“So tell me a little bit about yourself.” This statement is one of the most challenging questions asked in an interview. This is a critical question that a savvy interviewer could potentially ask you, and you better have an answer. This question, presented as a statement can be the difference between you getting the job and someone else getting the job.
Don’t blow this question off, prepare for it and have an answer. Your answer should be at least 1-2 minutes, even better 2-3 minutes. It should be a brief overview of “who you are and what you bring to …read more

Do you dare lie on your resume, or in your interview? I am amazed at how easy it is for people to lie about their credentials, about their work or life experience and then when caught, they either attempt to perpetuate the lie or they get angry for the exposure. I am publishing this post I wrote back in July 2007. With some additional information added. As a coach, I am asking you not to lie. Don’t lie on your resume, don’t lie on applications. Don’t lie in an interview. Don’t lie about anything. It will not serve you in …read more

So, You’ve Been Fired is by far the most popular post I have written here at Interview Chatter over the last two years. I still respond to comments weekly. Which is why I am reposting it today. I want to hear from you. If you have recently been fired from your job and you don’t know what to do. I invite you to take a look at this post, read through the comments. You are in good company. If you have questions, again, scroll down and leave your question. I am looking for some stories. I would like to hear …read more

Relocation and career changes are a dangerous proposition right now given the employment climate. I had the opportunity to speak a young man who is interested in moving to a different state here in the US and changing his career choice. He has experience in his current field, however he doesn’t like it and wants to transition into a different career. My advice to him and to you is not to try to do both at the same time.
Changing geographic locations, or moving is not a bad option if you can’t find employment where you are currently living. However, …read more

The announcement regarding DHL got me thinking about layoffs and how I can help people who find themselves wondering about how to find a job during these tough times. Here are some things to consider if you find yourself in the job market unexpectedly:
1. Take some time to develop a job search strategy. You may need to begin working somewhere in order to have an income, to cover expenses, bills, etc. But take a day or two, a week or two if you can afford it to develop your job search strategy. Some questions you may want to consider in …read more

Jason Monastra blogger from Lambenthpath suggested I define “Padding” in our discussion of Padding Your Resume. Here is a dictionary definition of the word “pad” – to expand or increase especially with needless, misleading, or fraudulent matter. By definition for our discussion, the word pad speaks to “needless, misleading or fraudulent” information. My definition of padding your resume would mean that you have added information to the resume that is inaccurate. I have heard from both my classmates and others that there are exceptions to this issue of padding the resume. I don’t see an exception. I believe that …read more

YES! In a word! If you pad your resume you are being dishonest. I know there are lots of you out there who may disagree, but let me tell you upfront why padding your resume is dishonest. My definition of padding your resume is fabricating information that does not truthfully depict your skills and abilities. If you are fabricating information to get the interview or the job, then you are being dishonest. It is as simple as that.
Many people choose to pad their resume for many reasons. Here are a few:
1. Job titles are obsolete – For example, janitor versus …read more

Tonight was the first Chicago Bulls pre season game.  You may remember months ago I wrote about how Vinny Del Negro convinced the Bulls leadership to give him the job of new head coach, even though had has never had a coaching job in his life.  Nothing, not even college basketball! 
Now that the media has gotten their hands on Vinny and we’ve been able to take a peak at the Bulls’ practices, I understand better how he got the job.  He portrayed himself as a change agent. 
When Vinny interviewed for head coach, the Bulls was a team in turmoil.  They’d just come …read more

These days, many interviews are set up as a series of meetings with several different people from the organization so that you have several hours of interviews all on the same day.
The next most important thing to answering the questions you’re asked in a magnificant way is asking great questions of your interviewer.  And one very important thing you should do to prepare to ask great questions is tailoring your questions to the individuals you’ll be interviewing with so that they are relevant to that particular person in that particular role. 
Be sure to ask for your itentirary as soon as the interview …read more

Having enough time to properly prepare for a job interview can really make a difference in how effective you are.  I only had 1 day notice before my last job interview and I felt unprepared and much more nervous than I would like to have been.  I don’t think I did horribly, but considering the very tough competition, I really needed to bring my A-game to have a fighting chance at being invited back for the second round of interviews.
This time I have ample time to prepare.  A week and a half, actually.  I’ll be keeping you updated as I prepare but …read more