I Have 3 Things to Tell You

You go into the interview with that queasy mix of excitement, nervousness, adrenaline and anxiety. You answer all the questions, walk through your background and what you're hoping to do, and point out areas where you triumphed in the past. You shake hands and say you're looking forward to following up, go out into the parking lot and as you're walking towards your car, you realize ...

"Doh! I forgot to mention _______!"

In the words of those classic 1970s commercials: "Has this happened to you?"

Well of course it has, Readers. It happens to all of us. The buzz and thrill of the job interview can push even the most important points out of our heads when we are sitting face-to-face with our potential future boss and colleagues.

So I have a bit of very simple advice for your next interview: walk in with three points that you must make. Creating "talking points" is a great way to keep yourself focused. CEOs do it, politicians do it, actors and actresses on the late night talk show circuit do it, and you should too.

It can be so easy, particularly in this difficult economic environment, to let the anxiety and concern of the job hunt overwhelm us. We want the job so badly, and we are so eager to please. And just the opportunity to talk with somebody who seems so sympathetic to our plight can mislead us into making the job interview a chat with a buddy or a trip to the therapist.

But it is important that you recognize the interview for what it is: a sales call.

And you're selling the most important thing you'll ever sell: the next few years of your labor.

So what I'd like you to do before your next interview is sit down and write out the three critical points you want to make. And they should be focused less on the "what" of your past and your accomplishments, and more on the "why" of how those past experiences prove to the interviewer that you are the right person to help your new boss and your new colleagues achieve their difficult goals in the challenging year that 2009 is shaping up to be.

And to keep those points in mind, I have a small recommendation. Take one of those brightly colored Post-It notes and stick it on the outside of your briefcase or purse or portfolio. You can either write out your three points on the Post-It, or just leave it blank and let it serve as a silent reminder to you - "I must make my points." Because having a brightly colored Post-It there, and keeping it in your field of view, will jog your memory and bring you back to your critical themes.

OK, folks, good luck with the hunt this week, and good luck with getting your points across and an offer extended!

Warmest Regards,

Marc Cenedella
Founder & CEO
TheLadders.com, Inc.