Job Interview Tips For Success

(Adapted from the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20045.htm

An interview gives you the opportunity to showcase your qualifications to an employer, so it pays to be well prepared. The following information provides some helpful hints.

Preparation:

• Learn at least a little about the organization.
• Have a specific job or jobs in mind that you'd be interested in but be as open as possible.
• Review your qualifications for the job.
• Be ready to briefly describe your experience, showing how it relates it the job.
• Be ready to answer broad questions, such as "Why should I hire you?" "Why do you want this job?" "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
• Practice an interview with a friend or relative.

Your Personal appearance:

• Be well groomed.
• Dress appropriately.
• Do not chew gum or smoke.
• Don't wear too much jewelry, makeup, cologne, or other accessories.

The interview:

• Be early. One more time: BE EARLY!. :)
• Learn the name of your interviewer and greet him or her with a firm handshake.
• Use good manners with everyone you meet, from the time you enter the door. You never know who you might be interacting with. Your future boss maybe.
• Relax and answer each question concisely. You don't have to go overboard.  Be cordial.
• Use proper English—avoid slang.
• Be cooperative and enthusiastic.
• Use body language to show interest—use eye contact and don’t slouch.
• Ask questions about the position and the organization, but avoid questions whose answers can easily be found on the company Web site.
• Also avoid asking questions about salary and benefits unless a job offer is made.
• Thank the interviewer when you leave and shake hands.

The follow-up:

• Send a short thank you note following the interview.
• Politely follow-up 3-7 days after the interview.

Information to bring to an interview:

• Social Security card.
• Government-issued identification (driver’s license).
• Resume or application. Although not all employers require a resume, you should be able to furnish the interviewer information about your education, training, and previous employment.
• References. Employers typically require three references. Get permission before using anyone as a reference. Make sure that they will give you a good reference. Try to avoid using relatives as references.
• Transcripts. Employers may require an official copy of transcripts to verify grades, coursework, dates of attendance, and highest grade completed or degree awarded.

Good Luck!

OTHER RESOURCES FOR JOB INTERVIEW TIPS

Job-Interview.net

About.com's Job Searching Guide

JobOpenings.net

HotJobs at Yahoo!

Resume and Cover Letter Samples, Tips, and Tricks

• What is a Resume? Resume writing tips from OWL Purdue Writing Lab.
• Cover Letter tips and samples from OWL Purdue Writing Lab.
• Cover Letter Tips from About.com. Includes sample Cover Letters.
• How to Write a Cover Letter from The Job Explorer.
• Susan Ireland's Resume Site has tons of cover letter and resume samples.
• Resume and Cover Letter - Dozens of resume and cover letter tiips and samples from eResumes'.
• Sample Resumes - Offers resume samples ready to use, resume writing services and resume distribution.
• Best Sample Resume.com - Samples of resumes in several different job categories.  Includes important action words you should include on your resume.
• ResumeTemplates.org - 250 different sample resumes in all different industries and for all different experience levels.

Whether you're unemployed and looking for a job, or transitioning from one job or career to the next, these job hunting websites may be a great starting point.

Some of these job search websites are more general, and some exist to serve a specific industry or market.  To start, choose sites that are either very general, or are the closest match to your skills, interests, or the kind of career you're looking to get into.

Asbury Park Press Classifieds (http://www.appclassifieds.com) - Local job listings.  Search for full-time, part-time, temporary, or seasonal jobs in over 10 different categories.

Biospace.com (http://www.biospace.com) - Exclusively for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other medical / health related industries.

Care.com (http://www.care.com) - If you're looking for babysitting, nanny services, senior care, tutoring, or pet care jobs, try this website.

Career Bank (http://www.careerbank.com) - Accounting, insurance, banking, mortgage and finance sectors relates jobs can be found here.

CareerBuilder (http://www.careerbuilder.com) - CareerBuilder has been around for a long time and is fairly easy to use.  Plus, there are tons of job seeking tools for serious job hunters.

Dice (http://www.dice.com) - Heavily oriented toward technology related jobs.  Good on currently available and up to date job opportunities for anyone fairly tech savvy.

Efinancial Careers (http://www.efinancialcareers.com) - Network of finance related career sites.

Hcareers (http://www.hcareers.com) - To find jobs in the hospitality industry try this website.

Health Career Web (http://healthcareerweb.com) - Job search and professional networking for people in health and medical industries.

Hospital Jobs Online (http://www.hospitaljobsonline.com) - Lists tons of hospital job openings.

Indeed.com (http://www.indeed.com) - Very user-friendly job search engine that collects info from other several other employment sites.

The Job Box (http://www.thejobbox.com) - Geared toward high school and college students looking for part-time or seasonal employment.  Great for parents trying to help their kids find legitimate work.

Job Hunt (http://www.job-hunt.org) - This site has more than 3,000 screened job site resources and links, and helpful articles.

Krop (http://www.krop.com) - A job board and career resource website for artists, photographers and other creative  professionals. Free basic portfolio and resume builder.

LatPro (http://www.latpro.com) - Site for English-, Spanish-, and Portuguese-speaking professionals looking for work in both Latin America and the United States.

LinkedIn (http://www.LinkedIn.com) - Not a job search website per se, but a great place for networking with other professionals and finding job opportunities.

MediaBistro (http://www.mediabistro.com) A great site for professionals who work in media or publishing.  Lists job openings and offers free registration.

Monster.com (http://www.monster.com) - Another site that's been around for a long time.  Lots of resources for job seekers.  Several industries represented.

NJ.com (http://www.nj.com/classifieds) - If it’s a job ad posted in a New Jersey newspaper, you can you find it on NJ.com as well.

RetiredBrains (http://www.retiredbrains.com) - Here you can find listings for companies looking to hire senior workers.

Retirement Jobs (http://www.retirementjobs.com) - This site lists between 20,000 and 30,000 listings for senior workers. Many job listings are in the retail sector.

SimplyHired.com (http://www.simplyhired.com) - One of the better newcommers on the block.  A lot of features and tons of job hunting activity.

SnagAJob.com (http://www.snagajob.com) - SnagAJob may seem a bit basic when compared to the industry giants, but it’s no less worthy, especially for those seeking hourly employment.

TheLadders (http://www.theladders.com) - Sleek and refined, just as you could be if you luck out and somehow land one of TheLadders’ $100,000-plus uber-positions. Apply here only if you’re looking for a $100,000 year job or up – just remember us on your holiday gift list.

TwitterJobSearch (http://www.twitjobsearch.com) - A cool resource offered by Twitter.  Type in the kind of job you're looking for and get targeted job listings.

USAJobs (http://www.usajobs.gov) - There are many of government jobs opportunities available.  Check USAJobs to find many of them.

Vault (http://www.vault.com) - Vault contains job listings, employer and company information, and information on colleges and graduate schools.

Yahoo! HotJobs (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com) - Easy resume posting and tons of exposure makes Yahoo! HotJobs a no-brainer for anyone wanting to be noticed in their prospective field.