When we posted our DiceTV report on what hiring managers are thinking during job interviews, we got a fair amount of flak. I'm not talking about those who objected to putting Cat Miller in a swimming pool (not to mention a bathing suit) but the users who took us to task like this:

The point of this was that I should dress appropriately for a job interview? Gee, thanks! I never would have thought of that. What's next, an article telling me that when I'm on a job interview, it's important that I remember to breathe air? What a waste of time.

Well, true, this video offers pretty basic information. It's Interviewing 101. But I don't think that makes it any less important, especially when recruiters and managers tell us about people who show up for job interviews dressed for a day anywhere but in the office. We hear about candidates arriving late, or taking cell phone calls during interviews. These are mistakes that, if you spend most of your day thinking about job-hunting, boggle your mind. A while back I was conducting a phone interview and mentioned the news area here on Dice. Replied the candidate: "I'm sorry to say I've not had a chance to look at it." From his resume and cover letter, he was a solid candidate. But even though I chatted with him a while more, I tossed his packet in the trash before we ended the call. Here he was, interviewing for a job working on Dice's content and he hadn't even checked out what we do. Young people especially need to know the Real World isn't college, it's not as laid back. During a job interview you don't get to make any mistakes. Show up late? Done. Under dress? Done. Haven't researched the company? Done. A lot of people make incorrect assumptions about the basics of job-hunting. That's why we repeat ourselves sometimes. As for the bathing suit, well, I just thought we all deserved to get outside for a little while - literally and figuratively - during this recession's long summer. After Labor Day, Cat'll be back in the studio - professionally dressed.