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Think back to your best interview experience, and you'll discover that your meeting was a two-way conversation. The interviewer asked you questions; you thoughtfully responded and then asked your own questions. The interview flowed effortlessly as two professional peers exchanged information and work perspectives. It felt like you were in a groove, spontaneous, and in the zone where everything came easily and comfortably. You were confident and felt like the job was yours for the taking.

This Podcast describes how to facilitate that kind of interview every time. Well, maybe not every time, but most of the time. If your interviewer is a real jerk, you can only do so much. How to deal with jerks in the interview process is covered in a separate Podcast. Most interviewers are wonderful, nice people, but there are a few assholes who are real jerks trying to hide their own insecurity.

The Typical Job Interview

Let's imagine we are observing a typical job interview where the candidate does not ask questions. The interviewer begins by saying, "Tell me about yourself." The applicant provides an excellent response with a 60-second overview of his/her skills that relates directly to the position. After the response, the applicant sits quietly waiting for the next question. The interviewer asks the next question which is followed by a nice response from the applicant and then more silence. This one-way interrogation ritual continues for 40 minutes. The last 5 minutes of the interview are reserved for applicant questions. The interviewer begins this phase by asking, "Do you have any questions?" The candidate says, "No, I have no questions at this time. You have done an excellent job of telling me about the position and the company." Read the full article

Expect Situational Questions

More employers today, especially Fortune 500 companies, are using a difficult interview style of questions to weed out job candidates. My career counseling clients say these "behavioral" or "situational" questions are the hardest type to answer. If you are not ready for them, it's easy to make a fatal error.

The interviewer uses a probing style to ask questions seeking very specific examples of your actions in a work situation. These questions begin with these phrases: "Tell me about a time ...", or "Describe ...", or "Give me an example ..." The interviewer is looking for details of your past abilities and how you acted in a specific work situation. The correct answers offers specific details, a clear specific illustration of what the problem or situation was, where it took place and the RESULTS you personally achieved. The interviewer often then rates each response to determine how well you reacted to these situations in the past, as a way to predict your future performance with their company.

Here are several questions that my career counseling clients were recently asked in their job interviews:

Read the full article

It helps if you come to grips with the fact that this question will be asked and you prepare for it ahead of time, but be careful that you don't some off sounding like you memorized a script the night before. When getting ready to describe yourself in an interview you should consider the following:

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Job seekers all over the country miss their golden opportunity to land an interview for the job they want--often for one simple reason. They neglect to ASK for one. They write a great cover letter, listing their accomplishments, their abilities, and the accolades they received for the work they've done. But they leave out an essential sentence:

May I come in for an interview?

Or

I would love to interview for this position, can we schedule a time next week?

There is no question that you can and will be called for more job interviews if you take that one step--asking for the opportunity to meet in person. Without the question, your cover letter fails to fully work in your favor. So be sure that every cover letter you write includes a request for a job interview.

Twice is Nice!

Ask for an interview in the beginning of your cover letter and again towards the end. It's fine to use a friendly tone, but don't be afraid to be direct too. You're asking the hiring manager to give you a call and invite you in to talk about the job you both want to fill. This is as basic as it gets. Asking is one of simplest and more effective job-search tips you will read anywhere at any time. I hope you'll take it to heart, use it, and then watch the results pour in.

- Jimmy Sweeney

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new, Amazing Cover Letter Creator." Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."

Visit our friends at Amazing Cover Letters for your "instant" cover letter today. "In just 3½ minutes you will have an amazing cover letter guaranteed to cut through YOUR competition like a hot knife through butter!"

She was telling me about an out of work friend who, after submitting her resume, was calling the hiring manager daily to inquire about the status. "After about three days of seeing the same number come up on caller ID I'm sure that hiring manager won't be calling her back, regardless of how qualified she is. Who wants to hire a stalker?" my friend commented. And sadly, it's true. Just like that guy or gal who calls you incessantly after having a great date, or a salesperson you briefly talked to in a store. You might have been interested in them, or working with them at the time, but too much, is still, too much.

So what should you do? Send your resume, and if you have the contact info (and the ad does not specifically say "Do not call."), you can place a brief, friendly follow-up call the following week to touch base and let them know you're a real person who didn't just hit the Submit key on Monster.com. You can even say one or two unique aspects about your experience that specifically relate to the position leave your name and contact info, and then that's it. If you're a fit-they'll call you back. If you're not-then they won't.

However, if you have made it to the interview stage, you have earned a little more leeway. First, you should NEVER, EVER leave an interview without asking-"What are the next steps?" or "What is your timeline for filling this position?" You can even ask "I'd love to follow-up with you, what works better for you, a call or an email, say, next week? I don't want to turn into a stalker. " (insert casual laugh here) There you have it-you just got their timing, showed you were interested, and saved yourself a stress-ridden week of worrying about the position.

After you've made that initial post-interview follow-up call, don't revert to your former stalker ways and leave a voicemail every day, but it is OK to check in with them, either by phone or email every week and a half to two weeks. You can simply remind them of your interest in the position, or better yet, include a link to a relevant article about something happening in the industry is completely appropriate.

- Melanie Szlucha

Melanie Szlucha has been a hiring manager for over 15 years and a career coach for over 4 through her company Red Inc. She writes resumes, coaches clients for job interviews, and works with them to strategize networking opportunities and job search tactics.She offers a packet of FREE job search articles--worth over $100, through her website: www.reallygreatresume.com.

Changing jobs frequently is a reality of working today. Companies conduct layoffs with higher frequency than ever before. Most employees are not laid off for poor performance. Department consolidation, company relocation, merger and improved profit are just a few reasons for layoffs.

Why this is a surprise to interviewers is a mystery to me.

Changing jobs frequently is a common condition in the 21st century, but interviewers still question candidates about why they left jobs. The core issue is that interviewers are afraid you'll leave quickly or be a low performer.

Your response to this interviewer issue mu st provide information about why you left a previous position and assurances that you're seeking a long-term opportunity.

Have a good reason

Whether you changed by choice or layoff, you'll need to provide a reason for leaving each previous job. Candidates often include the reason for leaving a position in their resume so they do not get screened out prior to the interview. Your reason for leaving must be concise and reasonable.

Keep it short

Describe the reasons for your departure directly and succinctly. Do not go into great detail unless they ask you for the details. The longer you speak on the subject the more suspicious the interviewer will become. For example: "My company merged with another firm and consolidated our department. Prior to the merger I was a strong performer with positive performance reviews."

Seeking long-term

It is important to express that you have always sought and are still seeking a company where you can make a long term commitment. Tell the interviewer that this opportunity appears to be a place where you can contribute in the short-term and long-term.

Offer References

State you'll happy to provide references from a former colleague or boss to verify his performance. Demonstrating a confidence and willingness to provide references to support your reasons for leaving is a powerful way to respond to questions about why you left a previous company.

Turn that question around

After your response to why you left a position, ask the interviewer(s) a question.

• What is the average length of service with your company?
• What qualities distinguish people you are long term contributors at this company?

Practice

Write out your response and practice saying it. First, practice responding out loud to yourself and then practice saying it to another person. Ask a friend to practice interview you. Ask them to ask you this question ("Why did you leave your last company?") and a couple other questions you fear most. Practice until you are comfortable with the words you say and how you deliver them.

What Did You Learn

Embrace the opportunity to describe what you learned from a recent job and how you will handle a similar situation in the future. Describing what y ou learned demonstrates that you are a life-long learner and you look on the positive side of most scenarios.

Good luck and the best of health on your job search,

Michael R. Neece, CEO and Author

www.interviewmastery.com

mneece@interviewmastery.com

508-435-2647

Common sense says you need to research the company via their website, brochures or the library, although you'd be surprised at how many skip the obvious. Basics also include bringing a few extra copies of your resume to hand out if necessary, arriving early, dressing professionally, and knowing what you have to offer the company.

But those are no-brainers, or they should be. What even experienced interviewers often fail to do is ask, in detail, about the position. So get away from the job description and dig into the actuality of that job in that company, as it stands right now. Find out why the position is open and how long it's been vacant. Ask also how long the previous person was there. If that person was there less than two years, find out how long the previous person was there. If both are short, chances are you won't be there long either.

You want to know what the first priority to be addressed is, if there's a time frame for accomplishing it, and if so, what it is. Is it a realistic one? And overall, in what condition is the job you'll be picking up? Is it maintenance? Troubleshooting and clean up? Smooth, accelerated growth? And how do the answers sit with you?

[read the full article]

Let me tell you-this will KILL and I mean-RUIN your chances for a follow up interview, especially if your first interview is a phone interview.

As the interviewer on a phone interview, I have nothing else to focus on other than the sound of your voice. If that sound is constantly interrupted by an umm, or a ya know, I'm really going to notice it. If the job I'm considering hiring you for has a lot of phone work involved, I'm not going to subject the person on the other end of the phone to your poor verbal abilities. At this point, I don't care if you are the most qualified person on paper-you're out of the running because your message is being lost in a sea of these verbal crutches. It's a very silly way to get eliminated.

Here's how you clean up your act. First, you need to either ask your friends very seriously and honestly if you are a verbal crutch offender. Explain to them how important this is in your job search, and unless they want to hear you whine for an additional six months about not finding a new job-they should help you. Verbal crutches are bad habits that can become more apparent when you're in stressful situations like job interviews, but are probably apparent when your guard is down like when you're hanging out with friends. They don't just appear when you pick up the phone for an interview.

Your other option is to record yourself while you practice for the interview. This can be trickier because you will of course know that you're taping and will make more of an effort to clean up your act, but it could work.

Another option is to just make a conscious effort throughout the day to listen to what you are really saying. Too many times I find that if I'm not completely engaged in what I'm saying and am not truly "in the moment" that I will start umming and ahhing as my brain searches for the next coherent thought. When I focus on the message I'm trying to convey, my speech patterns clean up immediately and I'm back on track. I sound more professional and people have a tendency to not tune me out because they're tired of trying to sort out the wheat from the umm and ahh chaff.

So bottom line, if this could be a problem for you-fix it NOW! Make an effort everytime you say something during the day to really listen to what you are saying-don't tune out! If you want the interviewer to pay attention to you-you need to pay attention to you. For some people, this will be a hard habit to break, but it is well worth the effort, I guarantee it.

- Melanie Szlucha

President, Red, Inc.

Job Interviewing, Resume Writing, Job Search Coaching and Career Presentations

www.redinc.biz

Article as appeared on Career Cube

Why? Because while people will make themselves conscious of their words, few are conscious of their feelings and how that translates into body language, much less what that body language is saying. And in an interview, that can result in sending a message opposite what you intend.

A person who was recently fired or laid off is a good example of this dichotomy, especially when the termination takes place for reasons that have little to do with any situation the individual instigated. You did nothing to cause the severance, but you feel responsible anyway.

Since few job seekers know how to put a termination in perspective and handle it appropriately, it comes out how they move and how they conduct themselves. Almost every action is an apology. You knock gently on the door when the administrative assistant says, "Mr. Jackson can see you now." You not only ask permission to sit, but you ask which chair. You either over explain or under answer.

Instead of speaking smoothly in a relaxed manner, your voice is too loud or can't be heard. You say "um" or "ah" at the beginning and in the middle of your sentences. Everything about you screams insecure, even though you're managing to articulate your accomplishments.

The result is that the hiring authority is puzzled as to how you managed to achieve so much, when your manner isn't conducive to making things happen. It leaves him with a question about you. Hiring authorities don't like to be left with questions; they want to be 100% confident of who they hire. So you're out of the picture.

But this conflict doesn't only occur with those have been dismissed by their employer. It can also happen when someone doesn't have a degree, but has excelled in their career and frequently ends up competing with those who do. Or when you've been unemployed a long time, and you really need a job. Or if you've had your eye on being part of this company and finally you've snagged an interview. Or if you're just plain insecure.

There's a plethora of articles that list hundreds of body language cues you should pay attention to. But that's like trying to learn the different interview styles and how to respond to each one. It's a waste of time. You'll spend so much time trying to remember what to do, how to do it, when to do it, if what you're doing is correct or not, that it becomes difficult to focus on selling yourself and learning if the company is compatible with who you are and what you want.

It starts with your head. If you don't feel confident, then stop thinking you aren't. Find the reasons why you're an asset to a company. List your skills and contributions. Put together a sales pitch on yourself, and then take it to heart. Actions mirror thoughts and thoughts mirror actions. When you're thinking confidently, you behave confidently and vice versa.

At the same time, you can program one to follow the other. Pay attention to yourself, what you're feeling and what's going on around you. If you notice yourself shuffling in through the company door, pick your head up, put a smile on your face, and walk into the office as if you belong there, because you do. You have an interview, and they're expecting you.

An interview is a sales presentation. You're the product, and the hiring authority is the buyer. If you're communicating that you're not good enough to be hired, why would a company think differently?

- Judi Perkins

Judi was a very successful recruiter for 22 years (15 contingency, 4 agency, 3 retained) and has now been a career coach for 3. The recruiter background, especially having been all three types, gives her deep insight into both sides of the hiring process. Now she teaches job seekers both the skill and psychological aspects of job hunting.

Judi has been interviewed as an expert for books at each author's request; has her own book, "How to Find Your Perfect Job;:and has been quoted in numerous on and offline articles. She's also done radio interviews and speaking gigs. Her clients find jobs quickly, ending their months of frustration!

judi@findtheperfectjob.com

www.findtheperfectjob.com

With some preparation and thought, you should be able to easily come up with 15 - 20 first-interview questions to ask. But these five - in some form - should always be asked. Not only will they help you to ascertain if the job for which you are interviewing meets the criterion of your perfect job, but the answers, when put together, will give you a fairly accurate picture of what's really going on behind the interview.

1. What are the priorities that will need to be addressed immediately in this position?

   A title alone tells you nothing. The job description won't reveal much either, except whether or not you're capable of doing what's required functionally on a daily basis. For the same reason that you put your accomplishments on your resume - and not just the job description - here, too, you want to get a sense of the individuality of this job in this company.

   Was everything left running smoothly? Is it pretty much picking up and continuing daily functions as normal? Or is there damage control that needs to be done? If so, is there a time line for the repair, and is it an achievable one considering your capabilities? Is it realistic regardless of who holds the position?

   If you don't have any information, this will begin to clue you in about both the supervisor and the previous employee. If you have been provided with some detail already, then the answer should track with what you've already learned.

2. How long was the previous person here? Why did they leave?

   Generally, in answering the first part, the interviewer will answer the second part as well. But if they don't, then ask it. And if that person was there an oddly short time, you also want to know how long the person before that was there.

   See where I'm going with this? If the job is in disarray, and the last two people were there a short period of time and were fired, you don't need to ask any of the other questions here. Exit gracefully and then run! Because before long, you, too, will be terminated for not achieving whatever it is they want done - regardless of if the stated time frame sounded realistic or not.

3. Tell me about your management style. How do you bring out the best in your employees?

   Is he a micro manager? Is he an information hound that needs to be kept informed of everything? Does he leave people alone to do what he hired them for and simply keep on top of what's going on? Does he help you if you have trouble? Do any mentoring? Or is he a berating, derogatory, jerk?

   Obviously he's not going to come right out and tell you he's a micro manager! Instead he might say, "I like to keep a very close watch on what's going on in my department," or "I visit with each member of my department on a daily basis to make sure they're staying on track," or something similar.

   You'll find that the person will be fairly straightforward in sharing their management style with you. What you want to pay attention to is how they word it.

4. What types of people tend to excel here?

   Workaholics? Ones who are self-motivated and manage themselves well? People who work well in teams or committees? Employees who keep their supervisor informed of "where they are with things" on a daily basis?

   This tells you something about the pervasive culture in the company or department. Generally speaking, companies - or departments - tend to be made up of similar types of people that are in harmony with the company culture and philosophy.

   An entrepreneurial person won't function well in a committee environment. While sales personalities can vary greatly, the top achievers are goal driven and motivated to achieve, rather than complacent. People who are accustomed to thinking for themselves will find themselves chafing in a company that has a more dictatorial style, while those who perform better when they're told what to do will find themselves adrift in a company that requires its employees to think for themselves.

5. How long have you been here? Why do you stay?

   The answer to this question will give you an indication as to the feeling or health of the department or company. The way in which he answers the question will also give you additional insight into your potential boss, his management style, and what type of people excel in the department or company.

These are informational questions, not challenges. Be genuinely interested in the answer, because you're gaining valuable information that has to do with your future. When you leave the interview and process it within yourself, you'll be matching what you learned with what you are looking for.

Pay attention to the interviewer's body language and facial expressions. Is he relaxed? Does he fill in some of the spaces? Does he speak TO you - or AT you? Does he answer the question briefly and then quickly fire off another one? These, too, are valuable cues, and after the interview, you'll need to piece them together with the verbal information you received.

Your perfect job might land in your lap by grace and good fortune. But more likely, you'll need to look for it. It's there - but to recognize it, you'll need to know what it doesn't look like, as well as what it does.

- Judi Perkins

Judi was a very successful recruiter for 22 years (15 contingency, 4 agency, 3 retained) and has now been a career coach for 3. The recruiter background, especially having been all three types, gives her deep insight into both sides of the hiring process. Now she teaches job seekers both the skill and psychological aspects of job hunting.

Sign up for her upcoming instructional webinar "Interview Techniques That Can Lead to Job Offers". Learn how to sell yourself, ask questions, create dialogue and get to the essence with a few simple techniques that are applicable at all levels.

Judi has been interviewed as an expert for books at each author's request; has her own book, "How to Find Your Perfect Job;:and has been quoted in numerous on and offline articles. She's also done radio interviews and speaking gigs. Her clients find jobs quickly, ending their months of frustration!

judi@findtheperfectjob.com

www.findtheperfectjob.com