lined. When you sit or bend pockets should not knob or crease. Check that your suit is comfortable in different posture while sitting, standing or bending.

Mens Suit Pattern – Designers View
For mixing pattern, there must be coordination between pattern of same design and patterns of different designs. The ultimate challenge is mixing three or four patterns together but not looking ridiculous at all.

Men’s Pinstripes suits are fine. Make the stripes subtle so that the suit stays in style.
 
At Tailored Silks we offer a range of pinstripe patterns in both single and double breasted suits both in 100% cashmere and cashmere-wool mix fabric choices.
 
For color choice it is often best to keep it simple, and go with charcoal suit or navy suit.  The lining should feel rich and thick to the touch. An unlined or poorly lined jacket has a short life span and it wrinkles easily. The jacket should be fully lined with no seam wrinkling; Sleeves should come down to the wrist bone.

Mixing two similar patterns like stripes boils down to the size of the stripes as well as the spacing between the stripes. Make sure these two factors are as different as possible between the stripes. If two small size stripes are put together, the effect can create quite a bit of tension between them. When having two different stripes yet with similar spacing makes it difficult to put the attention on either stripe.

Coordinating stripe suits and stripe dress shirts have come up with various results as well when the spacing between the stripes differ. One combination involves stripes with very similar spacing for both the suit and dress shirt. The other combination is where the suits have a much different scaled stripe spacing compared to the dress shirt. Mixing two similar patterns like checks applies the same theory as the stripes. But checks have more intense patterns compared to stripes, so it can be difficult in coordinating especially for plaids.

If you use medium sized check dress shirts matched with a similar sized check tie, the look will turn weird because of the similarity in size of the checks that sets a tension for the viewer. However, if you match it against a smaller check tie the overall look allows a smoother transition between the two similar patterns even though with more contrast. Yet when we use small check ties to put it against a tightly scaled check dress shirt, we are creating a lot of disorientation. This is because of its intense and vibrating effect on the eye that is confusing and blurry to the viewer. Avoid using two similar sized checks together but use contrasting scaled checks.
For the overall best effect on men’s fashion dress style, mixing two similar patterns boils down to the concept of using two designs with different scales and different spacing.
This applies for suit against shirt, shirt against tie, or even suit against tie. Two similar patterns like the stripes between the suits and the dress shirts to ensure they are different. Generally, suits have larger scaled stripes and so it is better to use a smaller spaced stripe for the dress shirts. For the tie, it is advisable to make use of larger spaced patterns like polka-dots or large dotted floral prints to give a good balance on the finer stripes found on dress shirts. Ties with larger patterns or wider spacing are safe choices to create a more soothing effect for the eye.
Off-the-peg suits are good for those who are looking for variations, for different types of fabrics and styles. Off the peg suits are designed to fit the standard figure. If, like the vast majority of people, you have a drop shoulder, you stand with a stoop, have a prominent chest, high hip, or any other number of variances in body shape, stance, and stature, then the suit is unlikely to fit well. Because of this, these suits are almost always cut easy.
This is for the simple reason that most people generally prefer their suits a little loose rather than too tight. "Off the peg" refers to a suit cut on a standard block, based on your chest size. Other measurements, such as shoulder width, length, sleeve length, and waist and seat, are all taken from the averages based on this initial measurement.
When we look at color coordination for men’s suit, there are two aspects to focus on coordinating men’s clothing against skin complexion and creating color harmony between different hues and shades. The aim of coordination for colors and patterns is to achieve naturalness as well as bringing out the best blend that brightens up the man’s overall look in the suit.
Men’s Suits come in all types of qualities and styles. It is important to identify perfect style for your persona before deciding to buy one, because all types of suits look different on different people. At Tailored Silks we provide many different styles of suits so that you may choose from a range of classic styles to trendy ones depending on your wardrobe needs, your desired styling and importantly one that suits your personality.



If this helps you even a little bit, then I am pleased I made it.  Send me feedback to help me improve it for others.