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Sunset and the City

5:45 PM  That’s the time Google says sunset in Los Angeles will be.  That’s also the time a photography fan like myself needs to be out in the city ready to take full advantage of the beautiful lighting at dusk.  The world just seems like a more beautiful place when it’s bathed in a warm orange glow.  However, if any of you have ever braved the roads and freeways of Los Angeles at 5:45 pm, you know that something else occurs at this time.  RUSH HOUR.  Yes, going anywhere fast is an impossibility because of traffic.  For this reason it’s necessary to allow plenty of time to get to your destination.  In my case, I just barely made it to the 1st Street Bridge in time to snag some photos of the downtown cityscape just before the sun disappeared behind the buildings. 
Wearing:
AVI-8 Flyboy Watch

Thanks to my new timepiece by Avi-8, I was able to keep perfect track of time throughout the day.  Based out of Great Britain, Avi-8 makes some awesome looking watches.  In these pics, I’m wearing the Flyboy watch.  This timepiece is loaded with details like round aeronautic dials and red, white, and blue striping on the leather strap.  These details had me feeling ready to take flight with Britain’s Royal Air Force.  Except for the fact that I don’t know how to fly a plane.  And I’m not British.  But even without the flying skills to back it up, this timepiece is the perfect compliment to any outfit, especially when paired with some classic metal sunglasses.  

Watch

The Applicant

Wearing: 
TopMan Suit

THE JOB INTERVIEW
 
I have been interviewing for jobs my entire adult life (actually even earlier since I got my first job as a tutor at age 17).  I used to think that all this experience made me a great interviewee.  
I was wrong.
 
I am now in a position where I interview doctors fresh out of medical school for residency positions. Occasionally, there are times during these interviews when I cringe.  Not because the applicants are bad, but because I can see them making mistakes that I used to make all the time as an applicant.  Being on the other side of the desk and serving as the interviewer has opened my eyes to subtleties of the process that I never understood before.

Here are some tips for how to leave a great impression at your next job interview. 
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1.  Dress to unimpress.  Wait, what…?  What I mean is, you don’t want your clothing to be the most memorable thing about you.  In general, conservative is better.  For men, there is no need for the floofy plaid pocket square bursting out of the coat.  Also, ditching the tie and socks may be a cool move at a dinner party, but it doesn’t go over as well at the interview so remember to keep your ankles and neck fully adorned. 
For women, it’s the same idea.  You want to err on the side of being more conservative with your clothing.  Neutral colors and business suits are best. Also, be careful with brands.  As much as I love designers, a little goes a long way.  A bag with a massive Louis Vuitton logo, Chanel earrings, Louboutin shoes…   after a while, these can just be distracting.  In summary, let your character and life/work experiences take center stage during the interview, not your clothing.  

2.  Be on time.  “Oh but because of LA traffic, it took me 2 hours to get here…”   I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard traffic as an excuse for showing up late.  The job interview is the one time it really pays to be early so I recommend allowing an additional 30 minutes beyond what Google Maps says your estimated travel time will be.

3.  Avoid negativity at all costs.  I used to fall into this trap by saying things like, “I know the job involves lots of paperwork and sometimes may not be super exciting, but overall I love the company’s mission…”   Okay, see that first part about paperwork?  No one wants to hear that at an interview!  I used to say it because I thought it made me sound realistic.  It doesn’t.  It just made me sound negative, or like someone who is not excited about the position.  I see applicants make this mistake all the time. 

4.  Let your enthusiasm show.  Don’t be afraid to convey how much you really want the position. This is done by mentioning specifics about the position that really attract you to it.  For example, “I’m excited to apply for a position at this institution because of it’s focus on the underserved community in Los Angeles”  sounds a lot better than,  “I just want to work in LA and your location is convenient for me.”  There have been many times when an applicant gets hired over someone else (even someone with more impressive credentials) because he/she showed more enthusiasm and interest in the position. 
 
5.  Be careful with humor.  Okay, interviews can be awkward and it can be very tempting to break that awkwardness with humor.  I’m not even close to the funniest guy out there, but I get this urge to turn into a B-list Jerry Seinfeld impersonator every time I interview.  In my experience, humor is usually only met in one of two ways: It can be cheesy leading to a forced chuckle or worse, it can be outright offensive.  In conclusion, I suggest limiting or omitting humor from the job interview altogether. 

6.  The Question.  You know the one, “What would you say is your worst attribute?”  To answer this, give an attribute that is really in some way a positive.  For example,  “I find that I can be a little too detail-oriented.”  As an applicant I thought that it was too cliche to answer in this way so I would actually give a legitimate negative attribute.  I’m not joking.  I would say… “well, I’m kind of shy and I don’t like being in front of people.”   No No No!   Always answer this question honestly, but with an attribute that can also be viewed as positive, even if you feel like a walking cliche doing so.  

7.  The Thank You Card. As an applicant, I never wrote a thank you card because I thought it would be viewed as redundant and unnecessary.   However, now as an interviewer, getting a thank you card in the mail makes me think again about that applicant.  Also, it demonstrates true interest in the position.  For these reasons, I think taking the time to write an old-fashioned thank you card can definitely be worthwhile.  Although, this certainly won’t make or break you during the application process.   

8.  Be yourself.  You may not be the smartest applicant in the world, or the most experienced, or the most confident, but you are the best at one thing.  You are the best in the world at being YOU.  No one else on this planet has the same unique set of personal experiences and qualifications that you have.  During the interview, draw special attention to the attributes or experiences that really set you apart from the other applicants.  You will do fine!  

Best of luck,
Mike

The Terminator

I love halloween because it’s an excuse to dress up as your favorite character from movies, books, or maybe even one just pulled from your imagination.  This year, I dressed up as T-800, the robot assassin from the The Terminator.  Released in 1984, The Terminator encompasses everything I love about all those R-rated 80s movies I wasn’t allowed to watch as a kid.

The start with, the film is light on CGI so the special effects seem a little more authentic.  Fire is actually fire as opposed to computer generated explosions like what you might find in the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy.  Sure, the stop motion effects seem dated and wouldn’t wow today’s generation.  But what kid growing up in the 1990s wouldn’t be freaked out by the scene where the T-800 mechanized skeleton gets blown to bits only to have it’s robot torso continue the relentless pursuit of Sarah Connor?

What’s your favorite film from the 1980s?

 

 

Telling Time in the Sky

The endless sunny weather in Los Angeles lends itself well to rooftop restaurants and lounges.  The rooftop views from the top of Mr. C’s in Beverly Hills are some of the best in all of West LA.

I think I’m a little bit afraid of heights.  Not really afraid, but lets just say I was very thankful for that glass barrier at the edge of this deck.  Had it not been for the glass, I would not have been walking so close to the edge.

I’ve never been much of a jewelry or wristwatch kind of guy, but I’ve had to change my tune after picking up this leather wristwatch by Daniel Wellington.  The simple design is elegant and classy and serves as a departure from the flashy bling bling I had previously associated with wrist watches.  I’ve found that this watch goes with any outfit.  It is equally at home with a business suit as it is with a T-shirt and jeans.  And as a positive side effect, I now know the time of day, even If I don’t have my phone with me.

Wearing: 
Daniel Wellington Watch
Feel free to use the discount code:  MIKEMD in order to receive 15% off your purchase

The Perfect SELFIE

Do you want to take your selfie game to the next level?  If so, I can help!  I may not have a Ph.D in selfie-ology, but I have taken thousands of selfie pics and have learned what works and what doesn’t.  And here’s the good news:  You don’t need a $4000 professional camera to take awesome shots; a cell phone camera will do just fine!

TIP #1 . 

Make sure the light source is in front of you.

Which photo looks better?  The one of the right!  That’s because the window with the sunlight beaming through is in front of my face rather than behind it.  So whenever you get ready to take your selfie, take notice of where the light is coming from and make sure it’s in front of you.  You’ll be amazed at how this little trick revolutionizes your photos.  Not only will the picture be brighter, but unflattering shadows and blemishes will seem to disappear.  Seriously, its almost like nature’s photoshop.

 

TIP #2

Be careful how you angle your shot.  Usually shooting with the camera high and a slight angle down onto your face is the most flattering.

Take a look at these two pictures.  The one on the right is shot with a down-up angle.  You can see how it distorts the head to look all weirdly portioned, like one of those little bobble head toys.  Contrast this with the photo on the left which is shot with a slight up-down angle and seems much more natural.

TIP #3

Avoid distracting backgrounds

Check out the pic on the left.  I have a palm tree growing out of my head and miniature man standing on my shoulder.  These background distractions can make the pic look amateurish.  A quick tilt of the camera angle is all you need to get a much cleaner looking image.

TIP #4

Beware of weird shadows and inconsistent lighting

There is just nothing good about this photo lol.  Intense light causing nose shine so bright it could melt the planet of Alderaan.  And with half the photo being dark, it would be very difficult to correct this on editing software like photoshop.  All of this could be avoided with a little attention paid to shadows and lighting when composing your shot.

TIP #5

Always review your pictures after you take them

There’s nothing worse than coming home after taking the most epic selfie in the world only to find that half your face is cut off in the shot.  Take a few seconds to review your picture after take them.  This will be time well spent…   trust me!

Tip #6

Have fun!

Okay, I know I just gave you a bunch of rules to follow when you take selfies.  But come on.  It’s a SELFIE. The whole point of this is to have fun.  You’re not trying to take TIME magazine’s photo of the century so take these “rules” with a grain of salt and ultimately just take the shot you want to take.  If you’re not having fun, then what’s the point?