This article by Sarah Max (yet another at CNN Money) is probably the best I’ve read on the topic of techniques for the job interviewee. First of all, after reading the article, I now know that just about everything I do in an interview is wrong.
Human resources is absolutely the last place you want to send your resume… A better route is to identify the person who would likely be your boss and try to contact them directly. This one is obvious and maybe I don’t make this mistake that often, but it’s good to know this is an established fact.
And if you haven’t already, delete the section on your resume that says you like to read, run and weave baskets in your free time. I thought that showing some individuality and uniqueness was a plus, but I guess it’s not what it going to stand out for most people reading tons of resumes.
When [salary] comes up on an application or in the interview, remember one word—negotiable. I made a huge mistake when interviewing for a great job with the New York Philharmonic. I probably priced myself way out of range, which would explained why they said they liked me very much but never returned my follow-up calls.
Hold up your end of the conversation, but don’t go on and on. People talk way too much… The best interviews are the ones where the interviewer is doing a lot of the talking. I’ve been really surprised with my ability to ramble off the cuff, improvise, and be a wonderful story-teller during interviews. I should probably just shut up next time.
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