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    How to Interview Like a Pro: Forty-Three Rules for Getting Your Next Job
    How to Interview Like a Pro: Forty-Three Rules for Getting Your Next Job
    How to Interview Like a Pro: Forty-Three Rules for Getting Your Next Job
    Ebook170 pages1 hour

    How to Interview Like a Pro: Forty-Three Rules for Getting Your Next Job

    By Mary Greenwood

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    About this ebook

    Getting a job is like parking. You have to be in the right place at the right time. In How to Interview Like a Pro, author Mary Greenwood provides strategies and practical tips about how to prepare for job hunting, how to interview, and how to seal the deal.

    Greenwood, a longtime human resources director, provides insight into how get ready for an interview, how to answer those difficult questions, and how to negotiate salary. Her guide can also help you understand the laws of interviewing and the questions an employer cannot legally ask. How to Interview Like a Pro offers forty-three essential rules to give you the edge. Learn how to

    recognize that looking for a job is a full-time job;

    create a great cover letter for your resume;

    prepare and deliver a quality elevator speech that is essential for success;

    be nosy about the interview processit can work in your favor;

    wear the right outfit, use the right handshake, and project the right demeanor; and

    ask good questions at the interview.

    A blend of reference materials, case studies, state and federal resources, and checklists, How to Interview Like a Pro can give you the edge to get the job you want.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateJul 25, 2012
    ISBN9781938908071
    How to Interview Like a Pro: Forty-Three Rules for Getting Your Next Job
    Author

    Mary Greenwood

    Mary Greenwood has been an aspiring writer and hungry reader since her primary school years. She has a long-standing love of language, stories and art, leading her to study linguistics and ancient history, as well as to practise archery, fencing, drawing, and embroidery. When she's not at work or daydreaming about her next writing project, she may be plotting or participating in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Moontide won the Hawkeye Manuscript Development Prize in 2022 and was signed with Hawkeye when all three author judges phoned the director of Hawkeye saying "you have to sign this one!"

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    • 5/5
      TITLE: How to Interview like A ProSUB: 43 Rules for getting your next jobAuthor: Mary Greenwood, JD, LL.M is an attorney, Mediator, and Author of many books. Mary has a BA from New School for Social Research, an MA in English from the University of Southern CA, and a Law Degree from California Western School of law. Mary lives in Florida.Publisher: iUniverseGenre/Market: Law, Business, Economics, PsychologyPublication Date: 2010ISBN: 978-1-4502-7089-2Book Length: 110 PagesPrice: $14.95Soft copy 5 Out of 5 pointsHeadline for Book Review: How to land your next job.This book was given to me for my honest review. Quote: “Getting a job is like parking, you have to be at the right place at the right time.”When this book arrived I was very happy because I have been looking for a job for quite some time in 2011. I believe so many people have either lost a job, got laid off a job, or the company downsized that learning how to properly interview from Mary Greenwood would benefit everyone. In the book there are many rules but the first few rules seem to narrow down the basics for anyone new to the interview process. RULE 1: In order to get a full time job it is best to apply online to the many job boards as possible and check back with them daily. It is very important to have your resume’ up to date. *For example, I just moved into a new place and totally forgot to update the address on my resume! It is also important to go out and talk to people and stores and network. RULE 2: Prepare your elevator sentences. This will tell in 30 seconds or less who you are, what you offer, and what you can bring to the new job.RULE 3: Make a list of (EVERYONE) you know.RULE 4: Let everyone know you are looking for a job.RULE 5: Make sure you use social networking sites such as LinkedIn.RULE 6: Make sure your resume and cover letter fit the job you are currently applying for.RULE 7: Be Flexible and Professional and prepared so that the unexpected is an invitation you are well ready for whether you are out shopping or what have you.What I loved best was the twenty-seven do’s and the twenty-six Do Not’s of Interviewing along with the “Glossary of Terms.” As I was reading this book I realized it would be a great reference or even a great stocking stuffer for a friend or relative as the holidays approach. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking employment at any stage they might be in. © 2011 by Jackie Paulson

    Book preview

    How to Interview Like a Pro - Mary Greenwood

    Copyright © 2010, 2012 Mary Greenwood, JD, LLM

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

    iUniverse Star

    an iUniverse, Inc. imprint

    iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

    iUniverse

    1663 Liberty Drive

    Bloomington, IN 47403

    www.iuniverse.com

    1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

    Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

    ISBN: 978-1-938908-06-4 (pbk)

    ISBN: 978-1-938908-07-1 (ebk)

    Library of Congress Control Number: 2012912078

    iUniverse rev. date: 7/19/2012

    To Jack and Peggy Greenwood,

    my wonderful parents, in memoriam

    Contents

    Acknowledgments

    Preface

    Introduction

    1   HOW TO GET STARTED.

    Rule 1. Getting a Job is a full-time job.

    Rule 2. Prepare a good elevator speech.

    Rule 3. Make a list of everyone you know.

    Rule 4. Tell everyone you know you are looking for a job.

    Rule 5. Tell everyone you would like to know you are looking for a job.

    Rule 6. Prepare a great résumé.

    Rule 7. Prepare a great cover letter.

    Rule 8. Be in interview mode all the time.

    Rule 9. Be flexible.

    2   HOW TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW.

    Rule 10. Be nosey. Find out how many applicants are being interviewed.

    Rule 11. Find out what kind of interview it is.

    Rule 12. Find out if the employer will pay your travel expenses.

    Rule 13. Make your own travel arrangements if you can.

    Rule 14. Be prepared.

    Rule 15. Check the employer’s website and its competitors’ websites.

    Rule 16. Learn the buzz words.

    3   THE INTERVIEW: DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS.

    Rule 17. Be on time.

    Rule 18. Make sure you know the location of the interview.

    Rule 19. Wear the right outfit for the interview.

    Rule 20. Give the right handshake.

    Rule 21. Be careful with the jokes.

    Rule 22. Don’t assume the interviewer has read your résumé.

    Rule 23. Ask what you can do for the company.

    Rule 24. Be observant.

    Rule 25. Never say you do not have any questions.

    4   HOW TO ANSWER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS.

    Rule 26. Rehearse answers in advance.

    5   INTERVIEWING AND THE LAW.

    Rule 27. Know whether you are in a protected category.

    6   THE WAITING GAME AFTER THE INTERVIEW.

    Rule 29. Send a thank-you note.

    Rule 30. Give yourself a debriefing.

    Rule 31. Determine if there are any red flags.

    Rule 32. The employer is on its own timetable.

    Rule 33. Don’t be a nuisance if the employer does not call.

    Rule 34. Do not get discouraged if you did not get the job.

    Rule 35. Try to find out who did get the job.

    Rule 36. Get back in the saddle.

    7   YOU GOT THE JOB! .

    Rule 37. Get the employer to make the first offer, but never accept the employer’s first offer.

    Rule 38. Look at the full benefit picture before accepting an offer.

    Rule 39. Ask yourself if you want something other than money.

    Rule 41. Give proper notice.

    Rule 42. Do not burn any bridges, and help with the transition.

    Rule 43. When you are the interviewer, remember what it was like to be interviewed.

    8   CONCLUSION: GETTING YOUR NEXT JOB.

    APPENDIX A:   Dos and Don’ts of Interviewing

    APPENDIX B:   Glossary of Terms

    APPENDIX C:   Federal Laws Prohibiting Discrimination

    APPENDIX D:   State Fair Employment Agencies

    Author Page

    Acknowledgments

    I want to thank my mom and dad, who instilled a love of words and literature in me at a very young age. They were always a source of great encouragement for me and my sisters.

    I want to thank my son, John, an attorney and mediator, for giving me some good ideas about interviewing and sharing some anecdotes with me.

    I also want to thank everyone who has ever interviewed me, whether I got the job or not. Those experiences, good and bad, inspired me to write this book.

    Preface

    This is the third in my series of books that started with How to Negotiate Like a Pro:41 Rules for Resolving Disputes, which is in its second edition and has won eight book awards. Next came How to Mediate Like a Pro:42 Rules for Mediating Disputes, which has won twelve book awards and so far How to Interview Like a Pro: 43 Rules for Getting Your Next Job has won twelve book awards, including the winner of the Indie Excellence Awards in the Career category, Winner of the Reader Views Book Awards in the How To category and the Silver Award Winner of the ForeWord Book Awards in the Career category.

    My sister Sara suggested that I write a book about interviewing , since everyone entering the workplace—especially in this downward economy—could use a book on interviewing and how to get a job. Then it hit me that interviewing with a prospective employer is really a type of negotiation. If the employer makes a job offer, then the negotiation continues as benefits and salary are determined. It seemed a logical sequence to call the third book in the series How to Interview Like a Pro: 43 Rules for Getting Your Next Job.

    A few years ago, I wrote a book for employers called Hiring, Firing, and Supervising Employees: An Employer’s Guide to Discrimination Laws, but I have always wanted to write a book for applicants and employees. I have been an employment and labor attorney for over twenty-five years and know the laws of hiring and interviewing. I have worked as a human resources director for over ten years and interviewed for a search firm for over five years. I also know about interviewing from my own career. At last count, I have held over twenty-five different jobs, and that translates into hundreds of job interviews. I include some practical anecdotes from my own experiences.

    How to Interview Like a Pro: 43 Rules for Getting Your Next Job will give you strategies and practical tips about the interview process. It will give you insight into how get ready for an interview, how to answer those difficult questions, and how to negotiate salary. It will also help you understand the laws of interviewing and the questions an employer cannot legally ask you. There are reference materials in the appendices, including a glossary of terms, a list of state and federal resources, and the dos and don’ts of interviewing. After you read this book, you should be able to interview like a pro.

    Introduction

    Getting a job is like parking.

    You have to be at the right place at the right time.

    Just like most things in life, timing is very important. You have to be at the right place at the right time. One thing that is always interesting about the interview process is that you really don’t know what is happening on the other side of the interview. You don’t know where the company is in the interview process or what they are really looking for. This book will give you some tips and advice so that when your opportunity comes, you will be ready during each step of the process.

    Once, when looking for a job, I took a map (this is before Google and GPS systems) and used a protractor to arc the distance from my new apartment to see what towns were nearby. I saw that if I went over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a neighboring city was only ten miles away. I picked up my briefcase with resumes, got dressed for a job interview, and drove over that bridge. I found out that the county administrator was looking for an attorney. I knocked on his door and introduced myself. The county administrator looked at me as though he could not believe his good luck; he read my resume and interviewed me on the spot. It turned out the county administrator had already advertised for the position, did not like any of the candidates, and was getting pressure to hire someone quickly. He asked me to come back, and I started my new job within the week.

    That was when I first realized that getting a job was like parking. Was I the best candidate? Probably not, but I did have experience. I was available, and I was there. It is amazing what a protractor can do. My point is to get out there so that when somebody pulls out of his or her parking spot, you are ready to drive into that spot and get the job.

    Chapter 1.

    HOW TO

    GET STARTED

    Rule 1. Getting a Job is a full-time job.

    If you already have a job and are looking for another job, then you have two full-time jobs. Getting a job is not for the faint of heart. If you do not currently have a job, this is not the time to sleep late, read the paper, and smell the roses. This is the time to get up early, get dressed in office clothes, and start looking for a job. Your computer is probably going to be your steady companion. Check certain websites on a regular basis and submit résumés. However, you are not going to get a job just sitting at your computer; you have to get out and about as well. Make contacts daily, and make luncheon plans with people who can help you.

    Getting a job is hard work. You don’t just send out your résumé and wait for a response. You apply for a lot of jobs simultaneously. You write a polished résumé. You make sure that everything you send out is well written and has no typos. You act as though this is serious business, which it is. Since this is your job, you should be spending eight hours or more each day looking for a job. There will

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