Perfecting Your Interview Skills

There are times in our lives when certain events offer a heaping dose of humility. Maybe that humble moment was being laid off or fired from a job you thought seemed so secure. But humility can teach you valuable lessons, and it can help you in the job interview.  More »

HR professionals may not admit it, but I believe being well liked carries as much weight as being well qualified when it comes to job offers. We pay more attention to people we like. We respond positively to enthusiasm, warmth, and supportive comments. Even the way we dress helps others relate to us. It's human nature to seek out similarities to ourselves and to perceive a reflection of ourselves in someone we like.  More »

You have a stellar resume that highlights your skills and major career accomplishments, and grabbed the attention of employer. That led you to an interview, which went very well, but the hiring manager delivers the bad news a week later: You didn't get the job. Yet you'd like some feedback from the employer. Well, you might get it.  More »

When you're out of work, getting a job interview is just about the best thing that can happen to you (second only to receiving an actual job offer). An interview means you're a contender. You've made it into the finals. But when your cash flow is dwindling, an interview can also pose a budgetary dilemma. Fear not, my frugal friends. Once you start thinking like a cheap bastid (as we say in New England), there are lots of ways to prevent your limited funds from being depleted. Here, for example, are seven ways to keep job interview costs from busting your budget.  More »

You researched the company, sent your resume, and got called for the interview. As your interview with the hiring manager progresses, you become convinced that this is the right move. How can you become the first choice? It will likely come down to how well you connect with the hiring manager and other interviewers.  More »

In the summer of 1983, I graduated from college with no clue what kind of job I wanted. I had a B.A. in Psychology, several years of part-time cashiering experience, and no resume. Yet I managed to impress an employer enough to hire me. In part, it was because I paid attention to the most basic rules: showing up on time and wearing a suit. And apparently my handshake was just right, too.  More »

Where do you see yourself in five years? Many hiring managers will ask this in a job interview, but the question is annoying and insipid because many of us can't envision our lives that far into the future. After all, life changes, our priorities change, and what makes you tick today could make you sick in a few years.  More »

Because most of your job searching can be done online, you might wonder why you'd ever need to print hardcopies of your resumes and cover letters. But there are several instances when the interviewer won't have your documents readily accessible. If you think you can get away with going to an interview with nothing more than a nice suit and a pen in hand, think about how you would handle these situations.  More »

So, you've done everything right. You took your old resume, followed all the advice on this blog and elsewhere, and made it sizzle with both visual appeal and the essence of all you offer an employer. You also created a perfectly targeted cover letter that only a socially maladjusted cheese-eatin' rat could reject. And then, after being called in for an interview, you aced it! So why is it taking so long for the company to get back to you?  More »

While every career advice site tells you to prepare your answers ahead of time for all those "this is why I'm a rock star" questions, sometimes even the most standard question throws us off. Tell us what interview questions you hate most!  More »