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Step Six:

Job Interviewing.

There are several hints here:

1. Dress appropriately. Professionals should look the part. You're better off to overdress than underdress. You don't necessarily have to be "dressed to kill", but it won't hurt. Unless you want to be a camp counselor or pump gas, don't go casual. Most employers look for people who are well-groomed and will make a positive impression on their customers.

2. Be prepared. Have a tough-minded friend interview you first. Keep it serious. Expect questions about your work history, highlights, lowlights, what you liked, what you didn't. Remember what we said early-on (and several times since): orient yourself toward your prospective employer's needs. No employer wastes time asking questions which don't matter: every question has a purpose. If you can learn to psych out what that purpose is, and address it in your answer, you'll score points. Especially, be prepared to give examples of notable successes.

3. Eye contact. People are more likely to trust job candidates who look them in the eye. Practice it. Get used to it. It's reasonable not to stare, but most of the time you should be making contact. It reinforces the impression in the interviewer’s mind that you are honest and sincere.

 4. Read up on body language. If you don't believe in it, think again. Can you tell the difference between when a member of the opposite sex is seriously interested in you . . . or ignoring you? Body language tells employers whether you really are interested in the job, aggressive in going after it, or are just plain defensive!

5. Be yourself. Although we know very well it's easier said than done, try to relax. Even if this isn't "the" job for you, every interview you have is at the very least a solid learning experience. It also is a numbers game, as we noted early on. For "x" number of interviews, you will get a job. Every interview puts you that much closer to your objective.

6. Rehearse! We're repeating ourselves here (remember "Be Prepared"?) -- but this step is so important to your success and so often overlooked! Think in detail about what the interviewer is likely to ask -- what you would ask, were you doing the asking. Potential questions interviewers might ask number in the hundreds. Here are a few hints that are bound to be helpful:

a) Know the company you're interviewing. What do they do? Where do they do it? How? Who is their competition? What is happening in their industry? How would your experience be particularly useful to them in executing the job for which you're interviewing?

b) Know you, as you relate to them. Again, relate your experience to their needs to show how what you've done gives you a particularly credible ability to do what they need done.

c) Know why you're there. Why are you looking? Again, orient your answer to their needs. Even if your boss does hate you -- it is much better to say something useful to the interviewer, like "I've gained a lot of experience over the years, and I'm looking for someplace where I can put all of it to use to make money for my employer." Sell the interviewer on the key things you can do for him (her) in doing the job they need done!

d) Know what to ask! You're not only there to answer -- you're also there to ask, and what you ask tells as much about you as how you answer. Ask about how the company is organized, who the top people are and what their backgrounds are, what the responsibility and authority are of the job for which you're interviewing, if the job has a written job description (request a copy!), what is the process by which work gets done, and on and on...

More advice in a minute. But first -- have you joined our mailing list yet?

e) After it's over, send a "Thank You" note! Few people do this, so it is doubly impressive. Just buy a box of informal Thank You notes from a stationery store and send them to the key person who interviewed you. If you have two or three clear qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the job, reiterate them in the note. "Thanks for the opportunity to meet you and be considered for Position X," you might write. "You're looking for someone who combines experience in a, b, and c. Not only do I have that specific experience, but also I work exceptionally well with people at all levels, and...." Keep it brief, keep it simple, keep it focused on the needs of the employer!

f) Mail us your before and after resumes. We'll disguise the worst and pick on them in our upcoming new edition, for everybody's help. No one will know you did it except you. (Cut and paste the text of your resume into an email (NO attached files) and send it to the "email us" address above.) READ BELOW....

For Step Seven, Go back to Our Main Resume Website & Scroll Down

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