I can still remember my job-hunting days when I would make my way through the city in long sleeves, a tie, slacks and dress shoes-with the summer sun above. The last missing piece of the puzzle-the all powerful men's suit-was missed because I sent mine away for repairs. What do you make of it? Did I overdress? Isn't it that the Internet and outsourcing boom resulted to a boom as well in a tad more relaxed dress codes? Queueing up by the manager's office, I did feel conscious with the laidback style of the other applicants, the most out-of-this-way being an untucked, button-down short-sleeved shirt, or loafers. A review of today's literature on jobhunting attire showed me that I was all right (and no more right had I worn a men's suit, or a jacket!). Nevertheless, more and more job candidates nowadays are showing up in denims, hoodies, or sneakers. Still more had no qualms sporting their pierced body parts and spiked hair. All of which means alarm bells; schools ought to meet their would-be graduates and explain very clearly that they ought to to dress one step up or two times higher than what they would wear in the job they are eyeing. And now we turn to the meat of the matter: what to wear? We know about industry standards, such as the navy blue suit popularized by Japanese or British accountants and bankers. But what do you do when you will work in an industry where there are no uniforms? And what if companies that allow more casual attire enter into the picture? Keep the following in mind when planning for a job interview: Stick to the employer's dress code. Will you end up wearing for years what you wore at the interview-men's suit and all-or will you be in polo shirts now and then? Check out employees arriving for work. Again, dress slightly better than you would if you were already hired for that position. Tattoos and body jewelry are usually a big reason why people botch up their interviews. Until you know whether they are acceptable, keep these away. The following are the nitty-gritty details: Plain color men's suit White long sleeve shirt: Long-sleeved shirts are considered one level higher than short-sleeved; these are even acceptable in summer. The two minimum that you ought to have in your wardrobe should come in the following colors: white or light blue solid. Tucked golf shirts are acceptable in more relaxed situations. Tie Dark socks, dress shoes: shoes must be leather; loafer shoes also seem to be gaining a following in the office. Very limited jewelry
- "Seemingly random questions like these have become commonplace in Silicon Valley and other tech outposts, where companies aren't as interested in the correct answer to a tough question as they are in how a prospective employee might try to solve it. Since businesses today have to be able to react quickly to shifting market dynamics, they want more than engineers with high IQs and good college transcripts. They want people who can think on their feet."
What are technology companies (Google, Microsoft, Amazon) and consulting companies (McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Accenture...) looking for? They want employees withbrain teasers job interview good so-called Executive Functions: problem-solving, cognitive flexibility, planning, working memory, decision-making, even emotional self-regulation (don't try to solve one of these puzzles while being angry, or stressed out).
Want to try a few? Below you have our Top 7 Guesstimations/ Logic Puzzles for Brain Challenge:
Please try to GUESS the answers to the questions below based on your own logical approach. The goal is not to find out (or Google) the right answer, but to 1) identify the logic approach that will help "guesstimate" an appropriate range, say + or - 30% of the actual answer, and then 2) complete the calculations (ideally mentally, but you can also take notes) to provide an estimate.
Ready. Set. Go!
1) How many times heavier than a mouse is an elephant?.
2) How many firefighters are there in San Francisco?.
3) How many trees are there in NYC's Central Park?.
4) How many shoes have you had in your life?.
5) How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?.
6) In 1999, how were these baby boy names ranked by popularity: Kevin, Jose, Hugh.
7) What is the weight of a large commercial airplane?.
The Answer appear below. Again, the key here is to try, plan the steps towards the solution, and do the mental calculations to find a reasonable range. That's the brain challenge. The goal is not to find the precise correct answer.
ANSWERS:
1) Around 150,000. An average elephant weighs 4,000 kg on average; an average mouse 25 grams.
2) Around 350 firefighters on duty on any given day, out of a pool of 1700 firefighting overall staff.
3) There are over 26,000 trees (of approximately 175 species) in the Park.
4) We don't know (or need to know) how many pairs you have had.
5) Rankings of baby boy names in 1999, according to Social Security Administration: 1. Jose (#30), 2. Kevin (#32), 3. Hugh (#830). 6) About 500,000, assuming the bus is 50 balls high, 50 balls wide, and 200 balls long.
7) For a Boeing 747: - Empty: around 400,000 pounds (lbs), or 181,000 metric tons - Maximum Takeoff Weight: around 825,000 pounds, or 374,000 metric tons - For context, the weight of an empty Hummer is 8,600 pounds.
More Context on Executive Functions:
If you want to learn more about what they are, here are some quotes from my Interview with neuropsychologist Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg:
- Alvaro Fernandez: Please tell us more about what the Frontal Lobes are.
- Elkhonon Goldberg: We researchers typically call them the Executive Brain. The prefrontal cortex is young by evolutionary terms, and is the brain area critical to adapt to new situations, plan for the future, and self-regulate our actions in order to achieve long-term objectives. We could say that that part of the brain, right behind our forehead, acts as the conductor of an orchestra, directing and integrating the work of other parts of the brain.
- I provide a good example in The Executive Brain book, where I explain how I was able to organize my escape from Russia into the US. Significantly, the pathways that connect the frontal lobes with the rest of the brain are slow to mature, reaching full operational state between ages 18 and 30, or maybe even later. And, given that they are not as hard-wired as other parts of the brain, they are typically the first areas to decline.
Both Rupert_bowling & Alvaro Fernandez are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Rupert_bowling has sinced written about articles on various topics from Interview Questions, About Branding and Modelling. Rupert Bowling is the Owner of EshopOne a supplier of . Having been selling mens clothing online since 1999,he is considered by some to be an "old timer".. Rupert_bowling's top article generates over 880 views. to your Favourites.
Alvaro Fernandez has sinced written about articles on various topics from Aging, Brain and Aspen Travel. Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains.com, which reviews resources for brain health such as the. Alvaro Fernandez's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.