3 Things No One Told You About the "Real World"

1. Looks matter! - In high school everyone said the prom queen and the pretty head cheerleader wouldn't do as well as the less pretty ones because they weren't as smart or what have you. The truth is, attractive people tend to have an easier time finding a job, being liked, and networking. Makeup is a necessary evil, ladies, so get with the program. A "pretty" and "put together" woman is far more likely to succeed, unless you're in engineering or some field of that sort, than a mousy, severely overweight, and unattractive woman. It is actually the name of the game. Does it make it right? No! Is it a reality? Absolutely.

2. Landing a job isn't just about your resume! - Ah, people think that a great resume and a fabulous cover letter are all it takes in order to land that job. WRONG! Who you know plays a part which is why I stress through several of my posts the importance of networking. Reminding you of number one, looks matter, so going into an interview looking "perfectly put together" is highly important. Also, the chemistry between you and the hiring manager and/or future boss is important. The fact of the matter is people won't hire someone they don't like for several reasons including simple things like how much time they have to spend with the person they hire. I remember a hiring manager I once worked with explaining that if someone can't stand a person for a 30 minute interview then they wouldn't be able to work with them on a daily basis for much longer than a few months. Remember that work culture is of massive importance, especially lately.

3. Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it! - Yes, that's right, I essentially told you to lie. What I should stress is monitoring what you lie about because you don't ever want it to get out that you lied. If it has to do with a software you're only going to use a few times, lie. You can easily look up tutorials on YouTube and the internet in order to be able to get through it but don't say you're an expert, say you're mediocre with the program. NEVER lie about knowing someone or a contact because it is really easy, especially now, for your employer to know you lied.