March 2013 - Tien Son LifeStyle™ | Men's Style Blog | Men's Style and Fashion Tips Online

Land a Suitable Job: Part One

Oh, jobs. To some of us, they're just the thing that our friends are always too busy with to hang out. To others, they're a way of attaining purpose and meaning. But regardless of your opinion of vocations, in the end we all need one.<br />
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Just like in dating, before you put yourself out there, the first step in job hunting is examining yourself and taking inventory of your strengths and weaknesses. This can be especially helpful if you haven't yet decided what you want to do. After all, you don't want to commit yourself to a career track only to discover later down the line that it wasn't meant to be.<br />
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Be honest with yourself in the beginning and save yourself time and pain. Make a list of the pros and cons of hiring you, and before you write each list item, double check that it's something consistently true about you. Can you <i>really</i> lift more than 30 lbs without doing serious damage to your knees? Are you <i>really</i> a people person, or is that just when you're inebriated? As little as it interests you, you <i>really</i> are good with numbers, so maybe that's an avenue to explore further.<br />
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Obviously you aren't going to hand your interviewer a pro/con list, so it's time to translate that list into an up-to-date resume. Consider each "pro" you've written down and think of any work experience you've had that best exhibits that pro. Be sure to use dynamic, engaging verbs. For instance, instead of "Sent sales staff on calls," you can write, "Planned and delegated sales calls to junior staff."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgURuTaVlgW75C5oIhF0CN3cRrWIbw-REdC1ZVRI_FhxWNj8kWG0MuCmqT2e2BP7a2DpTkTZKA78HrQpnMIMSkH1PcMXOQf-302rRNfABC7cMICTweuiFKtwyOyL02pIYb7ic5BDjdZXe/s1600/295f644ac4fbf64e6b573926359751d7.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGgURuTaVlgW75C5oIhF0CN3cRrWIbw-REdC1ZVRI_FhxWNj8kWG0MuCmqT2e2BP7a2DpTkTZKA78HrQpnMIMSkH1PcMXOQf-302rRNfABC7cMICTweuiFKtwyOyL02pIYb7ic5BDjdZXe/s320/295f644ac4fbf64e6b573926359751d7.png" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very <a href="http://theultralinx.com/2012/03/amazing-examples-cool-creative-resumes-cv.html" target="_blank">unorthodox resume</a>. I'd hire this guy in a second.</td></tr>
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I'm about to give you a tip that some might consider controversial. Nearly everyone will recommend a single-page (one page for every 10 years of work experience), black-and-white, Times New Roman resume, but experience has shown that as long as the resume is still brief and not garishly decorated, a little bit of design can go a long way depending on the job you're applying for, especially if it's a job that requires creative thinking.<br />
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Here are some great <a href="http://theultralinx.com/2012/03/amazing-examples-cool-creative-resumes-cv.html" target="_blank">examples of well-designed, creative resumes</a>. Think of it this way: an eye-catching resume is much less likely to be thrown away, even if you don't meet the qualifications for a job, and whoever receives it is likely to show it to someone else. You might just become the talk of the office. However, if you don't have design skills, or if you're applying for a job where design might not be appreciated, you'd be better off sticking to a simple, standardized format.<br />
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<b><a href="http://blog.tscustomsuits.com/2013/04/land-suitable-job-part-two.html">Read Part Two: Preparing for the interview.</a></b><br />
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<i>or skip to</i><br />
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<a href="http://blog.tscustomsuits.com/2013/04/land-suitable-job-part-three.html"><b>Read Part Three: How to be remembered.</b></a><br />
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Oh, jobs. To some of us, they're just the thing that our friends are always too busy with to hang out. To others, they're a way of a...

10:30 AM +

The Secret and Wonderful World of Whisky

Can you relate to this dialog from the FX series Louie?<br />
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<b>Louie: </b>Can I get a shot?</div>
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<b>Bartender:</b> Shot of what?</div>
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<b>Louie:</b> Whiskey.</div>
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<b>Bartender:</b> What kind of whiskey?</div>
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<b>Louie:</b> Please, just...can you gimme a shot of that brown liquid that makes people feel different than what they would've otherwise? Please? Thank you.</div>
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Don't let this be you at the bar, please. We at Tien Son want you to look good, not just in our suits, but when ordering drinks. You never know who might be watching. The whisky world may seem like a mysterious and awful place, but it all breaks down into very simple rules. First of all, you may have noticed that I've dropped the "e" in whisky. So, which is it? Whiskey or whisky?</div>
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If it's from the United States or Ireland, it's <b>whiskey</b>.</div>
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If it's from Scotland, Canada or Japan, it's <b>whisky</b>.</div>
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You're not likely to find Canadian or Japanese whisky at a bar, so we're going to stick to the three basics - American (bourbon), Irish and Scotch.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gsoZ1F8IPeLu6ycwuGhC0i5JmeBR9G3pkVp9MpzgNhOhCNwHc_DUNdk48xXuIgh1dViqGAeJx64yCCBSIKYsMyArWczebsnVy5wd9HYOfY1hMPtPx90tV1aVfl2TFNPYPzpaFpoTdvdp/s1600/wooden-barrels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gsoZ1F8IPeLu6ycwuGhC0i5JmeBR9G3pkVp9MpzgNhOhCNwHc_DUNdk48xXuIgh1dViqGAeJx64yCCBSIKYsMyArWczebsnVy5wd9HYOfY1hMPtPx90tV1aVfl2TFNPYPzpaFpoTdvdp/s400/wooden-barrels.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><a href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=18435&picture=wooden-barrels">Wooden Barrels</a> by George Hodan</td></tr>
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<b>American (bourbon)</b></div>
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The most common bar offerings are Jack Daniel's, Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey, and Jim Beam. Bourbon typically has less of a "kick" than Irish or Scotch, and has a certain sweetness. It's much better for cocktails than Irish or Scotch because it doesn't overpower other flavors. Can be served in a cocktail, on the rocks (although this diminishes the flavor), with a bit of water (much better for preserving the flavor but reducing burn), or neat.</div>
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<b>Irish</b></div>
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Jameson, Bushmills and Tullamore Dew reign supreme in the United States. This is an excellent place for a whiskey novice to start without looking like a novice, because Irish whiskey has a lovely mildness to it due to repeated distillation and lack of peat that makes it more easily approachable than Bourbon or Scotch, albeit still a challenge for anyone who isn't used to the burn. Don't ever drink this on the rocks - it's not at all necessary and it will ruin the beautiful honey flavor. If you're not a fan of the burn, it's perfectly acceptable, and even encouraged (some say this "opens up" the flavor), to add a bit of water.</div>
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<b>Scotch</b></div>
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The most robust of whiskies, Scotch is viewed as the least palatable to novices for a reason. It is most commonly from the Scottish island of Islay, where barley is dried by burning peat, and thus has a distinctly smokey flavor. Scotch from the Highlands is more mild due to the absence of peat. Your first sip of scotch will most likely feel like dragging your tongue against a charred piece of wood, but with practice and a little bit of water, you will grow to appreciate this highly nuanced, very old whisky. Glenfiddich, Laphroaig, Glenmorangie, and Dewar's are good places to start.</div>
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Scotch, unlike Irish and Bourbon (which are usually blended), is available in both single malt and blended malt (which is just single malt whisky blended with whiskies of other grains).</div>
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So, the next time you hear someone at the bar ask a question like, "What's the difference between whiskey and Scotch?" you can shake your head, laugh with your equally knowledgeable colleagues, and appreciate a good nosefull of the single malt in your hand.</div>

Can you relate to this dialog from the FX series Louie? Louie: Can I get a shot? Bartender: Shot of what? Louie: Whiskey. Barten...

10:57 AM +

Everything You Want in a Suit

It's been a while since we talked about the pertinent <a href="http://blog.tscustomsuits.com/2012/05/bespoke-vs-off-rack.html" target="_blank">differences between bespoke and off-the-rack</a>, so here's a little something to remind you why Tien Son suits you so well:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1C5elKWlW3uC0YFKRrugWBbt45cyiymOQDxMmK79cPBa-XM1093O3xw4Kr1rQHIjoPpIgfpnUACEnICf3YQgR_yt-3qqCz3j3QbNuxqoFFR21tQL1M76nOCVkl0NbfXZ-wHW3QqjAhAw/s1600/tiensoninfographic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1C5elKWlW3uC0YFKRrugWBbt45cyiymOQDxMmK79cPBa-XM1093O3xw4Kr1rQHIjoPpIgfpnUACEnICf3YQgR_yt-3qqCz3j3QbNuxqoFFR21tQL1M76nOCVkl0NbfXZ-wHW3QqjAhAw/s640/tiensoninfographic.jpg" width="529" /></a></div>
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If you haven't already, we'd love for you to check out our <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1843003633/ts-virtual-tailortm-handcrafted-suits-designed-by" target="_blank">Kickstarter project</a>. We have less than 3 days left and we still haven't met our goal. Please consider contributing even a small amount. We need your support!</div>
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It's been a while since we talked about the pertinent differences between bespoke and off-the-rack , so here's a little something to...

3:03 AM +

Another Kickstarter Update

As of now we are at $6,300 from 32 backers, and we only have a little over a week left to meet our goal of $20k. If you haven't made a c...

9:59 AM +