You’re in an executive meeting. The guy to your left stands, pounds his fist on the table and barks about whatever he thinks matters. “He’s so passionate about our business!” somebody comments, almost in awe. The next guy, the one across the table, adds his two cents, nearly shouting in disagreement. And the boss steps in to temper the team. “No need to be so aggressive,” he says, chuckling with a wink.

Now it’s your turn. You don’t agree with one of the initiatives for the upcoming quarter. So you speak up—just as equally passionate and aggressive as your male colleagues. But what you hear in response is something along the lines of: “No need to get so emotional,” and in the hallway, someone whispers, “She’s so bitchy.”

Can you picture it? I bet you can. Have you lived it? Chances are, you have—or something like it. I’ve seen this double standard in every company, in every boardroom, in every department: When females speak and behave in similar fashion to their male counterparts, rather than earning equal accolades and praise, they often incur just the opposite. “Boys will be boys,” as they say, but women can’t seem to win, dismissed as a girl or shunned because of perceived “sharp elbows.”

So if you (through likely no fault of your own) are one of these women being perceived as “rough around the edges,” what are you to do?

Well, in this girl’s opinion, when we’re called emotional, bitchy, or [fill in the offensive blank], what we’re really being told is, “I’m feeling threatened.” It’s not fair, but it’s true. So, if you feel like you’re in this situation—my advice is to engage in a bit of “spit and polish:” Recognize what is and make some subtle changes that will work to your advantage. Here’s how.

1. Don’t Be Aggressive, Be Assertive

Aggressive is defined as being ready or likely to attack, while assertive is defined as showing a confident and forceful personality. When you’re assertive, you are authoritative, you look people in the eye at their level, you use a respectful tone, and you calmly make declarative statements. You use a tone that’s caring and non-destructive, not one that’s dictatorial and “my way or the highway.”

Basically, you bring the threat level down. Try it—no matter what tone everyone else is using—and you just might find that your point comes across even stronger.

2. Don’t Speak First, Play Piggyback

People generally like to hear themselves talk. So let them. And when you have something to say, say it—but do so by piggybacking on what your colleagues just said. Use their words to get your own point across.

Say you feel strongly about the ever-increasing budget of a project. Instead of fighting to get your message across as soon as possible, try listening first, then chiming in when it makes sense, with something like, “Steve, I’m really glad you brought up your concerns about the project’s delivery dates. I’m concerned about that, too, especially for the financial implications.”

3. Don’t Disagree, Agree (Even When You Really Don’t)

I know, I know. Sounds like a bad policy, doesn’t it? But hear me out: Everything anyone says will include something you will agree with. True, that something may be the fact that it’s English being spoken, but that doesn’t matter. Always start out by agreeing, and then further your message by focusing on how that agreement equates to what you actually want to push forward.

For example, “Bob, I agree with you that our highest priority is increasing sales leads right now. And I think you’ll agree that in Q4 we didn’t quite deliver, which is why I’m suggesting we move forward doing it this way… ”

4. Don’t Make Statements, Ask Questions

The person who asks the questions holds the power. How? She directs the conversation along without having to actually disagree with anyone. Next time someone says something you want to push back on, piggyback, agree, and redirect with a question: “So Charlie, when you said earlier that we cut the advertising budget by 30%—what are your thoughts on how to achieve our customer acquisition goals?”

One simple, harmless question, and you’ve gotten your point across without having to disagree with anyone.

Is it fair that men and women are perceived differently in the workplace for doing and saying exactly the same things? Not at all. But do I see it happen all the time? Absolutely. And when you find yourself in this situation—when speaking your mind is going to get you nowhere—the best thing you can do is what you do so well in any other business setting: Know what you’re working with and play the game accordingly.

Photo of women in meeting courtesy of Shutterstock.

Once just a town for provincial pints at the local pub, London has long since blossomed into a cosmopolitan cocktailing city with as many options for getting tipsy as there are nightlife personalities.

Sure, you can still pop into a classic tavern for an afternoon brew, but you can also pair your drinking pleasures with sultry lounge scenes, bumpin’ dance floors, and master mixology.

And whether you’re in town for business or pleasure, you’ll surely need to kick back with a drink or two. Here are five of our favorite London bars to fit a range of moods and occasions, from the relaxed to the rowdy.

For the Afternoon Pint: Commercial Tavern

This amiable spot departs from the usual dark wood tavern style with eccentric décor: Whimsical touches include settees, framed bicycles, cuckoo clocks on the ceiling, and a wall of tea cups and saucers (a little “Mad Hatter,” if you will).

Despite the appearance, though, it still maintains a semblance of a historic tavern feel, especially with a motley crew of regulars and four hand pumps at the bar (they’ve got ales, lagers, and even organic cider on tap). In nice weather, knock back your pint at one of the outdoor picnic tables.

For the Casual Reveler: Crazy Homies

Riotously colorful south-of-the-border decorations and pounding of-the-moment Latin tunes set the festive scene at this offbeat Mexican restaurant and edgy black-walled basement bar. There’s not a lot of seating, but the quasi-communal tables make fraternizing a cinch, and the strong drinks are worth braving the crowds for. Plus, you can just roll in with jeans and a funky t-shirt—perfect for an impromptu evening of tequila tasting or delish margaritas with your amigos.

For the Aspiring Mixologist: Milk & Honey

The unmarked entrance and members-only vibe add to the mystique of this storied mixology den (non-members are only admitted with a reservation until 11:00 PM and restricted to the early part of the week). If you’re lucky enough to get in the door, you’ll be greeted with dark chocolate leather sofas, low lights, and candles aplenty—a stylish setting for seriously stellar drinks.

The bartenders squeeze their own juices, glassware is chilled to precision temperatures, and they count the number of shakes and stirs to ensure the perfect mix. Savor flavorful concoctions like the Pisco Punch (pisco, pineapple, lemon, falernum, and champagne) or the French Pearl (gin, mint, lime, sugar, and absinthe), or challenge the barkeeps with a bespoke request.

For the Lounge Lover: Beach Blanket Babylon

Go Rococo at this hot, sexy lounge and club modeled after a French country chateau. The space itself is gorgeous (boho chic décor, stunning marble bar, oversized flower arrangements), and the beautiful crowd tucked into intimate nooks and candlelit tables is pretty nice to look at, too. Get your lounge on with eclectic, well-made cocktails from the Lychee and Chilli Sling (gin, lychee liquor, and red chili pepper) to the extra delicious BBB Mojito. There’s a dance floor downstairs should you want to stir things up, but it’s enough to simply wet your whistle and drink in the scene.

For the Dancing Crew: Mahiki 

Shaking your tail feathers while sweating coconut rum is a surefire way to beat the London gloom, and this tiki hotspot is the perfect place to do it. It’s a little like the classic Trader Vic’s but on Polynesian steroids: Coconut Grenades are served in whole frozen coconuts, the space is covered in tropical kitsch, and the dance floor in the downstairs Aloha party room is humid enough to rival a hot afternoon in Tahiti. Prince Harry has been known to pop in, but there’s no attitude here—the royals party like the rest of us.

For more information on these hotspots, see our Passport to Hip London Nightlife. And for even more great tips on everything to make your trip to London fabulous, see our complete London guide online or in eBook format. 

Love to jet set? Work for one of these travel companies!

Photo of London bar courtesy of Bikeworldtravel / Shutterstock.com.

After you have a few interviews under your belt, you typically know how to go into one feeling confident. You already know what to wear, what time to show up, what to bring, and what to research in advance to be prepared.

But it’s harder to leave the interview feeling really good. No matter how well you answer tough questions or connect with the hiring manager, most of us can’t help but feel a little nervous or shaken after an interview.

The good news is: You’re not doomed to feel this way every time. Here are a few smart ways to improve not just how you interview—but how you’ll feel about it after the fact.

1. Ask for What You Need

I have a good friend whose job it is to ask the crazy tough questions—you know, the “How many golf balls fit into a limousine?” types. He typically leads with one about the angle produced by the hour and minute hand of a clock at a given time.

And he can almost immediately separate those who will get it right from the rest of the pack: It’s the candidates who request a pen and paper who nail it, because they’re able to better visualize the clock when they draw it out.

Whether you’d like a pen and paper or a glass of water, don’t be shy. By asking for what you need, you increase your chances of succeeding—and the likelihood of feeling successful when you leave. (Caveat: Do not ask for a pen and paper simply for the purpose of taking notes—that’s a signal that you came unprepared.)

2. Treat Every Staff Member Equally

Imagine you’re invited to interview with a senior executive, a mid-level manager, and a junior member of a team. What’s one of the biggest mistakes you could make? Focusing your eye contact and answers only on the senior member, particularly in response to questions he or she didn’t even ask.

Instead, make it a point to connect with every single person you meet—from the receptionist who greets you to every employee you talk to in both group and solo meetings. If you really act like you’re a member of the team, you’ll feel more like one after the interview.

3. Have a “Think for a Moment” Phrase

Questions that catch you by surprise can definitely throw you off your game. I remember being asked once, “What are three words your friends would use to describe you?”—and two of my three were “nerdy and funny.” I seriously kicked myself for that answer later (Hello, Sara, what about thorough or honest?).

So, what should you do if you get one of these questions, and you don’t want a minute of dead air? Come up with a go-to phrase to stall, which gives you extra time to gather your thoughts. Two strategies that work well are repeating the question thoughtfully before answering or saying (slowly), “Now, that is a great question. I think I would have to say… ” When you give yourself a few moments to come up with your best answer, you’ll feel great about how you performed.

4. Only Use Words You Know

When you’re at an interview, you want to put your best foot forward. So, of course, you’ll want to use polycentric—oops, I meant polysyllabic!—words.

Get my drift? Utilizing an intelligent vocabulary is worthwhile—but don’t use words you don’t normally say in conversation (or don’t fully know the meaning of). Not only do you not want to come off as an awkward conversationalist (who answers “How are you?” with “Flourishing!”), but you don’t want to spend the whole way home wondering if you said rectify or rectory (and which one means amend). Be true to the way you speak whenever you’re in a professional setting, and you’ll leave feeling confident.

5. Take Notes

Taking notes about the questions you’ve been asked is your best friend in an interview. Why? Because, on the off chance there’s something you left feeling shaky about, you can revisit the issue in your thank you note.

How does this work? Write what you’d typically write in the first and last paragraphs of your note (i.e., the “thank you for taking the time” parts), but weave in a middle paragraph that addresses any unfinished business.

In my case, this might have read: “I realize I didn’t fully elaborate when I said my friends say I’m ‘nerdy and funny.’ I was actually speaking to my love of learning new things and my ability to put others at ease when communicating with them—both of which I think would be great assets to the position.” Not surprisingly, being able to clarify any concerns will make you feel better.

Interviewing is a skill like any other. Getting good takes practice—and feeling good about it takes even more. But keep pushing yourself to add new skills to your interview toolbox, and you’ll get to a point where the majority of the time, you’ll feel like you rocked it.

Looking for a new gig? Check out these companies that are hiring now!

Photo of woman interviewing courtesy of Shutterstock.

If you’re thinking about going to grad school, one of your first steps is starting to prep for the entrance exam.

But, which should you take? A few years ago, the choice was simple: the GMAT for b-school, the GRE for everything else. But that’s changed a bit, and there are a few more things to consider.

Check out this infographic to get the rundown on the right test for you.

Home page photo of woman studying courtesy of Shutterstock. Infographic courtesy of BenchPrep.

You probably recognize Emily Maynard as the sweet, Southern, single mom from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. But now, she’s making her mark on the world in ways beyond reality television: Most recently, she’s embarked on a journey to design and release a jewelry line with Towne & Reese, a boutique accessory line based in her hometown of Charlotte, NC.

As the mom of 7-year old Ricki, Emily quickly learned that taking on this kind of business venture presents some intimidating challenges—like figuring out how to balance her time between work and family. But after realizing the depth of her passion for accessories and design, she found a way to make it happen—and gained an incredible sense of fulfillment along the way.

To learn more about her journey, I chatted with Emily about her new venture, finding inspiration, and juggling business and parenthood. Read on to learn how she made the leap into entrepreneurship and the advice she’d give to other moms who want to do the same.

What made you decide to make the jump from being a full-time mom to being an entrepreneur?

My daughter, Ricki, is in first grade now, and since she’s gone for most of the day, I actually started getting a little bored while she was at school. To fill the extra time, I was doing a lot of things I didn’t find very fulfilling—like wandering around Target! I wanted to do something more constructive with my time—something that I could work on every day and be proud of in the end.

First, I had to figure out what I’d really enjoy doing. Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten is to try to make a career out of what you do when you don’t have anything to do. So I thought about what that would be for me. At night, after I put Ricki to bed, I’d usually browse Pinterest—like every other girl in America!—for outfit ideas and beauty blogs, or watch YouTube videos about how to create the perfect topknot. It was easy to figure out that I’m passionate about beauty, fashion, and everything that has to do with being a girl.

Once I realized that, things really fell into place. There’s a company here in Charlotte called Towne & Reese, and I love all of the jewelry—I actually wore several pieces throughout The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. When things calmed down after the shows ended, I became good friends with the owners, Christie and Jessica. One day, they approached me and asked, “Would you want to do a line together?” I never thought I would have that kind of opportunity, but I was so excited to jump in, learn the process, and work toward that ultimate goal of launching my own line.

What’s been the most challenging part of creating your line—and what’s helped you overcome that?

It’s been a lot of work. From logos to packaging to the actual design process—there’s so much to it. But overall, I think the hardest part has been changing my mindset to think of this as a major business venture and remembering that I’m not just doing it for fun. Of course, it is fun and I love it—but I have to take it seriously and do the not-so-fun things, too, like responding to emails instead of letting my inbox overflow—something I’m terrible at.

There’s no way I could have made it through these challenges without Christie and Jessica at Towne & Reese. They’ve been my mentors throughout this entire process. They’ve been so patient with me—which is saying a lot, considering I call them almost every day to ask questions like “What do you think about this?” or “How should that look?” Having mentors to guide me through the design process and business decisions has made a huge difference.

What’s been your favorite part of the process?

The creative process has been really exciting. In the beginning, I tried to draw the pieces I had in mind—but it turns out, I can’t draw to save my life! So, I got my inspiration from a lot of different places, like my mom’s jewelry box and antique shows, and then explained my vision to someone who was much better at sketching. Eventually, we got samples of the pieces back, and from there, it was all about narrowing it down—changing little things like stone colors and chain links. I loved everything about the process of making those ideas come to life.

But even more than the initial design, I can’t even tell you what it was like when I saw everything come together for the first time. To see the pieces I designed in the packaging with my name on it—tears came to my eyes. When you’ve been working on something for what seems like forever, it doesn’t really hit you that it’s all actually going to happen until you have it right there in front of you, in your hands.

What advice would you give other mothers who want to start a business, but aren’t sure how to juggle a new venture with parenthood?

Ricki’s almost 8 years old now—it’s taken me that long to figure out that this was what I wanted to do, and I beat myself up about that. But I think it’s really important that as mothers, we give ourselves a break. We do have a full-time job—and that’s being a mom. So, you don’t have to rush. Give yourself the time to figure out what you want to do, what you have the time and energy for, and—most importantly—what you have the heart for, and then go do that.

It’s hard being a mom and an entrepreneur—I’ll tell you that. So when it comes to juggling your work and your kids, it’s all about balance. For example, I work through the day while Ricki’s at school, but once she’s home, I try my best to put away my cell phone, put away my laptop, and really focus on being a mom. In the end, I hope to inspire Ricki to do something that she really loves—but show her that she can make time for family, too.

Read more about Emily at emilymaynard.com and visit Towne & Reese at towneandreese.com.

Last week, my friend some broke big news. “I got a job offer in Burkina Faso working on women’s public health for the year,” she announced. “Should I do it?”

Usually, I would say, “Of course you should go!” But in this case, I hesitated.

My friend is well-traveled and a successful advocate in women’s leadership and political participation. She has a huge network of friends and family that she cherishes in the U.S., and she leads a very hip life. Not to mention, her career goals are in politics, not public health. I know she could make it anywhere, but this just seemed so out of character.

It is a rare occasion when I would think twice about recommending travel to someone, but as a friend, I wanted to advise her fairly and honestly. I’ve had many colleagues take these types of development positions, and I’ve traveled in both the best parts and worst parts of the world myself. And while any opportunity abroad sounds adventurous and exciting, it’s very important to weigh the pros and cons.

If you’ve been presented with a job opportunity in a less-developed country, here are the most important questions you should ask yourself before you make your decision.

1. Are you ready to deal with a totally different culture and understanding of the world?

For my friend, networking will be very different in Burkina Faso. Forget DC happy hour at cool bars—it’s more like singing songs at a dilapidated moonshine shanty.

But that’s just the beginning. When you move to a new country, you have to assess what the realities of life will be like on the ground. What will your daily life be like? Are you prepared to deal with issues like no or slow internet (which means no social media), unreliable electricity (or none at all) and different standards of safety? And there are other issues out of your control, like the expectations of women. A friend stationed in West Africa would me call crying because she was asked to eat separately from the men, and she couldn’t negotiate out of this cultural expectation in her village if she wanted to be taken seriously. Places like Ouagadougou (the capital of Burkina Faso) are rapidly changing, but they are still working to build infrastructure in politics, rights, and basic needs.

Moreover, are you OK with not being able to leave and get in your comfort zone quickly? You won’t be able to catch a plane home—and in some cases, even a bus. There may be great trips to go on, and more cosmopolitan cities nearby where you can get a taste of home. But it’s more than likely that you’ll find yourself walking five hours to the nearest bus stop or having to ride on the roof of a van with some chickens. (Not a joke.)

Most workers who are there are in long-term international development careers and are used to working in these conditions. But if you’re just there for a short time, it can be very hard to get used to. Consider whether this lifestyle sounds exhilarating to you—or if it sounds exhausting.

2. How will it affect your relationships?

Depending on where you go, internet may not be accessible and cell phone signals may not always be efficient. And it’s important to consider how that will impact your personal and professional relationships back home.

Even if you can stay connected with friends through Facebook, they probably won’t come out and visit you, nor will you stay a priority in their networks when you get back. How will this shape your future, and how difficult might it be to re-establish that network you have worked hard to develop? Closely consider how this job fits in with your personal goals and how will it be viewed by future employers if you plan to come back home. Will it be impressive experience on your resume, or will people in your field not even know the name of the country where you worked?

3. What is driving you to go for it?

Be really honest with yourself about why you are considering the opportunity. Some people have always dreamed of being in the international development field working somewhere far away and completely different than what they know—and if that’s you, go for it. Others try to find these placements because of the tough economy, or because they’re not sure what to do next.

But I would never, ever recommend taking a position simply because you fear you won’t find a gig in your home country. Remember, locals and your organization will be relying on you to serve a purpose and deliver outcomes. If you’re only there to add new experience to your resume, the people in the community will sense your intentions. While you may learn to love it, you also might just be wasting your time and everyone else’s.

4. Is it the right job for your passions and expertise?

Whether you love politics, the environment, or leadership, you should be sure that your area of expertise aligns somewhat with your post. While you will probably be expected to wear a million different hats, don’t accept a position in which you’re required to build a water management system if you have no experience doing that. If you can’t envision your skills being an asset on the ground, don’t go just for “the experience”—you might end up doing more harm than good. Not to mention, in the long run, that “experience” won’t be an asset to your overall career goals.

The bottom line is, you have to trust your gut. If you can’t see yourself feeling good about your post in the field, either now or in the long run, or are unable to handle it when things get tough, then really start to think twice about the opportunity.

As my friend makes her difficult decision, I’m encouraging her to remain realistic, understand the risks, and think about her goals. Of course, whether or not she decides to accept this post, I will still be there to support her.

And whether I will be buying a plane ticket to Burkina Faso or a train ticket to DC to visit her, I will make sure she knows that a challenging development post can be the most rewarding job there is—as long as you’re ready for it.

Photo of woman thinking courtesy of Shutterstock.

The temperatures are getting warmer, which means facing the hot-to-cold conundrum: You sweat to the high heavens while trekking to work or cramming into a sweltering subway car—then you walk into a freezing cold office and shiver for the rest of the day.

What’s a gal to do? You don’t want to show up a sweaty mess when you walk into work, but you can’t exactly wear shorts and a t-shirt to the office, either.

To solve this dilemma, I’ve come up with a few perfect outfit combos (making use of well-executed layers) that will keep you cool when you need to be, comfortable when the AC is blasting, and office-appropriate all the way.

Circle Skirt + Sleeveless Blouse + Cardigan

Knee-length, high-waisted circle skirts are the perfect solution to the summer weather dilemma. They’re great for keeping cool on your commute (they’re breezier and less constricting than pencil skirts), but they’re still office-appropriate. Pair one with a collared, sleeveless blouse, and you’ll stay cool as a cucumber as you commute. Just keep a cardigan in your bag to pop on right before you walk in to work—you’ll be protected from the AC.

Get the Looks

Pencil Skirt + Silk Blouse + Jacket

If circle skirts aren’t your thing, pencil skirts will still keep you cool, especially if you skip the wool and get one in a lighter fabric. Go with light colors, patterns, or brights to keep your look seasonal, and pair with a breathable, light silk blouse. Don’t forget to take a little jacket with you for the office—try one that’s slightly cropped with a ladylike rounded neck.

Get the Looks

Sleeveless Dress + Light-Colored Blazer

Simply put, sleeveless dresses will save your life this summer. They’re perfectly versatile and can be dressed up or down, they’re easy to throw on last-minute if you’re rushing out the door, and they give you plenty of room to breathe on your commute. Keep your color palette summery by pairing a bright dress with a light-colored blazer—which will also keep you cooler than dark colors if you need to wear it outdoors.

Get the Looks

Cropped Pants + Flowy Blouse + Cardigan 

Warmer weather doesn’t mean pants are out of the question. Just skip the skinny cut, and instead go for a looser-fitting, slightly cropped silhouette in a breezy cotton. Fit is key here—you want the crop to fall just above your ankle, as much higher or lower can end up looking sloppy. Wear a loose short-sleeved blouse and bring along an open sweater to throw on when you get cold at work. And since these pants are a little slouchy, bring a pair of heels in your bag to add length to your legs once you get to the office.

Get the Looks

Love fashion? Make it your job at one of these style companies!

Photo of woman walking to work courtesy of Shutterstock.

In the early days of a start-up, it’s not uncommon to take on a multitude of roles—receptionist, accountant, programmer, human resources specialist—whatever position needs to be filled at a given moment.

But eventually—with a lot of hard work and a little luck—your company will grow big enough that you’ll need to hire full-time staff members. And while this is a great thing, there’s one little problem: Even though you’ve been figuring out these roles on the fly, you’re by no means an expert. How do you identify and interview outstanding candidates for sales, marketing, or tech roles—if you don’t really know the ins and outs of their jobs?

Well, just like anything, one of the most powerful resources you have is your network. Here are four ways to leverage your contacts to help you make fast, successful, and informed hiring decisions.

Get Advice

First, take a step back and evaluate your network. Who do you know who’s already successful in the type of role you need to fill? Or, who’s hired for that role recently?

Set up a few coffee meetings with these people and identify strategies you can use in your hiring process. When you ask the right questions (think “Where did you have the most luck finding candidates?” or “What were the most important skills you were looking for in this position?”), you’ll learn a lot about the essential skills for certain roles, the mistakes others have made, and the crazy must-dos that actually work.

You can even ask your contacts to share sample interview questions and answers. Try to get a range, from the very basic (“Can you give me an example of a well-designed website? What makes it great?”) to the most challenging (“What are the advantages of client side rendering versus server side rendering? If you were building our site, which would you use?”).

Get Training

If you have a connection who can spend a little more time with you, ask him or her to train you on the necessary skills of a field—beyond the basics that you’ve already (kind of) figured out on your own.

For example, if you’re a coding whiz hiring a content marketer, ask a qualified friend to give to you a crash course in the specific tools and techniques a successful candidate for that role will use—like Google Analytics, editorial calendars, and blogger outreach strategies. With a few specifics in your pocket, you’ll be able to craft smarter questions and high-level talking points that can help you have deeper conversations with candidates about their work.

Get Interviewers

That said, especially if you are hiring for high-level or very technical roles, an expert always makes the best interviewer. An experienced developer or UX designer can pose questions you wouldn’t think of and better evaluate candidates who answer those questions with complex thoughts or intricate examples.

So, if you have friends or contacts who would be willing to interview candidates on your behalf, take them up on it. (If you have the budget, you can also work with a specialized recruiter.) Don’t leave the decision completely up to a third party, though—it’s best if you can sit in on each interview or do a multi-part interview so you can assess culture fit, personality, and other soft skills. By covering both technical topics and behavioral interview questions, you’ll get a more complete picture of each candidate.

If you can’t find anyone to interview for you, the next best thing is to ask someone to help you debrief. Ask candidates if you can record their interviews (most people won’t have a problem with it if you explain, “My colleague who couldn’t be here today wanted to review the interview”), then play the recording for an expert later on to get his or her feedback.

Get Referrals

Of course, the very, very best thing you can do during this process is to solicit referral candidates—or people who have been pre-vetted by the people you trust. Of course, you’ll still need to interview anyone who walks through your door, but when an expert programmer sends an engineering candidate your way with an enthusiastic recommendation, you can usually trust that the candidate has the right skills, experience, and integrity necessary for the job.

So, draft an email detailing what you’re looking for, blast it out to your network, and see who comes back. Even one or two leads will put you way ahead of the game.

Successful entrepreneurs know nothing is possible without the help of other people, and this is especially true when it comes to building your team. Make the most of the relationships in your life—they’ll play an instrumental part in helping you recruit that all-important team.

Photo of interview courtesy of Shutterstock.

So, you’re considering creating an infographic resume—something graphic, colorful, and creative that’ll catch the eye of a hiring manager.

But, how do you know what a great one looks like? How do you make sure yours is a well-designed piece of artwork that tells your story in a clear, effective way?

The short answer is, unless you look at 50 of these things each day or analyze and create design for a living, it’s pretty tough. So, my first recommendation is to hire a designer to help you out.

That said, even if you have someone creating your resume for you, you’ll have control over how it looks, and there are some basic guidelines and best practices you should know about. To give you a sense of what works (and what really doesn’t), here are four important rules to follow.

1. Make it Easy to Understand

Resumes follow a specific format. Usually, it’s your name and contact info at the top, followed by a summary of your skills, your work history, your education, and any other interesting information that might be helpful for a hiring manager to know.

While an infographic resume doesn’t necessarily need to follow this format, you still need to make these pieces of your resume very clear.

Take this resume, for example.

What, exactly, is this candidate’s experience? Where has he worked? What are his key specialties? It’s pretty hard to tell. I looked at it for 15 seconds and still couldn’t understand it, so I moved on to something else.

Now, look at this one.

It’s clear and definitive about what Chris has been spending his time on and how he got to where he is now. His skills are represented in a way that quickly shows what he’s good at and when he became good at it. In both the Experience and Education sections, your eye follows naturally from left to right, and you see a trend of improvement.

This is exactly what you’re going for—an infographic that makes your information easier to understand, not more difficult.

2. Tell a Story

In addition to presenting information in a clear way, you want to make sure your resume tells a story—a story that positions you as the ideal candidate for the job.

Let’s look at this one.

I design these things for a living, and I don’t understand what this is supposed to tell me. What does this candidate do? What does she want to do? What does the graphic mean to someone considering adding this person to his or her team? Why does it say “No gamble involved” at the bottom? I guess if I owned the Dungeons & Dragons version of Trivial Pursuit, this would at least intrigue me enough to want to figure it out—but I don’t, so I move on to the next resume confounded.

On the other hand, look at Sarah Carrington’s resume.

She’s a writer and editor who’s been all over the world and has diverse experience in high-impact fields. By quantifying her output, calling attention to global brands that trust her with their messaging, using imagery that makes sense, and explaining her potential impact, the resume tells a story of who she is and what types of jobs she’s aiming for.

3. Pick the Right Colors

After you have the structure down, one of the most important decisions you can make is in terms of color. Most importantly, you don’t want to go crazy with a whole bunch of colors—which will detract from the story and information you’re trying to share. Check out this example:

With so many colors, your eye doesn’t quite know where to focus.

While you can use some striking contrasts or harmonious complements, you should probably stick to black, white, maybe some grays, and a color or two thrown in for accent. See how in this example, even a monochromatic color scheme makes a big impact.

When choosing your color, think about what it will say about you. Browns are rugged, but natural. Blues are great because they are easy to read on a white background and you can use many different shades. (On the other hand, when using shades of red, going lighter can look pink, and yellows will become too light.) Even moving into purples or greens can work.

For further reading about selecting a color scheme, check out Smashing Magazine’s article on color theory in design and a blog post on Kiwi Creative that looks at the psychology of color theory as it applies to logotype.

4. Keep it Simple

Finally, and most importantly, keep it simple. You don’t have to go overboard or have the most creative infographic ever designed to make a big impact.

Take it from this one.

Two colors. Simple. Big numbers and headings. Simple. Arrows directing your eye down the page. Well, I’ll admit that the arrow system doesn’t really help so much because the arrows go both up and down, but that’s an easy fix.

In general, it’s easy to read, it doesn’t go into too much detail, and it leaves the reader wanting more.

And at the end of the day—no matter what format—that’s what a resume is supposed to do.

Have you tried creating an infographic resume? Have any questions about the process? Ask in the comments section!