High school seniors, it’s crunch time for those college application essays – so what better time to share tips on how to be most effective? What you write in your essay has become increasingly important in terms of admission. Some colleges are blunt when saying a real person will be reading this. But remember, colleges truly want to know who you are and why you are interested in attending them.

Tip 1. Resist the urge to sound too formal. Good grammar and thoughtful writing count. However, make sure your true self shines through without too many toots to your own horn. It is important to instill confidence while remaining humble.

Tip 2. Have a focus. You are not going to explain your whole life in 650 words, so don’t try. Choose a topic that reflects who you are while sharing your goals as a student on the college’s campus. What inspires your intellectual curiosity?

Tip 3. Focus on the message, not the word count. Unnecessary worry about word count can be self-defeating, sometimes leading to a self-imposed writer’s block! I commonly hear: “But Mrs. Murray, if I try to tell that story, it will be too long!” Baloney. Write the real story first, then we’ll cut it to the necessary word count, whatever it may be. Nine out of 10 times, it’s better shorter, anyway.

Tip 4. Don’t get bogged down with too much grammar right out the gate. Remember, you can always edit later. Prove early on you can write a simple declarative sentence with active verbs, then start mixing it up: Vary sentence length to add suspense, use exclamations to show emotion and use semicolons sparingly.

Tip 5. Avoid clichés. If your essay is the 20th essay a recruiter has read that day, he or she likely doesn’t want to hear about how you gained independence when learning to drive or how bad you felt when your dog passed away. Everybody feels that. Surprise the recruiter instead. Grab his or her attention and keep it for increased chances.

As summer ends, I reflect on male clients – ranging from age 21 to 65 – whom I’ve assisted in their search for employment. When clients are facing a job interview, I always ask them to bring in the clothes they intend on wearing.

The key to effective professional attire is to minimize distractions so the interviewer is drawn to the candidate’s face, the focal point of communication. So refrain from wearing plaids, paisleys and florals. This also includes ties with golf clubs, palm trees or any other recreational or political icon. Remember, we are not going to the club for cocktails; we are trying to convince a company to invest in our talents.

Because of today’s increasingly casual style, it’s likely the 20- to 35-year-old crowd is tempted to borrow from dad’s closet. However, the executive power look – often, a blue dress shirt with a white collar and a yellow dotted or striped Hermès/Ermenegildo Zegna/Salvatore Ferragamo tie – may not play well on a young son, especially when paired with a college-graduation Rolex and a pair of Gucci loafers. Yes, I’ve seen this. When interviewing for a job, we need to look a bit like we need one.

The opposite involves the two most common mistakes I see: shirts made with inexpensive fabrics (so inexpensive you can see through them) and suits that don’t fit or are stained from previous wear. When the top button pulls or the back vents don’t hang straight, you’ve outgrown a piece of apparel. Nobody who has attained a bachelor’s degree should wear casual dress to an interview. This includes a navy sport coat, khaki pants, St. Louis needlepoint belt and Sperry Top-Siders. Save that for casual Fridays once you’re employed.

Socks should be thin and knee-length to cover your legs when crossed. They should also be a solid color that matches shoes, which ideally, should be laced and polished.

Being trendy matters, but within reason. Reasonable: Flat front pants are in – pleats are out. Unreasonable: The slim suit silhouette on the wrong body. Pee-wee Herman was a comedic character, not a financial analyst or sales candidate. There are exceptions for more elastic career paths.

Oh, and forget about the current rage for pocket squares. They’re just too complicated.

“Brevity is the soul of wit.” – Shakespeare

This proverbial quotation (from the character of Polonius in Hamlet) still holds true in current communication – whether communicating via an email, a text, a résumé, a cover letter or a spoken presentation. Being brief is better but harder to achieve than being loquacious, as it takes more thought and time to boil down information. Simply put: Less is more.

Last fall, a client of mine turned in a Master of Business Administration application essay that was 450 words too long. He explained, “Well, you are the ‘queen of cutting’” – furthermore asking if we could fix it. It was tough, but we made it a much more power-packed essay, simply 500 words shorter. Additionally, focusing on the main message at hand prepared him for interviews and corporate meetings to come. The main reason I continue this work is when I receive phone calls with clients screaming with joy – specific to this instance, when the client was admitted to the MBA program in question.

Here are some guidelines for achieving brevity:

• Choose three main points you want to make – two are not enough, while four seem to be too many to remember, especially when orally conveying a point. Additionally, three seem to be the natural human rhythm. Examples include red, white and blue; breakfast, lunch and dinner; and small, medium and large.

• Explain each of your points using visual examples and positive points. If you can make us see your point, we are more likely to believe it. Also, remember, negativity is always a turnoff.

• Focus on a 23-word statement. Studies have shown that quotations most often used in the media are 23 words or less. Why? Reporters can keep up with writing exactly what you say for 23 words, then there start to be gaps – ultimately becoming paraphrases, not quotations. Also, 23 words spoken on camera take approximately 10 seconds or less, which constitutes a good sound bite.

So if I am the general manager of a new hotel on opening night, whatever a reporter or potential customer asks, I respond first with: “Our goal at the Paradise Resort is for each guest to have a perfect experience with beautiful rooms, excellent food and impeccable service.” Twenty-three words, three positive points, a visual and inclusion of the brand name. Now the reporter or customer (or, as the case may be, potential employer) can follow up on one of these points, setting the stage for an explanation in greater detail – but still delivered as succinctly as possible.

I recently enjoyed the company of new clients who are in their 50s. These are highly accomplished individuals who, in some cases, have served the same company for 20 to 30 years. However, now they face downsizing, and with at least 10 more years of working ahead of them, they seek new employment – a befuddling task that can be, frankly, downright scary.

“I haven’t updated my résumé in 20 years!” is what I hear most. The two elephants in the room are my clients’ ages and the fear that they are not technologically savvy enough to compete with younger applicants.

But one must face the negative energy of fear and transform it to positive efforts. Focus on quantifiable accomplishments that will be valuable to the next employer. Remember, your past employer was paying you for something. What was it? If the answer is “I ship freight,” then ask yourself to what places and in what ways? What makes you good at that? Simply, put pen to paper and brag … a lot. Remember specific situations when you pulled off something good that would not have happened without you. Did you save the company money? Did you find a more efficient vendor or streamline an inefficient system? Did you lead a team, educate others, prevent an emergency or negotiate an important contract?

This process not only develops vital positive points for your new résumé but also helps get the anger out. Just blab longhand and don’t worry about formal writing yet. Later, these qualities and accomplishments can be grouped under headings. For example, a summary of who you are as a professional can include your areas of expertise, achievements and highlights. Follow them with your experience, the necessary listing of companies you have worked for, the dates, and what your responsibilities were – using bullet points when explaining how you fulfilled them. Education history will follow, and yes, your information technology proficiencies will count. Days while job hunting present the perfect opportunity to update these skills with a course, which can be listed on the new résumé to show recent effort. Format, font choice and size need to be current, eye catching and appropriate to your profession.

But it’s the brass tacks explaining what you bring to the table in detail that will count most. So pull out that pen and paper now, and sing.

In January, high school students being considered for merit scholarships begin preparing for interviews.

The scholarships typically range from $1,000 to “full rides,” potentially earning all four years of tuition. The interviews as such may involve just one interview or an entire weekend of events on campus, including evaluation in a class, in a dormitory and at a formal dinner, in addition to interviews. So the potential scholarship winners will make multiple impressions not only by what they say but also by how they act and look.

Thus, proper knowledge of etiquette and a well-groomed appearance count.

When seated next to the chair of the English department at a formal dinner, for instance, you don’t want to accidentally grasp the wrong water glass (yours is on your right), pass the rolls the wrong way (pass them to the left) or use the wrong fork for the first course (start with the one farthest from you and work your way in as dinner progresses).

Regarding dress, I can’t count the number of times I have advised young ladies, “Nothing too tight or too short.” Remember, you will be sitting in that attire in front of, potentially, a panel of interviewers. Too much leg can be distracting to them and to you. Constantly tugging at your hem shows lack of preparation and poise.

For young men, all shirts should be collared, and pants should be worn . If you don’t have a collared shirt, now is the time to purchase two long-sleeved, opaque dress shirts in either white or blue. This is also a good time to buy a navy sport coat and two conservative ties. Why two? Because a backup for spills is always good. A friendly tip: no animals or golf clubs on ties, please! Such patterns can connote frivolity. Stick with stripes. Also, avoid the college’s colors and those of its biggest rival; the former is pandering – the latter, just stupid. And make sure your socks are long enough to cover exposed skin if you cross your legs.

Otherwise, make sure your hands appear clean. Ladies, this means no chipped nail polish; your fingers will be visible when you shake hands and gesture to punctuate what you say.

Always remember that 93 percent of any first impression is nonverbal. During my 17 years of preparing students for interviews and related events, showing proper etiquette and dressing up have never had a downside. These efforts show respect, and those who win are always glad they displayed that.