How NOT to lose the job during the job interview

This is getting frustrating. You have updated your resume, crafted a killer cover letter and assembled an impressive portfolio. The interviews are coming, but ... you keep falling just short of getting the job.

It's time to examine what, specifically, is holding you back. 

Have you put so much time and effort into getting in the door that you've neglected what comes next? 

There are several obstacles that could be preventing you from securing your dream job. Take a deeper look into your job search efforts to determine what's keeping you from landing opportunities. 

Say goodbye to the obstacles holding you back and hello to a bright future. Here's how:

Exactly what to wear at job interviews

You can dress for success!

One of the first things people notice when you arrive at a job interview is what you are wearing. Are you absolutely sure you are dressed appropriately?

Do your interview clothes flatter your appearance and fit both you AND the character of the company? If not, your attire could be giving the wrong impression about you.

So what is the key to picking out the right interview attire?  

How to pass job assessment tests

Successfully completing online or
in-person assessment tests can help
you land the positions that you want.

Some companies require that you complete an assessment test (or series of tests) before offering you a job. 

Often such tests will involve questions that have no right or wrong answers, but rather provide the employer with an understanding of your preferences, personality type, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as concern areas about your emotional and mental health.  

Here is what you need to know and specific steps on how to pass job assessment tests:

Handle panel interviews like a pro … Here’s how!



Panel interviews … interviews involving three or more people from the same or multiple departments … can add a layer of complexity to your meetings with hiring companies.

Fortunately there are steps you can take to shine no matter how many people are involved in the proceedings. Here’s how:

How to figure out if your interview went well

Did the interview go well?

Did you bomb the interview or ace it? Here are 18 ways to determine if your interview went well or not (but keep in mind, you never know. You may think you screwed it up and get an offer or assume you did awesome and get rejected).

Ask yourself ... did the interviewer ...

How to excel in Skype video interviews

You can ace your video interviews!

Follow these tips to get really ready for Skype job interviews. The technology is not that hard to use, but video interviews do take preparation and practice.

10 incredibly simple ways to improve your phone interviews

Job Seeker Q and A

Q. I stink at phone interviews. How can I do better?

A. My advice: 

6 documents to have open during phone interviews

Guest post by Lynn Avery, executive interviewing and networking expert. 

Be really ready for phone interviews.

Last week, Lynn discussed preparing for five phone scenarios that you may encounter in your job search. Now Lynn talks about six documents to have open and ready when speaking with company representatives. You may want to have these documents in hard copy format in a binder or in electronic format that you can access easily during conversations with company representatives.

6 documents to have open during phone interviews

How to ask the RIGHT questions in job interviews

Learn to ask the right questions
at job interviews.

Successful job seekers ask smart questions that not only impress the interviewer, but get the company representative to reveal more information about the company and the open position.

How to ask the right job interview questions

How to dress for the job interview

Since the first thing an employer sees when greeting you is your attire, commit to dressing properly. Doing so will give you a competitive edge and a positive first impression that could set the tone for the entire interview.

   

General Guidelines

How would you respond to these weird or inappropriate interview questions?

Be ready to handle weird or
inappropriate job interview questions.

Recently I asked job seekers to name their weirdest and worst job interview questions. 

Here are the 20 weirdest and the 10 most inappropriate questions.

50 fast fixes to improve your job search: Interviewing

Recently, I shared fast fixes to improve your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn presence, and networking abilities. Now, I’m sharing fast fixes to improve your interviewing skills using techniques you may not have thought of before. So, get cracking on being better at interviewing … it can help you land a job or get a better one!

It was a landslide! Guess what job seekers said was worse: waiting or being rejected. Do you agree?

Job seekers have lots of thoughts about
being rejected and working at bad jobs.

When I asked the question, which was worse -- waiting to find out if you got the job or being rejected?, most job seekers responded that waiting is way worse. But a few people said that being rejected really hurts (I agree with you guys), while others spoke from the recruiter's perspective or said the absolute worst thing was taking a job that ended up being terrible (I agree with you, too).

Scroll to read many respondent's comments. 

Nailing the job interview and 10 truths to remember on the dark days of unemployment

You can nail your job interviews!

Let's focus on what to do in an actual interview. 

But first, 10 truths to tell yourself when prolonged unemployment gets you down:

How to be uber prepared for a job interview … from the second you apply to the moment your interview begins

Be really prepared for interviews!

Think back to every job interview you ever had.

Now think of all the ways you would have done things better if you would have gotten a “do over.”

It’s important to realize anything can go wrong in an interview, so follow this checklist to be really ready and then vow to be as prepared as possible for each interview. Here's how: