Scenario #1: You’ve identified the company you really, really want to work for. You get your courage up and call the CEO (start at the top, right?). She has absolutely no idea who you are (and is upset to be interrupted by a stranger calling out of the blue), and simply says, “I’m sorry, you’ve reached the wrong extension; I’ll transfer you to HR.” She hangs up and that’s the end of your chance to connect with the CEO. If, that is, you even managed to get by her administrative assistant in the first place!

Scenario #2: If, however, you are the author of a professional blog about a hot topic in her field, you would have already interviewed her, made her look good, and promoted her on social media. She would already know your name and have been impressed with your skills and industry knowledge. So she would pick up the phone enthusiastically and say, “Amanda! How are you?! I loved that blog post your wrote about me; all my friends said it was terrific! What can I do for you?!”

That difference, that connection, that relationship, that positive feeling about you at the highest level of your target company is worth its weight in gold.

And you got it simply by starting a professional blog and interviewing the key players in your field.

What’s not to like?

Bottom line: Most jobs are filled through connections. HR people start trying to fill open positions by advertising in-house to people they know. Then they ask for referrals from employees (what employee is going to recommend a loser?). And if the CEO recommends someone, what HR person is going to say, “no”?

If no one inside the company or friends outside the company have any candidates, the HR folks will then scour LinkedIn and other online sources looking for profiles of people who fit their needs. Finally, and only when they are really desperate, will they post the opening online. Only 10-20% of all job openings are advertised.

Which means: If you have connections in your target companies (whether it’s the CEO or a department head or other key player), they will know about openings in their own companies and in other companies in their field that they learned about through their professional grapevine.

By writing a professional blog about that field, you are making a name for yourself and plugging into that grapevine.

And by writing a professional blog, you are proving to those people that you are skilled, up to date on industry trends, personable, intelligent, eager, and driven. You’ve proven yourself, unlike all the people who are just sending in look-alike resumes and don’t stand out from the crowd.

So, while you’re hobnobbing with CEOs, your friends are sending dozens of resumes out to “black hole” job postings and never hearing a thing. Their self-esteem is sliding toward depression while yours is soaring higher with every interview and blog post.

Don’t wait another day. Start your professional blog and start making friends in high places!

Wondering how to start? Check out our posts by Lauren Terry about launching a professional blog:

Blogging to Land a Job Series:

1. Step One: Connecting with industry leaders
2. Step Two: What do I write about?
3. Step Three: Targeting the companies you want work for
4. Step Four: Showcase your skills and industry knowledge
5. Step Five: Choosing the blog topic most likely to land the job you want

Photo at the top of the page is a Creative Commons-licensed photo by combust

An intelligent, professional blog about topics and trends in your field will:

1. Showcase your skill set and expertise
2. Demonstrate your industry knowledge
3. Begin building your professional network by putting you in touch with key industry players
4. Differentiate yourself from the competition
5. Get past the gatekeepers (hiring managers, secretaries, HR departments)
6. Get on the radar screens of companies you want to work for

Mashable just published a story encouraging job seekers to start a blog to find a job by making themselves unique, appealing, talented.

So, how does a recent graduate get started?

1. Choose a narrow niche within your field, one where you have an interest and some knowledge. Don’t worry about how much you know. If you’re passionate about it and can develop good questions, you’ll learn as you go. But be ruthless in narrowing your topic. Don’t write about marketing; write about the best marketing companies or leaders in New England. Don’t write about fashion; write about the leading fashion designers in the Atlanta area. Don’t write about the environment; write about the the best water sustainability organizations and practices in Southern California. With a narrow niche, you’ll have a greater chance of being found in a Google search and you’ll be able to narrow the blog post topics down to a manageable area where you’ll be able to develop some expertise.
2. Choose a blog platform. WordPress is the most ubiquitous and when you do land your job the most likely platform you’ll be asked to use. Tumblr, however, is the fastest growing, the easiest to learn, and the most fun, flexible, and graphically pleasing. You can post to Tumblr from anywhere with anything (photos, Tweets, blog posts, video, etc.). There’s also Blogger.
3. Draft an editorial calendar. What topics will you write about? Make a list of the key issues and trends in the field. What are people talking about? Go to LinkedIn, look for related professional groups, join them and see what they’re talking about. Whom will you interview? Choose key industry players who will become your professional network, the people you will go back to for tips on job openings later (but never asking them directly for a job, instead asking them what they’re hearing about openings in the field). Start with the easiest interviews and move to the more difficult. Start writing two or three times a week, then you can settle in for once a week.
4. Go to flickr.com for copyright free photos. Click on “search” and type in your topic. When you get the results, go back to the top of the window and you’ll see “Advanced Search.” Click on that, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content.” That way, you’ll be using photos that you don’t have to worry about breaking copyright laws by publishing.
5. Choose five to eight keywords or keyword phrases that you will use over and over and over again as the focus of your blog posts. You won’t use all of them every time, but these will be the words you use in your headlines, URLs, first paragraphs, subheads, etc. You want Google to find you for these keywords. Here’s a great blog post about how to choose your blog keywords. And here’s a chapter of a great book about Search Engine Optimization that is focused on how to choose your keywords.

That’s it. Go get started!

It will be daunting to start from scratch, and you might worry that you don’t have anything to say about an industry you’re only just joining as a newly minted college graduate with no professional work experience outside of, perhaps, a few internships.

That’s OK. You are not purporting to be an expert; you’re interviewing the experts and providing value by putting their thoughts out there for others in your field to see (and impressing people in your field with your ability to ask intelligent questions and assemble intelligent blog posts).

Contacts and networking are the name of the game in any serious career-launching job search. You can have the best grades, the best resume, the best personality and the best skill set, but if the people who matter — the people who make the hiring decisions — don’t know about you, it’s like a tree falling in the woods. They can’t hire you if they don’t know about you, and just sending out resumes to job postings is like throwing yourself into a black hole.

Stand out from the crowd with a blog!

So, get started!

PS Here’s how one recent graduate parlayed a new blog into her dream job.

PS Here’s a little secret that no one talks about when they tell you to start blogging: It’s a heck of a lot of fun, especially if you take my approach of interviewing key players in your field. You get to meet the biggest names in your industry, ideally in person. You get to go to their cool offices, and, if you’re good, they’ll tell you so, boosting your self confidence for the next interview. By the time you get to an actual job interview, you’ll be self assured and you’ll be able to drop names like you were an old pro!

(College graduates photo above is a Creative Commons-licensed photo by NazarethCollege)

If you are about to graduate college or have recently graduated, you do not need to be un- or under-employed. You CAN launch the career of your dreams, and we can help you do it.

Degrees2Dreams serves two groups of people:

1. College students and recent grads
2. College career counseling offices

COLLEGE STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADS:

College students and recent grads generally break down into two groups, and we can help both:

1. Those who know exactly what they want to do
2. Those who don’t know exactly what they want to do

For those who know exactly what they want to do, we work with you launching your job search ”Campaign”  using our proven six-step process to showcase your skills and industry knowledge via social media, get you on the radar screens and in front of the powerful people in your professional niche, and plug into the hidden job network.

For those who aren’t sure what they want to do, we launch the “Exploration” process, investigating careers you think you might find rewarding and fulfilling. Once you’ve chosen your field and possible jobs within that field, we begin the six-step “Campaign” process.

We offer our services in person, speaking to groups large and small. We also offer one-to-one training at your convenience and at your pace, either in person or over Skype (if you’re not in Boston).

COLLEGE CAREER COUNSELORS

For college career counselors, we offer either a quick half-day overview of the uses of social media in the job search, leaving you with all sorts of tools you can then explore more deeply on your own. Or we offer full-day and weekend training workshops that actually have you doing the things you’ll be encouraging your students to use.

CONTACT US

If you’re interested in exploring how we might be able to help you, whether you’re a current student, a recent grad, or a college career counseling office, send me an e-mail (john@degrees2dreams.com) or call/text me (617-688-0137).

You do not need to be unemployed or underemployed. Your college education has prepared you to be a creative, thoughtful, resourceful, thinking human being, and you can convert your degree into the career of your dreams. It takes work, hard work, but it is a very realistic goal.

But don’t take my word for it; look at the testimonials of students and recent grads I have helped launch their exciting careers.

I look forward to talking to you and lighting a fire under your career plans.

John

“John Wilpers and Degree2Dreams are the masters of resumes. This will immediately put you ahead of most of the competition.” - Sam Clarke, Executive Assistant to Casting Director, “America’s Next Top Model”

To get a job these days means you need to stand out from the crowd. What better way than a multimedia resume that, among other things, enables you and

your best reference to actually “talk” to a potential employer?!

A multimedia resume is different from ordinary resumes. It is different from any “cool templates” you’ve seen or your friends have used.

Sam Clarke
Exec. Asst. to Casting Director
“America’s Next Top Model”
“John is all about a sense of entrepreneurship and making yourself as marketable as possible. It’s a tough job market out there but I haven’t noticed and I’ll always be grateful to John for helping me get to where I am.”

Multimedia resumes created with Degrees2Dreams showcase you in dramatic and unique ways! They include links to your work and professional websites and blogs, a photo of you working in your field, real quotes from references, and two QR codes — one to a video introduction of you demonstrating your energy and industry knowledge, the other to a video from your best reference waxing poetic about what  great candidate you are.

Degrees2Dream’s multimedia resumes stand out in any stack of applicants, and they are fun to make!

In addition to the fun stuff, you’ll get Degrees2Dream’s excellent editing, positioning, and optimizing language to tout your best accomplishments.

Here’s an example of an actual multimedia resume created with Degrees2Dreams.

Want your own multimedia resume? Sign up now for one of our workshops or one-on-one training to create your own.

Build a Multimedia Resume in Just Three Hours
(Limited to 16 participants)

Share an evening with me and a small group of other job seekers as I show you the key elements that can make the difference between having your resume disappear in a black hole or rise to the top. AND I’ll not only teach you how to create a multimedia resume, we’ll actually DO it! You’ll walk in with a “normal” resume and walk out with a multi-media resume, complete with at least one QR code. We’ll throw in an E-book with additional training, links, and guidance.

Price: $145
All classes located in Downtown Boston.
Many dates & times available.

“John helped make my resume informative and innovative (you don’t know how many people have commented on the QR code!).” Celia Nissen, Content Strategist, SapientNitro

The Exclusive One-to-One Package

Receive three hours of personalized one-on-one guidance from me for your specific online job search, AND walk out with a multimedia resume, complete with QR code. E-book with additional training, links, and guidance included. Over $300 value!

Price: $195
Private scheduling available for the Greater Boston Area.
Please call: 617-688-0137 or email john@degrees2dreams.com for more info.

“I’ve been working at what is basically a dream job, thanks in no small part to the resume we created together.” - Chris Snow, staff writer, Reviewed.com

The UNLIMITED Exclusive One-to-One Package

In addition to receiving three hours of personalized one-on-one guidance from me on your specific online job search, AND walking out with a multimedia resume complete with QR code, you’ll receive:

UNLIMITED coaching after the class AND 30 minutes with our video production team to create your custom introductory video about YOU! You will also receive our e-book with additional training, links, and guidance also included.

Price: $245
Private scheduling available for the Greater Boston Area.
Please call: 617-688-0137 or email john@degrees2dreams.com for more info.

“John taught me valuable job finding skills including networking and writing a killer resume. It was a highlight of my grad school experience despite not technically being part of my program.” - Jennifer Leslie, Ph.D, MIT; Medical Writer, MediTech Media

Add-ons & Extras

Custom Video Work

Work with me and our video production team for 20 minutes to create your custom video introduction about YOU! Link your QR code on your resume to this video to stand out and share your passion from an employer’s first glance at your resume.

Price: $45
Please call: 617-688-0137 or email john@degrees2dreams.com for more info.

Additional Coaching

Package of four additional 15-minute coaching segments during your job search, scheduled at your convenience, to discuss any topic you want.

Price: $65
Please call: 617-688-0137 or email john@degrees2dreams.com for more info.

Read everything about the company you can find

Break down the job listing, scour the company mission statement, go to their “Press” page and read their releases, Google their CEO and read any speeches he or she has given.

Find and read anything that gives you insight into the company’s culture, vision and mission as well as insights into the expectations the hiring manager has for the job you’re seeking to get. You need to read it all, and then you need to read it all again. Internalize it.

Pay attention to words the company uses the most

As you read all the material, pay attention to the words, phrases, and ideas that the company seems to use the most. You are looking for the keys to their culture and their needs — the words and phrases that will resonate with the hiring manager when he or she is reading your cover letter (use the same keywords in the “Profile” section at the top of your resume and, where appropriate, in the descriptions of other jobs you’ve held).

In all of their material, your potential employer is telling you in carefully thought-out language everything you need to know about the company. These are the words and ideas you should employ in your cover letter (and your resume) as long as they truthfully apply to you!

Go beyond the job description, read their mission statement, too

The company’s About Page and the actual job description will describe the company culture, the characteristics of their employees, their work ethic.

In the job description, the company will lay out in great detail the duties and responsibilities they consider essential to success for the person they ultimately hire.

So as you draft your cover letter, take these words and phrases and apply them to yourself, and your talents and experiences. Employers love nothing more than to find applicants who share their values and have a track record of success in the areas of expertise they require for the job.

The employer is looking to hire someone who lives and breathes the organization’s culture. Your cover letter is a great way to reassure the employer you’re a good fit. You can only do that if you’ve studied the organization’s literature.

Lace your cover letter (and resume) with their own keywords

Integrate those keywords and keyword phrases into your cover letter (and resume) wherever they truthfully apply. This will make you look like an excellent match for their skill needs and an excellent fit in their company culture.

Finally, by matching your experience with their needs, you will be respecting the time and effort it took for them to create those detailed job descriptions in the first place. They spent hours meticulously wording each part of the job description because those are their needs. So pay attention to specifically how you are the answer to their needs.

Keywords help you beat the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

There is one very practical reason to include keywords in your resume. It’s call an ATS or Applicant Tracking System. This is a computer system that scans your resume before a human even lays eyes on it. If the computer doesn’t find the keywords the hiring manager has programmed into the algorithm, the computer will reject it and you and your candidacy are, as they say, “toast!” (Here’s a piece on how to beat an ATS!)

Get those keywords in your cover letter and your resume, and you should start getting replies to the inquiries you send out instead of having your application disappear into a black hole!

By Sam Tormey

Many college career centers advise against listing references on your resume. This is totally bizarre. Why pass up an opportunity to have prominent industry professionals listed as endorsing your candidacy? And why force a hiring manager to contact you before moving the hiring process along?

It’s madness.

Make it Easy for Hiring Managers to Check Up on You

Picture this: Hiring managers are at their desk. They’re looking over your resume, and they’re excited about the idea of hiring you.

They want to speak to someone who knows you right then and there! Why should they have to go through the process of reaching you (you could be away from your computer, camping for the weekend, etc.). They have to wait for you to reply to the e-mail and then and only then they can start calling your professors and supervisors?

By that time, they might have lost their interest or found another candidate who listed his or her references and their easily-reached references are making your competitor sound pretty damn good. Perhaps good enough for the hiring manager to ignore you and your missing references!
As a Resident Assistant, some of my freshman dorm students with whom I work closely in the Living Green Learning Center listed me as a reference for campus and summer jobs.

I’ve never once had a company representative call me and say, “X student just emailed me your number for a reference.” It is, consistently, “I’m looking over X student’s resume here, and…” The reference on the resume really does the trick.

Allow Your References to Provide Instant Stamps of Approval

The references on your resume also act as an instant stamp of approval by people who have a reputation in your industry (or at least have standing as someone of authority and responsibility).

Hiring managers are impressed that such luminaries have allowed you to include them as references and that instantly boosts you in their eyes (“I know/have heard of so-and-so, and it’s a good sign that they agreed to be a reference for this candidate,” is the way hiring managers react.)

Pick a Reference Who Knows You Well

However, if your Big Name Reference doesn’t know you well, choose people who know you best over people with impressive titles. A good title is cool but if the employer actually calls and all your reference has to say is that you seem nice and made a couple copies for him/her once or twice, that doesn’t really get you anywhere.

Your employer already knows where you’ve worked, what they don’t know is who you are, what you’re like, and what makes you a unique human being. Someone who’s close to you, be it a former boss or a professor, will have information that no resume can convey (and few impressively-titled boss will know to say). They will also be inherently enthusiastic when talking about you and that will enthuse your potential employer as well.

Prep Your References

Some college career counselors say you shouldn’t list references because they will constantly be bothered by reference calls out of the blue. That’s true, but only if you are so incredibly stupid as to NOT call your references when you’re applying for a job to alert them to the possibility that they’ll get a call.

What’s more, you should call your references not only to alert them, but also to prepare them. Nobody likes a cold call. Everyone likes to be prepared. Tell your reference all about the job and what the company is looking for. You could even go so far as to tell your reference which key words or phrases to focus on and apply to your performance for him/her. References usually appreciate having the table set for them rather than having to pull out thoughts on the fly. Everyone wins with advance notice.

Use References on Social Media

Take it two steps further: Ask all your references for a recommendation on LinkedIn. Then take the best 10-20 words about you and excerpt them right under the listing of that reference on your resume. Put it in quotes like a mini-movie review you see on movie ads (e.g., “Sam was one of the hardest working interns I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with…”).

Then ask your best reference to do a video recommendation of you. No more than 30 seconds. He or she can do it right from their laptop camera. Have them post it on YouTube or send it to you. Then create a QR code linking to that video and put it on your resume next to the listing of your references! All of a sudden, your best reference is “real” and talking instantly and directly to the hiring manager. This will blow their socks off. Guaranteed.

So what’s to take away from this blog post? Degrees2Dreams encourages you to enhance your resume with references, LinkedIn recommendation excerpts, and a QR code that links to a video of your best reference. Make your resume a multimedia experience for the hiring manager.

Did you like this story? Would you like to get more like it to help you in your job search?

Can you share any suggestions of your own when it comes references and resumes? Tell us, and we’ll make a list of the best ideas. We might even call you for an interview and feature you here on Degrees2Dreams. Or, would you like to write your own story about your own experiences? Send a story pitch to me at john@degrees2dreams.com! We’d love to have your contribution.

By Emma-Jean Weinstein
Blogger

But that doesn’t need to be the case. YOU can control the end of the meeting and leave a lasting impression. Here’s how.Step #4 in How to Nail an Interview and the Job is simply to end the interview with a tale about one of your pinnacle achievements they did not ask about or that was not fully explained earlier. This is especially useful if there were any low points in the interview and could end up counteracting negative impressions

The bottom line: Never walk out the door with ammo still in your gun!

Here’s why:

1. PEOPLE REMEMBER THE LAST WORDS, ESPECIALLY STORIES: People tend to remember interactions that happen first and last. They also remember stories. Anecdotes tell a larger tale, and are more memorable than an entry on a resume. Giving the interviewer a final impression of you as !a star delivering results for a previous employer will stick.  Close the story with, “…and I could do the same for you and X company! I look forward to hearing from you!”
2. LEAVE’EM WITH AN ACHIEVEMENT: This “extra” information you add should be especially relevant to the job. Talk about a skill or achievement that is a requirement for the job or an example of you living the mission of the target company. That will help the employer better picture you in that position in his or her company.
3. MAKE THE LAST IMPRESSION MEMORABLE: When it comes time for the employer to pick someone for the position, and when they look back on your interview, they will remember how it ended on a high note with a memorable, positive anecdote.
4. MAKE A PERSONAL CONNECTION: If you’ve covered all of your accomplishments, don’t give up. Pull up one of the interests or hobbies or experiences you and the interviewer share.  The hiring manager could look back and say “Oh yeah, that’s the candidate who has a golf handicap that’s worse than mine” or “That’s the candidate who likes the same type of music I do and introduced me to a new band,” etc..  Shared personal connections stick

Remember, half of the interview is in YOUR control. You choose what to say, when to say it and how to say it. That’s a lot of control, but it’s up to you to make the most of it.

If you have done your homework, then you will be comfortable and confident. If you have practiced your replies, you will come across as self-assured and competent.

Again, the way to do this is to:

1)   Prepare for “death trap questions”

2)   Research both the company and the interviewer

3)   Prepare answers for every possible question

4)   Leave on a high note

If you do this, you will leave radiating confidence and leaving the hiring manager with a very positive impression and one of your many successes the last thing he heard.

Please don’t wait until the last minute to put all of this together!

Now I’m curious to know what you have to tell me. What job interview tricks can you share with me that we can pass along to other students to help them find that dream job? If you tell us, we’ll make a list of the best ideas and possibly call you for an interview to feature you here on Degrees2Dreams. You could also write your own story about your experiences. Send your story idea to john@degrees2dreams.com!

Just kidding. But not by much.Nothing comes off as poorly as being caught unprepared and unable to answer a question promptly and intelligently.

So, seriously, even before you score an interview, you should be looking up and preparing an answer for every interview question that you can expect you’ll be asked and some that might come out of the blue (check out our list in the “Death Trap Job Interview Questions” post).

We recommend writing answers to all of the questions you collect and begin to rehearse those answers over and over again until they becomes so familiar, you can use them as conversation starters.

This step is not that hard! Check out “The 25 Most Asked Job Interview Questions”. Copy those onto a Word document or a GoogleDoc and start writing your own personalized answers for every single one of those questions. Then look around for more and work on how you’ll answer those, too.

Next, practice reciting your answers with friends and family. It’s one thing to write the answers down, or even recite them out loud to yourself, and it’s an entirely different (and more stressful) thing to say them out loud to another human being, especially one who has your future in his or her hands, right?!

When you are writing out your answers, skip the big, college-entrance-exam words and just be yourself.

But DO spice up your answers with examples of your best work, skills, accomplishments, and everything and anything that can set you aside from the rest of the mob that is also interviewing for YOUR position.

Do NOT get out of the hot seat without telling them the good stuff! If they haven’t asked you a question that allows you to cite your best achievements, save them for last when they say, “Do you have any questions?” Your answer to that could be, “No, but I do have an achievement we didn’t get a chance to discuss but which I think proves how I am a perfect match for this position and how I’ll add value to your team and to the company as a whole.”

Every time I hear the phrase “so…do you have any questions for me”, all I am thinking is “Yeah, of course I do. Lets starts with a) Why did you make me wait so long? B) Who dressed you this morning? Or c) Did I get hired yet?” But I resist asking THOSE questions!

Never let the interview end on anything but a positive note (so the answer to the “Do you have any questions?” is NEVER just a weak “no!”

Ending with an intelligent question from you or with story of one of your best accomplishments will virtually guarantee you’ll be remembered positively (people tend to remember what happens first and last in an interview)

BONUS TIP: Take notes during the interview. It will show you are paying attention and that you value what the interviewer is saying.

OK, we’re ready to move to Part Four of Nailing the Job Interview and the Job.

(Part One is “Avoiding the Dangerous Interview Questions” and Part Two is “Research the Company and the Interviewer”)

Do you want to impress your interviewer? It’s not hard if you simply do your “homework.”

1. RESEARCH THE COMPANY: Use LinkedIn, Google, GlassCeiling, etc. to research the company. Read all the latest news (both the company’s own press releases and any outside sources to get a balanced view). Check out what people have to say about the company on places like GlassCeiling.com. Do a Compete.com comparison of the company and its closest competitors to see who’s trending up, and who’s trending down.
2. RESEARCH THE INTERVIEWER: Use LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. to research your  interviewer. If they haven’t given you his or her name, call HR and ask for it, telling them you’d like to do the interviewer the courtesy of learning about them prior to meeting them. If they write a blog, read it. If they Tweet, follow them. Check out their history on LinkedIn. Look for major accomplishments. Be ready so that when you meet them and shake their hand, you can say something about them that will impress them with your courtesy and interest
3. FIND AN INTERNAL CONNECTION: If you have helpful connections, use them. Do not think you are bothering them; they’ll probably ask you to return the favor some day. Go on LinkedIn and see if you have any connections to the company and/or the interviewer. Ask them to hand-deliver your resume alone with a recommendation. Reach out to the interviewer, asking if there is anything you can do before the interview or bring with you to help him/her find out what they need to know about you.
4. FIND RECENT HIRES AND DEPARTURES: Find those who left the company or were recently hired. Pick their brains! LinkedIn has a wonderful feature when you search for companies. Click on “Recently Hired” and “Recently Left.” Reach out to them. Those who just joined will be able to give you a largely positive introduction to the company while the recently departed might have a less sunny, but more experienced, view.
5. RESEARCH KEYWORDS AND USE THEM: Research keywords that you can find on the company’s mission statement online and try to use them several times during the interview or comment about how you, too, share in one or more of the company’s goals, objectives or outlooks on business or life in general
6. USE THE JOB REQUIREMENTS: The job posting itself will have “requirements” listed. Make sure to use these words during the interview as well. You can do this by telling the interviewer how you have already done what they’re looking for and the results.
7. “STALK” THE COMPANY AND INTERVIEWER: Stalk them. Well, start following both the interviewer and company.  Find their Twitter page, blog page, social media presence, anything.
8. BRING INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS; TAKE NOTES: Make a list of questions and/or observations. You should come in with a prepared list of questions and you should take notes during the interview that can result in questions. Show them you were alive and listening during the interview and not just rehearsing what you were about to say next.

Researching the company and the interviewer is a sign of respect and will not only start the interview off positively but also give you many opportunities to comment intelligently during the interview about both.

Part Three of How to Nail the Job Interview and the Job comes next. (Here is Part One of Preparing for the Job Interview: Avoiding the Dangerous Questions” )

Can you share any suggestions of your own when it comes to preparing for a job interview? questions and giving fantastic advice? Tell us, and we’ll make a list of th. We might even call you for an interview and feature you here on Degrees2Dreams. Or, would you like to write your own story about your own experiences? Send a story pitch to me at john@degrees2dreams.com! We’d love to have your contribution.