Personal Attributes Could be Hurting Your Chances For a Promotion by Amy Winter on Creators.com

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Personal Attributes Could be Hurting Your Chances For a Promotion

Are you wondering why a promotion hasn't come your way? You have arrived to the office on time, done your work and showed interest in advancing your career. Well, your personal appearance could be playing a part. These features might be making you look less appealing for a promotion.

According to a CareerBuilder survey that questioned 2,878 hiring managers, there are certain factors that may hurt an employee's chances for a promotion. Thirty-seven percent of respondents choose piercings as the top personal attribute to hurt a promotion possibility. The other factors include: bad breath, a visible tattoo, wrinkled clothes on a continual basis, messy hair, casual dress, too much perfume or cologne, too much makeup, a messy office, chewed fingernails and too tan.

"When it comes to career advancement, you want to stack the deck in your favor," says Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder's vice president of human resources. "While strong job performance and leadership skills will weigh heavily on prospects for upward mobility, employers will also look at whether the employee conveys an overall professional image both internally and externally."

It is probably a good idea not to stand out for the wrong reasons. Try to cut down on your amount of makeup and fragrance. Be sure to keep up on personal hygiene and keep your clothes clean and professional.

For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

ONLINE JOB HUNTING TIPS

It is a tough market out there for job seekers. The competition is high and employers receive numerous resumes for each open position. How can you stand out and get a call back? It is important to be found online by hiring managers. Greig Wells, a national LinkedIn job search expert, says that it is important to use search engine optimization techniques, keywords and social networking to get employers to view your online resume and social media pages.

"In today's competitive market, the job hunt has changed completely," says Wells.

"For job seekers, it is no longer about hunting down the perfect opportunity; it's about literally becoming the hunted by the most appropriate employers. We've discovered the tips and tricks for achieving this, which I share weekly to hundreds of men and women of all ages."

When Wells' wife lost her job, he ended up altering his main focus when instructing other job candidates.

"I saw firsthand how tough it can be to get back in the game when you've been kicked out of it," says Wells. "It wasn't until we developed a comprehensive online strategy, using social networking sites like LinkedIn, that my wife was back to work — and at an even better job than the one she had lost."

Wells provides tips to be easily spotted online by hiring managers:

— Create a career brand that includes keywords, which an employer could use when searching online for an appropriate applicant.

— Put your resume online on a custom website or blog. Then distribute the URL link on other sites by using blogs, forums and social media websites. Remember to include those keywords.

— Create more connections with those in your field through social networking websites, such as LinkedIn.

"In the same way you might use online search engines like Google to help find a restaurant that's in your neighborhood, and within your budget," says Wells, "employers are using the Internet to find the right people with the right skills to meet their needs."

For more information on Wells' job-searching methods, visit www.befoundbehired.com.

To find out more about Amy Winter and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.