Does the American Apparel clothing retail chain have the right to demand their employees grow out their eyebrows like Mike Dukakis?

You bet.

Does the store have the right to tell workers to grow their hair long and avoid hair dryers?

You bet.

Explore the controversial dress code in this week’s Working Stiff column.

When they were all in their late 20s, self-described “Lost Girls” Amanda Pressner, Jennifer Baggett and Holly Corbett all left cushy jobs and risked forever being branded as slackers.  But their one-year adventure trip around the world not only provided lifetime memories, friendship and self-discovery — it also proved to be a resume booster!

The Lost Girls, authors of a new memoir of the same name, share some of their insights on why YOU should take a break from the rat race in this week’s Working Stiff column.

If you are already convinced of the value of taking a sabbatical, come join Boston’s Lillie Marshall (pictured above) at a special “Meet, Plan, Go” workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 14th (location TBA).

Marshall, a former English teacher at Charlestown High School, left the classroom in August 2009 and just returned last month after globetrotting across Japan, Southeast Asia, Italy, Ghana, Spain and Portugal.  At the workshop, sponsored by the “Briefcase to Backpack” travel advice Web site, participants will:

• MEET inspirational speakers and like-minded travelers in your area.
• Get motivation, contacts and resources necessary to PLAN the trip of a lifetime.
• Start taking concrete steps forward and get ready to GO!

For more information on being part of the free workshop, visit the “Meet, Plan, Go” Web site.

In the 2000 NFL draft, legendary Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was the 199th choice. What happens when you aren’t an employer’s first choice, but you know that you are pretty damn talented and a great match for the company?

Career coach Jay Block advises to “Make them an offer they can’t refuse.”

Today’s “Working Stiff” column laments how courtesy in the human resources world is now on life support. Even after bonding at face-to-face interviews, today’s contending job applicants (those who made the cut from the resume pile) are tossed away like candy wrappers and often are not called or emailed back with a polite rejection.

So you’ve been interviewed for a job and have been promised to hear back by a certain date, but the phone’s not ringing. Should you call or email the employer back about your status?

Block, author of “101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Times,” suggests seizing the initiative with an “employment proposal.” If you suspect that you are not the company’s top choice, but think you “still have a chance,” he recommends making the hiring manager an attractive offer as if you were a Realtor or wedding DJ.

He also touts this approach when the hiring process has been delayed or you want to propose that the company create a new job that does not currently exist.

Below is a sample employment proposal:

Dear Mr. Allen:

Thank you for meeting with me yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with you and your staff, touring your plant and discussing the position of Accounts Receivable Manager. I am confident I can reduce your average outstanding accounts receivable from your present level of 68 days down to 32-35 days without compromising customer relations. This would free up over $200k in cash.

My Proposal:
There is no doubt in my mind that I can produce the results you want and work collaboratively with your staff. Furthermore, we share common values including professionalism, a strong work ethic and providing extraordinary customer service in a team-spirited way. These values along with the value of ‘accountability’ make me a good fit for your company.

I propose to you that I work for your company for a probationary period of 120 days. In that time, you can expect me to:

– Develop a credit policy that will improve customer relations and reduce A/R.
– Slash the average A/R aging from 68 days to 45 days in 120 days, with the goal of achieving 32-35 days within 6-9 months.
– Demonstrate that I have the skills and personality to warrant continued employment.

If, after 120 days, I have not met the goals or fit in with your culture, I will voluntarily resign; file no unemployment claim and we part amicably. But I do not expect that to happen. You will see that I will be a valuable asset to your accounting department.

I would be willing to work at the lower end of the salary range that we discussed, secure in knowing that my performance will dictate future earnings. And I would be able to begin working on Monday the 27th.

I hope will give this proposal serious consideration, and look forward to discussing this with you.

Sincerely,

Melinda Grant

Has anyone out there tried this approach? On first impression, it seems like begging. But if you can knock them on their rear ends with your talents, you have to kick open the door somehow.

Cindy, a career guidance counselor at a Boston-area university, also advocates an aggressive strategy when you’re getting the silent treatment. You may as well call back once (but not more), because you have nothing to lose.

Cindy’s reasoning:

1. There may be an offer on the table to another candidate, but it is still in limbo while they negotiate and/or the candidate is “thinking about it.” Ergo, the search is not closed and your call will serve as a reminder that you are still interested should the current deal fall through. Obviously, one should not say the exact words “still interested in case it falls through.”

One is only allowed ONE such call to a potential employer. If you get a voicemail, leave a message, but do not call back. Even if they don’t call you. You don’t want to be perceived as a pest. Or worse.

2. Sometimes, freak things happen.  Hirees close the deal and cancel before their start date, or they start only to get a better offer and leave. Or they start and a few days or weeks into it, either employer or hiree realize it is not the best fit and they part ways.

3. Sometimes, new opportunities within the company open up around the same time. Knowing you are still interested and available might lead a hiring manager to ask you if you would be interested in being considered for such openings.

4. If a candidate has come on site for a final round interview, the employer’s lack of communication, either by a phone call (preferred), an email (too passive), or even a form letter (cop out) is just bad etiquette. Make them pony up. Politely, of course!

However, if said candidate did not follow up on that interview with an appropriate thank you letter, they cannot call and ask about their status. That’s just tacky. (and equally bad etiquette as the employer not calling).

I agree with Cindy. Applicants who don’t send handwritten thank you notes (an endangered species) or just go through the motions at a job interview don’t deserve the job. You have to prove that you want to be there.

And back to the courtesy thing, I think that people who don’t say “Thank You” when you hold the door open for them deserve to have that door slammed on their ungrateful little fingers.

Occasionally, something useful emerges from the press release pile.

Like many of you, I know plenty of people searching for work and I’ve been stunned by how even “doing the right things” doesn’t seem to speed up the process a bit.

Some of these job search and networking tips from renowned career coach Ford R. Meyers might seem second nature, but most of these ideas are worth a fresh look. Dare I say it, not everyone needs a job coach.

Meyers, author of “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring,” notes that many job-seekers assume that companies stop hiring in the summer.

Nothing can be further from the truth. Companies hire when they need people.

FORD MEYERS’ 10 TIPS FOR SUMMER JOB SEARCH SUCCESS

1. Create and Control Your Internet Image. Whether it’s LinkedIn, YouTube or Facebook, every professional should have an online presence. Many employers research job candidates on the Internet before making hiring decisions. Therefore, it is vitally important that you take control of your online identity and carefully monitor the “personal brand” you’re building on the Internet.

2. Invest in Career Coaching. It might seem that career coaching would be a luxury in this difficult economic climate. Actually, this might be the best time to get some career coaching. A qualified career coach can help you get totally clear on your objective, differentiate you from the competition, market you effectively, get the offer, and negotiate the best compensation.

3. Tune Into the Network. Summer is one of the best times of the year to make new connections and find new opportunities. Contrary to popular belief, there are many summer networking events, planning meetings and social activities going on.

4. Perform an Internal Career Audit. Summer is a perfect time to take an honest look at your career — where you’ve been, where you are today, and where you’d like to go. Identify new goals based on your own definition of career success and then take action.

5. Update Your Career “Tool Kit.” Most job seekers use only their resume as the cornerstone of their search because their other “tools” are weak or nonexistent. But there are many other documents you should have in your “career tool kit” — accomplishment stories, positioning statement, a one-page biography, target company list, contact list, professional references, letters of recommendation, and more. These items are important not just to land the next job — but also to maximize your long-term career success.

6. Solidify Relationships. During the summer, most people are naturally more relaxed, convivial and generous in spirit. There is simply no better time to solidify existing relationships and forge new ones.

7. Volunteer. There are myriad volunteer opportunities available during the summer. This is a good way to help people, to feel good when you need a boost, to have a renewed sense of purpose during your search, and to meet other professionals who may be able to help you.

8. Call People. Make new connections through your network and follow up with people you’ve already met. In many cases, people who are at work during the heat of the summer will not only be available for conversation, but will be grateful just to speak to someone.

9. It is Better to Give Than to Receive. The fastest and most effective strategy for getting help is to offer help to others. Ask the people in your network who they might like an introduction to or if there is any way that you can be of assistance to them.

10. Become and Opportunity Magnet. Always think and speak positively and never say anything negative. This will help you to become an opportunity magnet — poised to attract, interview and “hire” your next employer.
**
Courtesy of Ford R. Myers, author of “Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring.”

Journalist Bill Shapiro says we should embrace rejection letters as a “badge of courage,” as evidence that we have strived to pursue golden opportunities and have taken risks that matter.

In this week’s “Working Stiff” column, I take a look at his addicting anthology, “Other People’s Rejection Letters,” which includes a mix of hilarious and wickedly cruel snubbery.

What’s 100 times worse than getting a rejection letter?  Not getting one, he says, noting that can feel like a rejection of your very existence. But Shapiro, an accomplished magazine editor who has written his share of “no thanks” notes over the years, believes not everyone deserves acknowledgment.

In the age of Internet job listings, the tables have turned and it is employers who are besieged with impersonal form letters not tailored to the specific opportunity.  If an applicant makes no effort to research the specific job, then he or she isn’t owed a formal rejection, according to Shapiro.

In any case, in honor of “Other People’s Rejection Letters,” I have dug up a few of my own.

As a lifelong political junkie, I always wanted to get an insider’s view of Washington. So I applied to be a college intern for my ho-hum Congressman, U.S. Rep. Chet Atkins.  I don’t think I called him “ho-hum” in my cover letter, but with no connections it didn’t matter.  Even if I had gotten this job, I probably would have been writing rejection letters to college intern applicants.

Moving away from the job world, but sticking with the theme of rejection (Shapiro explores all facets of life), I am still emotionally recovering from the time actress and childhood crush Valerie Bertinelli answered my heartfelt fan letter with a cold form letter.  Full backstory here.

And perhaps I am most proud of this rejection letter, which comes from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Nope, I didn’t send them my Little League credentials. I donated a creepy painting auctioned off by Ted Williams’ daughter. It cost me a mere $11, so no hard feelings.

Of course, it is easy to laugh at this kind of rejection because I expected (and desired) this outcome so I could have a souvenir on HOF letterhead. The real trick is flipping real rejection into motivation to succeed.

If you have any interesting rejection letters, Shapiro is still collecting them for a possible future project.  He encourages you to get in touch with him through his Facebook page.