Author: Robert L. Deitz
Title: “Congratulations: You Just Got Hired”
Subtitle: “Don’t Screw It Up”
Publication: 2013, appears self-published (no publisher
named; there is mention of “CreateSpace
Independent Publishing Platform); ISBN 978-1481944298, 33 pages, paper, 5
chapters
I can recall, early in my mainframe information technology
career, that a few companies were quite picky about dress code. First it was just IBM, with stories that
young men were sent home if they didn’t have long socks and garters under their
suits. That sounds so prudish! Then H. Ross Perot’s EDS was the sartorial
bully, demanding dark suits, perfectly fitted, and ironed white shirts. Customers will not understand data
processing, one 1972 memo that fell before my eyes said; so dress is what sells their confidence.
A few decades ago, John T. Molloy put out his infamous “Dress
for Success”, which somehow reminds me of another book by Scott Meredith, “Writing
to Sell”. Molloy continued the
prudishness, even regionalizing it (the customs in the Deep South were somehow
different), and telling young men moving into management that they should add
gray to heir temples to look old enough for the job. Don’t tell Mark Zuckerberg that.
Dietz has worked in the NSA, DOD and CIA arenas, and his
advice certainly shows a “pay your dues” mentality. The five chapters are naturally divided
enough: work habits, dress, etiquette, “E-stuff”, and resumes. And most of the advice seems like common
sense.
On the “e-stuff”, he does spend some space (in this very
short booklet) on what should be obvious now: your employer has every right to
control what you do on work computers, and your employer probably will. But he precedes that discussion with a brief
warning about what you do on the Internet, “even at home on your own time”. Since about 2006, the media has reported
incessantly about employers checking personal use of social media, more often
for job applicant than established associates, and has plenty of stories of
people being fired for what they say on Facebook, even with privacy settings
turned on. Dr. Phil even had a program
called “Internet Mistakes” a few years ago (TV blog, Jan. 15, 2008). Frankly, I wonder how relevant all the
attention to checking credit reports and scores (often tainted by inaccuracies)
and formal background investigations is, given the ease with which employers
can check social media. The biggest
problem is that it’s easy to find the wrong person (with the same name), and
easy even to misidentify people in photographs online. No one has much a handle on this, still.

Michelle Singletary discussed this book recently in her
Washington Post column, and mentioned the stuff about online reputation (
link).
I find it interesting that Deitz advises workers to stay abreast of current events and the news.
I do think there is something lacking in a “one size fits
all shoes” approach as in this little tract.
Deitz would probably snicker at some recent episodes in the NBC soap "Days of our Lives", when the character Jennfier has to put up with a do-nothing young female employee.
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