Perfecting Your Interview Skills

When someone suggests that you tell stories in your job interviews, they're not talking about a tale from a book or a this guy walks into a bar story that makes you the life of the party. The stories you must be ready to tell are about things that took place in previous jobs, things that back up the skills and qualifications you wrote about in your resume.  More »

In a survey of more than 1,400 chief financial officers by Accountemps, nearly a third said personality or people skills would be the most valuable factor in deciding between two equally qualified candidates for an accounting or finance position, even more important than job knowledge, industry experience, or software skills. Findings such as this highlight the importance of likability as a key in landing the job offer.  More »

Certain behaviors drive HR people and hiring managers nuts. For example, job candidates regularly show up late, dress inappropriately, and use unprofessional email addresses. Yet mistakes like those can be forgiven if the candidate is otherwise great. But there are some big, bad behaviors that stop the show. Find out which mistakes hiring managers cannot overlook.  More »

Stating the more than obvious, a business professor says that despite the threat of the H1N1 virus, job seekers and hiring managers should not avoid shaking hands at a job interview. Here's a tongue-in-cheek look at other obvious interview advice.  More »

One time in college, I scored an interview for an awesome entry-level job to kick off my post-college career. But I had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict with a summer class, and I never heard from them again. Moral of the story: Never cancel or reschedule!  More »

Every job seeker has a ridiculous job interview experience to share. But if you're sitting through an interview and realize you don't want the job after all, can you excuse yourself and leave early? This post says you can, and explains why.  More »

Most of us have experienced something weird in a job interview, either a question that came out of the interviewer's backside or some personality quirk that was just odd. Or maybe the whole interview was bizarre. Here are four weird interview scenarios I've either read about, heard about, or experienced.  More »

Nobody follows a seamless, unbroken career path. Just doesn't happen. Logically, it follows that everyone will eventually have an employment gap to explain at a job interview. And there's a simple, three-step method to explain this to your potential employer: acknowledge, reassure, and redirect.  More »

You've probably heard the term false advertising in reference to a product or service that failed to live up to a claim stated in an advertisement, sometimes placing its owner in a bit of legal trouble. Like a product or service advertisement, your resume acts as an advertisement of your skills and experience.  More »

Your first job interview with a potential employer is a true test of watching what you say and how you say it. Nothing will derail your chances of moving on to a second interview faster than saying something with a hidden meaning. What do I mean? Check out the following examples of what NOT to say in your first interview.  More »