Interview Tips

By Barbara Safani

Jay Drake spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy. When he retired, he found it difficult to make the transition to the civilian work world.

Drake was hardly noticed as a job candidate by hiring managers, landing only two phone screens and no-face-to face-interviews. "This was surprising to me considering I was bringing more than 17 years of experience in human resources, business management, and financial administration from the military, which I was sure would translate well in the private sector," Drake says.

So, he enlisted the help of a professional to find an encore career.

By Carol Berman

You're among the 15.3 million unemployed in the United States right now. And it stinks. You've sent out 150 résumés, you're trying to stay positive, but your layoff situation is not getting better. Here's a question: how have you addressed your layoff on your resume? We looked to Sarina LaMarche, senior career coach at Austin, TX-based Career Strategists, for advice.

by Jeff Lipschultz

Many of you have had unique experiences working with recruiters during a job hunt. Some good and some not so good. Like every profession, there are "good people" and then there are others. You need to do your own homework to ensure you are working with a reputable recruiter. At the same time, you need to do what is expected of you to avoid harming your chances to land a job they are working on. After all, they hold the keys to the opportunity. It is essential for you to have a great working relationship.

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by Lauren Brookmeyer

One of the most common mistakes young college grads make when interviewing for a job, is conveying their personal reasons for attending the interview. There's a time to tell the complete truth, and there's a time to keep it under wraps.

"This is an amazing learning opportunity," or "I truly believe this job will give me the experience I need to start a successful career," were passable statements to make on those internship interviews. However, make no mistake about it; an employer is NOT paying you to learn or to gain valuable experience for yourself. An employer expects you to already possess the necessary knowledge and required experience. Therefore, throw every sentence that focuses on the benefits of the job for you out the window.

by Geoff Roth

There is an old adage that goes "Know Your Enemy". It means that you will do a better job of defeating an enemy if you know a lot about them. If your enemy is the other person trying to get the same job you are, then rewrite the adage to say "Know Your Company."

If you have done enough legwork to get a job interview at a company, don't stop your hard work there. Especially with an entry-level job as a new college graduate, you are going to have a lot of competition. You probably are already at about the same level in terms of experience and education as all of your competitors. So, what are you going to do to make yourself stand out on that job interview?