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"Job Interviews FOR DUMmIES 3RD ‰ EDITION by Joyce Lain Kennedy Job Interviews For Dummies®, 3rd Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400, fax 978-646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317-572-3447, fax 317-572-4355, or online at http:// www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. 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Library of Congress Control Number: 2007941166 ISBN: 978-0-470-17748-8 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 About the Author Joyce Lain Kennedy is America’s first nationally syndicated careers columnist. Her two-times-weekly column, CAREERS NOW, appears in newspapers and on Web sites across the land. In her four decades of advising readers — newbies, prime-timers, and those in-between — Joyce has received millions of letters inquiring about career moves and job search and has answered countless numbers of them in print. Joyce is the author of seven career books, including Joyce Lain Kennedy’s Career Book (McGraw-Hill), Electronic Job Search Revolution, Electronic Resume Revolution, and Hook Up, Get Hired! The Internet Job Search Revolution (the last three published by Wiley). Job Interviews For Dummies is one of a trio of job market books published under Wiley’s wildly popular For Dummies branded imprint. The others are Resumes For Dummies and Cover Letters For Dummies. Writing from Carlsbad, California, a San Diego suburb, the country’s bestknown careers columnist is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. Contact Joyce at jlk@sunfeatures.com. About the Technical Reviewer James M. Lemke has earned a reputation as a leader in talent strategies and processes. He is director of organizational development for Opportunity International. Previously, Jim spent 15 years as a human resources consultant. His client list included: Real Networks, Southern California Metropolitan Water District, Northrop Grumman, Southwest Airlines, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United Arab Emirates University, and the White House. Jim has held executive positions with Wachovia Bank, TRW, UCLA, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Raytheon. He resides in Mesa, Arizona. Contact Jim at jlemke@opportunity.net. Author’s Acknowledgments “We’re better together” is a philosophy proven yet again in this richly informed book. The largess of helpful information you find within these pages is to a large degree due to my luck in sourcing many respected minds in the employment space. Contributors to whom I am especially indebted are individually credited in chapter pages. Applause to one and all. Additionally, thanks a billion to the following individuals who worked long and hard to make this book happen: Traci Cumbay, intrepid editor and clear-eyed train engineer who kept this ambitious work running on track; she’s earned her rave reviews, chapter by chapter. James M. Lemke, above-the-title technical reviewing star whose brainwork is indispensable to every book I write. John S. Gill, college student, computer genie, and editorial whiz kid who I predict has a big future ahead of him; after he graduates, he’ll have to fight off recruiters. Muriel Turner, Alberto Mendez, and Kelly James, each of whom kept my landfill . . . er, I mean office . . . from crashing and burning; I appreciate you. Gail Ross, literary agent–attorney and friend who continues to help me make the right moves in the world of publishing. Publisher’s Acknowledgments We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/. Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following: Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development Project Editor: Traci Cumbay (Previous Edition: Kelly Ewing) Acquisitions Editor: Lindsay Lefevere Copy Editor: Traci Cumbay Editorial Program Coordinator: Erin Calligan Mooney Technical Editor: James M. Lemke Editorial Managers: Michelle Hacker, Carmen Krikorian Editorial Assistants: Joe Niesen, Leeann Harney Cover Photos: © Michael Prince/Corbis Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com) Composition Services Project Coordinator: Patrick Redmond Layout and Graphics: Reuben W. Davis, Alissa D. Ellet, Joyce Haughey, Melissa K. Jester Anniversary Logo Design: Richard Pacifico Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Tom Arany, John Greenough Indexer: Estalita Slivoskey Special Help: Carmen Krikorian Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel Publishing for Technology Dummies Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User Composition Services Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services Contents at a Glance Introduction .................................................................1 Part I: And the Interview Winner Is . . . You!..................9 Chapter 1: Job Interviews Are Reality Shows. Really!..................................................11 Chapter 2: Tailoring Your Qualifications for Targeted Job Interviews ......................33 Chapter 3: Going Wireless for Your Interview ..............................................................41 Chapter 4: Interviewing on the World Stage .................................................................57 Chapter 5: A Chorus Line of Interviews by Type..........................................................63 Part II: Backstage Researching and Rehearsing............83 Chapter 6: Research is Your Ticket Inside ....................................................................85 Chapter 7: Your Close-Up: Personality Tests ................................................................95 Chapter 8: Showing You the Money .............................................................................107 Chapter 9: Costuming Yourself for a Starring Role ....................................................127 Chapter 10: Overcoming Stage Fright: Rehearse, Rehearse, and Rehearse............139 Chapter 11: Looking Good With Questions You Ask..................................................147 Chapter 12: Outlining Interview Scenarios You Can Expect .....................................153 Chapter 13: Closing the Show .......................................................................................163 Chapter 14: When You’re Offered the Part..................................................................175 Part III: Actors’ Studio: Casting Your Character ..........183 Chapter 15: From iPods and Texting to Jobs and Paychecks ...................................185 Chapter 16: Tips and Scripts That Sell a Switch.........................................................193 Chapter 17: Spotlighting Prime-Timers over 50 .........................................................201 Part IV: Lights, Camera, Talk! Answering Questions....211 Chapter 18: What Can You Tell Me about Yourself?...................................................213 Chapter 19: What Do You Know about This Job and Our Company? ......................229 Chapter 20: What Are Your Skills and Competencies? ..............................................235 Chapter 21: How Does Your Experience Help Us?......................................................243 Chapter 22: What Education Do You Have? ................................................................251 Chapter 23: What about Your Special Situation?........................................................263 Chapter 24: How Should You Answer an Inappropriate Question? .........................279 Part V: The Part of Tens ............................................287 Chapter 25: Ten Tips to Avoid Wretched Reviews .....................................................289 Chapter 26: Tens of Lines on the Cutting Room Floor...............................................293 Chapter 27: Ten Interviewer Personality Types .........................................................297 Index .......................................................................303 Table of Contents Introduction..................................................................1 What Is a ShowStopper in Job Interviewing? ...............................................1 About This Book...............................................................................................2 Conventions Used in This Book .....................................................................2 Terms Used in This Book ................................................................................3 Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................3 How This Book Is Organized...........................................................................4 Part I: And the Interview Winner Is . . . You! .......................................4 Part II: Backstage Researching and Rehearsing .................................5 Part III: Actors’ Studio: Casting Your Character .................................5 Part IV: Lights, Camera, Talk! Answering Questions..........................5 Part V: The Part of Tens.........................................................................5 Icons Used in This Book..................................................................................6 Where to Go from Here....................................................................................6 Part I: And the Interview Winner Is . . . You! ..................9 Chapter 1: Job Interviews Are Reality Shows. Really! . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Interviewing Is Theater .................................................................................12 Why “Be Yourself” Can Be Poor Advice ......................................................13 Your role: Job seeker............................................................................13 Outtake: Forget about being “natural”...............................................14 New Faces, New Factors in Interviewing.....................................................14 Expect new kinds of interviewers ......................................................15 Watch for new calls for a fast start ....................................................15 Find out about the new way to meet ................................................15 Focus on fitting in.................................................................................16 Cut out the loyalty oath.......................................................................17 Revisit the dramatic pause .................................................................17 Polish your storytelling skills .............................................................18 Learn new lines for small-business jobs............................................18 Get ready for the global job interview...............................................19 Ten Concepts to Make You a Star.................................................................19 Amplify your preparation for top billing ...........................................20 Distinguish screening from selection interviews .............................20 Verify early what they want and show how you deliver .................21 Connect all of your qualifications with a job’s requirements.........21 Master a one-to-two-minute commercial about yourself ................22 Seal the deal with a branding brief ....................................................22 Win two thumbs up from the hiring manager and you’re in!..........23 Allow interviewer to direct the improv .............................................24 x Job Interviews For Dummies, 3rd Edition Show sensitivity for the hiring manager’s dislike of interviewing ......................................................................24 Try not to talk money until you know they want you .....................24 Take Home an Oscar from Any Interview ...................................................25 Sing “I really, really like you!”..............................................................25 Style your body language ....................................................................25 Be a treat: Act upbeat ..........................................................................26 Start your interview off on the right foot ..........................................26 Remember that you have a speaking part ........................................27 Agree to take pre-employment tests ..................................................27 Flesh out your story beyond a college degree .................................27 Bring a pen and notebook with you...................................................28 Keep your ears up and your eyes open.............................................28 When Interviewers Chase You......................................................................30 Building Lifetime Confidence........................................................................31 Chapter 2: Tailoring Your Qualifications for Targeted Job Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Connecting the Dots: Showing You’re the Right One ................................34 Presenting Your Qualifications in a Targeted Interview............................35 Hunt for Red Demon: The screenplay................................................35 Telling your qualifications tale, again and again ..............................38 Making Up for Missing Qualifications..........................................................39 Chapter 3: Going Wireless for Your Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Can You See Me Now?....................................................................................43 What is a video interview? ..................................................................44 The gamut of video interviews ...........................................................44 What’s video’s upside? Downside? ....................................................45 Making an on-camera impression ......................................................46 Rock the Video Interview ..............................................................................47 Before the interview.............................................................................47 During the interview ............................................................................49 When You’re on the Phone ...........................................................................50 Hold the phone .....................................................................................51 Keep your phone well stocked ...........................................................51 Make phone appointments .................................................................52 Project a winning image.......................................................................52 Which Way to the Future? .............................................................................54 Have your avatar talk to my avatar....................................................54 Holy hologram: I see right through you ............................................54 Don’t dare lie: Your mind is an open book ........................................55 Chapter 4: Interviewing on the World Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Changing the Global Interviewing Game.....................................................57 Looking at Remaining Cultural Norms ........................................................58 Interviewing Across Cultures .......................................................................59 Table of Contents Tracking Down Country Research ...............................................................60 International Web sites ........................................................................60 International social networking .........................................................61 Preparing for the Global Job Interview .......................................................62 xi Chapter 5: A Chorus Line of Interviews by Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Mastering Interviews by Objective ..............................................................63 Screening interview..............................................................................64 Selection interview...............................................................................65 Combination interview ........................................................................67 Promotion interview ............................................................................67 Recruiter courtesy interview..............................................................68 Recruiter general screening interview ..........................................."

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