Interview

Workshop participants and coaching clients often ask how to handle the question, “What is your greatest weakness?” After all, they know it will be asked at some point. This question has become such a staple for interviewers that it continues to spark discomfort, or even fear, in job hunters at all levels. Not surprisingly, the … Read More

Treat every interview as prime time for your career prospects, even when no one can see you. If you are facing a phone screen early in the interview process, be sure to treat it as seriously as an in-person interview, because you probably won’t get a face-to-face meeting if you don’t impress on the phone … Read More

Some say panel interviews feel like inquisitions. Follow these steps to get through the final round. What if you were in the hot seat? You’re a six-figure job seeker, an executive. The search took a little longer than you thought, but now it’s time to close the deal. The last stage is the panel interview … Read More

Before you face the hiring manager, you’ll probably spend some time on the phone with the company’s HR department. Here’s what it takes to win them over. If your resume passes muster for a job to which you’ve applied, a phone screen will probably be your next stop. Human-resources and hiring managers just don’t have … Read More

Filler words like “um,” “ahh,” “so,” “like” and “you know” can reduce your credibility as a speaker and hurt your chances in a job interview. Recently I attended a panel discussion with three speakers. One of the speakers was a well-spoken young woman, but she used “filler words” excessively and to her detriment. In her … Read More

Michigan job seeker Connie Corwin grew tired of being stumped on interviews, so she made her own prep list of questions and answers for every eventuality. Getting a job interview turned out to be less of a hurdle than Connie Corwin expected when she began her first job search in three decades. Corwin, a member … Read More

Follow-up strategies to help tip the scale in your favor. Thank-you letters are so boring. You feel compelled to write one because the career books, career counselors, and HR managers tell you that’s what you are supposed to do. If you don’t do it, then you failed to show professional courtesy. If you do send … Read More

Older candidates aren’t the only ones who worry about how they’re perceived by employers. Younger candidates for senior positions can take a few steps to raise their credibility. One of my more popular columns for Ladders was titled ” Take 10 Years Off Your Image.” My tone was a bit tongue in cheek, but the … Read More

The most common psychological exams used by HR managers to review job applications. According to experts interviewed by Ladders, some of the most commonly used pre-employment personality assessments are: The Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) Questionnaire The 16PF is a personality inventory that measures the 16 normal-range personality traits identified by psychologist Raymond B. Cattell and … Read More