Ten Tips to a Job-Winning Interview

These days, you have to work hard to get a serious job interview. After running just one want ad, recruiters will see thousands of resumes. So getting picked for an interview is a reason to celebrate.

But after celebrating The Call, plan for success. You'll have limited time to impress an interviewer. Even if you decide you don't want the job, I recommend using the opportunity to practice. An offer will build your confidence for the job you really want. And who knows? You may get invited to interview for a really desirable option

1. Do your homework: Investigate the company's culture, finances and markets.

Publications and media reports will help -- but you'll usually get a biased picture. Get on the phone and call anyone who might be able to give you information. See if you can find somebody who knows somebody who had first-hand contact with the organization.

But once you're in the meeting, resist the temptation to show off what you've researched ("I just read that you're about to embark on a new product line") unless you have a question directly related to your career. Interviewers can tell when you're going through the motions.

2. Look like you belong.

Learn the company's dress code and err on the side of conservatism. Some companies will expect you to show up in a classic suit even when all the incumbents are wearing shorts.

When you're seeking a senior position based on industry experience, you'll be expected to know the rules without being told.

3. Take charge of the interview!

The most successful interviews feel like friendly conversations. When your interviewer has an agenda (such as the infamous "stress interview") stay relaxed. Think of playing a game.

When your interviewer refuses to be deflected from a series of prepared questions, raise a red flag. You may be dealing with an HR person who will disapppear as soon as you're hired. That's okay.

But if your boss seems to be reading from a canned program, she may be inexperienced, naïve, rigid, overworked or lazy. Wait for the second interview before making a decision.

4. Assume everyone you meet will provide feedback to the decision-maker.

Some companies hand out comment forms to receptionists, security guards and potential peers who take you to lunch. You can bet your future boss will listen to the secretary who marches into his office to say, "If he gets hired, I quit."

5. Communicate interest and enthusiasm, even if you're not sure you're ready to commit.

You'll rarely have all the facts until you're looking at an offer. When you make a good impression, you may get redirected to a different job. Your interviewer may move to a new position and remember you. And it's always an ego-booster to say, "Thanks but no thanks."

6. Bring extra copies of your correspondence as well as your resume, references, writing samples, portfolio and current business cards.

Interviewers lose documents and conversations move in unexpected directions. A neatly organized folder will help you stand out from the pack.

7. Create a relaxed, positive attitude by devising a realistic game plan.

I encourage my own clients to have a "next step" ready to implement after the interview, before you hear the decision. When your career isn't riding on a single interview, you'll have fun and make a confident, relaxed impression.

8. Write a thank you letter within forty-eight hours.

Create a low-key sales letter, emphasizing how your qualifications match the company's needs. Present yourself as a resource, not a supplicant.

If you find yourself resisting this step, raise a red flag. Maybe on some level you don't want the job. That's okay: you can write a 2-line thank you note - even an email - just in case they've got another job waiting in the wings.

9. After sending the follow-up, forget about the interview.

Email or phone only if you've received a competing offer with a deadline. Silence does not necessarily mean rejection. One manager received an interview a full year after she applied for a job. By coincidence, she was just ready to make a move and her story had a happy ending.

Occasionally you may make points with follow-up mailings. A sports team public relations applicant sent puzzles, games and press releases -- and she got the job. Use your intuition.

10. Keep notes of what you learned from the process. What worked? What would you do differently?

Use your notes as you move through the process. Consider spending a single hour with a friend or unbiased career consultant to discuss the process.

Be careful of unsolicited feedback. Clients always surprise me with career legends they've picked up from neighbors, in-laws, siblings and even total strangers they meet on a plane.

Finally: Don't stop until you have a written offer with a start date, salary and terms, signed by a company officer or HR department. No written offers? Keep looking until you show up the first day and find a desk with your name on it.

And as soon as you begin your new job, make a brand-new career plan. Create your next safety net before you need one.

5 Interviewing Tips to Get That Job!

Anyone who is a job seeker knows that looking for a new job or career is a job in itself. Once you have completed the laborious task of writing your resume and submitting it to various companies, you now have to pass the screen test to get the job. Interviews are the gateway to landing your ideal job. These five tips will help you get own your way to making that job yours.

Tip#1

Be Confident "Your first impression is your only impression." Nothing is worse than a limp handshake, slumped shoulders, poor eye contact or poor communication skills. A potential employer can tell immediately if you are the man or woman for this job by your body language. Although aggressiveness is a turn-off, being passive gives the indication that you are not sure of yourself or your qualifications. Keep eye contact when answering questions or when the interviewer is speaking directly to you. Smile occasionally to show your interest and enthusiasm. Keeping a steady gaze on the interviewer can be disturbing to an interviewer. Look away occasionally. Lean forward to show that you are interested in what the interviewer is saying. Speak in a concise and clear voice. If you have problems enunciating certain words, don't try to use them on an interview. If this is difficult for you, practice with a mirror and pay attention to your facial expressions.

Other interview killers: -Slouching in a chair -Crossing your arms -Playing with your hair or jewelry -Leaning back in chair

Tip# 2

Act As If "You are what you believe." Act as if you had the job. What would you do if you had this position? How would you act? How would a person in this position act and speak? What are your responsibilities in this position? What is a typical day like for you in this job? Change your attitude towards yourself and your strengths. If you start thinking that you won't get the job, you will do small unnoticeable things to sabotage your chances. Great free resources: Confidenceworld.com.

Tip#3

Know The Company "Know your business." I once sat on a couple of interviews where the interviewees did not do any research on the company. This sends a message that you are looking for any job, not this specific job. Once you're interview is scheduled, get on the net and start finding out everything you can about the company. A good place to start is Hoovers.com., which gives you industry information, top competitors, names of CEO, etc. If you'd like to know what current or former employees have to say about the company, try Wetfeet.com. Beware of disgruntled postings. Call the company headquarters and ask for the marketing department to get specific information. Weave your research into the interview by stating. "I read an article in the Wall Street Journal, which mentioned that your company is thinking about XYZ." This lets the interviewer know that you have taken the time to know more about the company. You can ask questions about something you read, but don't challenge them or you'll come across as a know-it-all.

Tip# 4

Be Prepared "Know what to say." Most interviewers ask the same standard questions about your strengths, weaknesses, former employers, work history. If you are being interviewed by several people, this might be a good cop, bad cop situation. Pay attention to who is playing bad cop, they are looking for signs of weakness and dishonesty. To be well prepared, before the interview, write out all your accomplishments, both personal and professional. List your strengths and weaknesses. Be honest, it's easier to remember the truth than it is a lie. Extra Tip: Write out situations in which you have demonstrated: leadership skills, determination, stress management, creativity, and flexibility. Be prepared to answer the question: "Why do you want this job?" If you're not sure, reevaluate your decision. If you arrive a few minutes early, review what you wrote in the waiting room before the interview. Great list of interview questions: Tested Interview Questions.

Tip#5

Ask For The Job "You get what you ask for." The most important step in the interviewing process is one most people miss. ASK FOR THE JOB! Most interviewers are waiting for that closure. If you have done everything exceptionally well during the interviewing process, but have not asked for the job, you've just wasted an interview. Asking for the job shows the potential employer that you are assertive, confident and right for the job. It might feel uncomfortable, but this is your only chance to ask for something you really want. Make sure your voice is firm and you make eye contact. Think of it as your closing argument, you've got to win over the jury. You should also ask the interviewer if he or she thinks you are right for the job. Even if they tell you something unpleasant, think of it as a lesson learned. However, do yourself a favor and ask for the job. You deserve it!

Publisher Vs Author?

For the longest time there was only one route for authors to get published, it wasn't an easy route as there have been many stories of manuscripts not being read and being returned was something that I have heard throughout my life. As Bob Dylan said "the times they are a changin".

Today it is possible to "publish" fairly easily, without having to submit work to a publisher, you can, do it yourself. Well from an ego point that is good. Ah but then how should you publish and how should you distribute?

The avenues are now growing, purely electronically? Should you do it in print? Do it yourself? Use an agency to help you self-publish? Do you write it all yourself or outsource some of the work? Use Amazon? The list is now becoming endless.

You should explore the options, the choice is yours. Do you want your book on the shelves or available on an electronic one?

The once god-like shine of the publisher as we have known it now has lost much of its radiance. There are some successful e-book authors who would denounce the once traditional methods. They would say that the publisher doesn't really support them, or care, the commission structure is low and they may go on to say they are outdated.

There are of course more lucrative and quicker options available and that is a golden carrot to a lot of authors. There are some very prolific authors that I personally know of, who can produce an e-book every other week; there are a few who can produce even quicker than that.

However there is still a romantic ideal of being published by one of the "big boys" and now those "big boys" have woken (or are waking) up to the notion that the author is actually their biggest asset. The experience that can be given to a new author is invaluable, to someone who is already established less so.

Would there come a time when a traditional publisher makes an approach to a successful e-book author? That is hard to imagine, but one thing that is changing is the usual stance of sitting in an office waiting for unknown authors to send in their work is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

While all of this is great for debate there is one point that is paramount, book sales. You may have written your "magnum opus" but if no-one knows you have done it, well that's not good? There are many books and e-books that haven't sold a copy; this is the most important part of the process, surely?

Traditional publishers have a system of marketing a book, how much effort they put into a new author is debatable, for self-publishers, well they are on their own. They will need to get up to date about networking and using the most effective social media to try and achieve sales. It is not enough to swing wildly at creating an account with Facebook or Twitter and simply hoping for the best, the efforts need to be continuous and sustained.

Alongside this I am sure many of you will have seen many random WSO's and had strange emails from individuals telling you that they will (for a fee of course) guide you to Olympian size sales of your book if you follow their "well proven methods". I think if they were as good as their claims then they wouldn't need to 'cold email' you.

How best to engage the potential readership?

From a marketing aspect you have to have an idea of who your reader is likely to be, where they are located and how many times they need to see/know about your book before they buy?

Would an active discussion in a forum be better than having a website? There are a lot of marketers that swear by list building, could an agreement be reached with a successful author in asking him to mail his list with a recommendation about your book/e-book prove more successful, they will naturally want to be rewarded, maybe via a fee or an affiliate arrangement?

Traditional authors need to rethink how they 'serve' their authors, taking a look at the business through the eyes of a new author and how they might bring the expectation level expected to the fore, self-publishers need to find ways of marketing and generating sales, they can't just "Amazon" their e-book sit back and wait for the rewards to roll in. Could creating a collective be the answer perhaps?

Book sales are not always instant, sometimes various books can at certain times do great sales when "something" is triggered, like a book could be mentioned in a movie or program and thereby sparks sales.

A book may not sell much today, but books don't really go out of date, so gathering knowledge and crafting strategies could prove fruitful in the long run.

Only time will tell.

EBWB