Don't Call Me on a Friday After Tying One On

While many people get into the wine industry for the love of wine, handling yourself professionally is always a top priority. There are many situations that call for winery personnel to drink wine while working. As in any workplace, handling your liquor well is extremely important. This is true when conducting your job search too.

I regularly will get phone calls from job seekers on Friday afternoon. Most of the time these calls are normal, but sometimes they tell me far more than I should ever know about the candidate. When a person calls me and their words are slurred or they have trouble consistently staying on topic it sends up a red flag. Does this person possibly have a drinking problem? If they do, wouldn't it affect their work performance at a client that I place them at?

Over the years I have had clients look for signs of alcohol abuse during interviews. They look at a person's physique to look for signs of long-term alcoholism. They may have them join in a tasting to see how they handle themselves in front of a large selection of wine. They also may arrange calls in to them after hours to see how they handle themselves.

Think about this when you are conducting a job search. The wine industry thrives on people enjoying a glass of wine. It has never been a negative mark to hear someone sitting down to dinner with a glass of wine. Downing the whole bottle personally while at a lunch interview is another matter.

Career Advice: How you act in an interview

A few months ago I interviewed a gentleman for a sales position I was working on. I interview all of my candidates in person before I send them along to my clients. There is a very good reason for this. To make sure I'm representing them in their true light, and to make sure there aren't any personality problems I need to be aware of.

Case in point. This gentleman who has been selling in the wine industry for the last 15 years is very qualified for many sales positions. And I'm sure he would interview very well with many male hiring managers. He might not do so well with female interviewers. Why? The entire time I was interviewing him he was staring at my chest. I asked my husband if my outfit was too revealing, and he said "Possibly, in a black burka sort of way." Having worn a conservative, long sleeved black sweater that day, I didn't think I was calling attention to my anatomy.

While interviewing he brought up that he has a very active social life and that he has been divorced for the last three years. While these things come up in interviews, I felt the conversation was moving into personal waters.

While trying to direct his attention back to my face, let alone my eyes, I started to realize that if he's trying to find his next job, he might need to work on his interpersonal skills a little. Feeling like I needed a shower after the leering looks, I am now questioning what type of sales position would be best for him. Probably one dealing with male winemakers and male general managers.

So when you are interviewing, keep your demeanor professional and think about how you come off to the interviewer. We're paying attention, and may limit the opportunities we present based on how our interview went.

Talking about Compensation at Work

Yesterday Sue Shellenbarger's Work and Family Q&A column in the Wall Street Journal addressed talking with co-workers about compensation. While Ms. Shellenbarger confirmed my thought that it is inappropriate to discuss salary directly with your co-workers, she had a very interesting insight about people who do discuss salaries at work. Ms. Shellenbarger stated that "bringing up salaries, bonuses or raises can be a veiled power play, a way to belittle or intimidate others, or just a way to stir up trouble." I do encourage people to do their research on what market salaries are, but agree that it is never helpful to talk about it with your co-workers. It has only led to trouble among co-workers and feelings of resentment either of peers or management.

How to Dress for an Interview

Dressing for success has been a formula for years in the business world, but something I, as well as many people I talk to, struggle with when it comes to wine jobs.

People dream of working in a winery. Look at pictures of winemakers or check out what the tasting room person is wearing and you'd think that you can go into a wine job interview wearing jeans, a polo shirt and fleece. But the day to day wardrobe isn't what you wear before your first day.

Take your cues from the type of position you are interviewing for. An executive position requires wearing a suit and tie, or suit and blouse. A position within the finance, sales, marketing and human resources departments require similar conservative attire. Production positions including winemaking, enology, viticulture and laboratory are best interviewed for in well pressed, business casual clothes. Many times when you are interviewing with the winemaking team you'll be touring the facility--and probably checking out some equipment. So the best way to handle it is to wear functional clothes, bordering on business attire.

For hospitality positions you want to wear something that puts you in a positive light. Clean, crisp clothes that are not overstated or flamboyant are preferred. You want to look approachable yet professional.

A bit of grooming before you get there is very important. Shave, style your hair and get any dog or cat hair off your clothes. I also think polishing your shoes adds importance to the meeting. And ladies, if you're going to show off your feet, make sure they are ready for their close-up. I've had clients turned-off by gnarly, ragged feet--even in the height of summer.

And one last bit of advice--stay away from colognes and perfumes. They can detract from your polished style--especially since strong scents can overpower the pleasure of wine tasting.