You are cordially invited....

...to our Spring Formal! 

Perfectly Polished will "Light up the Night" on Saturday, March 30, 2013, 6:30 p.m., at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA. Last year, around 3,000 guests came to see 600 of our fantastic students dance, our staff receive awards, and Perfectly Polished graduates assisting on the dance floor. It is a wonderful night and we hope you join us this year!

Just see how we've been getting ready...

Hope to see you there!

Plus One

Have you ever been the Plus One?

You know - the person who gets invited to events as somebody's date, and who usually knows no one at the party other than the date! Wedding season is upon us, and it's likely that you or someone you know is a future Plus One. Worried about feeling awkward? We're here to help with our Plus One FAQ - Weddings Edition!

If I'm the Plus One at a wedding, do I take a present?

Yes! Or, you and your date could go in together on a present. 

How do I mesh with people who have known each other for a long time?

Think ahead of time of ways to start conversations. An easy one is, "Hello, my name is...." followed by, "How do you know the bride and groom?" It's OK if you feel left out, watching longtime friends get all of the inside jokes—that's natural. But remember that smiling and keeping a good attitude will let others know that you aren't bored or upset. When you can, try your best to steer the conversation in a way that everyone (including you) can contribute.

What do I do during rehearsals? 

If you're faced with long stretches of sitting solo in churches, banquet halls, or other such places, bring an unobtrusive diversion - we recommend a a book on your phone or e-reader. If others are in the same boat, why not introduce yourself and pass the time getting to know them?

My date is in the wedding party. How do I handle the down time?

You could find out the schedule of the wedding and ask to arrive at the event the same time as any other guest, instead of getting there super early and sitting around. If you have friends in the area, you could make plans to visit with them—just be sure to prioritize attending all of the wedding events with your date.

Spring Formal & Dance Cards

Our next Spring Formal is right around the corner! (Remember last year's?) You can expect to see more behind-the-scenes updates of our Perfectly Polished staff leading up to the big day, but for now, we'll bring up a very exciting aspect that may be new to some readers.

Dance cards!

One of our staffers is filling out dance cards—trying to figure out how to dance with several young women on the same night. Can he do it? Of course!

These young ladies have their dance cards filled out. Hooray!

What are dance cards? Simply put, they're a way for women to keep track of all the people with whom they plan to dance! When dance cards were popular in the 19th century (especially in Vienna), they were not actual cards—more like small booklets in fancy cases, containing listings of the songs and composers of the evening, as well as blank spaces to record names of all the gentleman suitors! These dance cards made beautiful souvenirs, as you can imagine, but most importantly, they helped young women remember who their partners were for any of 10-20 waltzes of the ball.

Dance cards of the past could be quite fancy; before World War I, the dance card cases might be covered with precious metals and jewels. Americans were using dance cards by the 1900s, but theirs tended to be more humble paper booklets.

And what about the dance cards that we use? We use a simple booklet, printed in black and white, with room to write down names of future dance partners. Our students end up dancing with over 20 different people at our Spring Formals, giving them a chance to meet a wide range of people. And they still make great souvenirs!

Job Interviews: Part 8 - The Resume

Welcome to the last installment in The Small Essentials of Interviewing Series!

We hope that our tips will help you get that dream job - or even the almost-dream job that will put you on that path. Your work experience is important, but the way you present yourself in a job interview can make or break your potential employer's decision.

Moving on up.

So, we've covered when to sit, cell phones, perfume, accessories, personal space, hands, and shoes. We'll finish the series today discussing something you really, really need to bring with you to the interview...

Even if you e-mail the resume ahead of time, bring a paper copy with you. After all, being prepared is part of your skill set, right? Your future employer will appreciate being able to quickly reference your work experience. 

There are countless resources online for learning to format a resume properly. We'll only add this: One size resume does not fit all. Tailor the resume for the job. The basic information won't change, of course, but you can emphasize or tweak the details to best match the job description. If you're looking for a variety of jobs, this means having several different versions of your resume at the ready. But that's OK, because adaptability is also part of your skill set, yes?

Finally, good luck on that job interview...here's to celebrating good news in your career!