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Subtle Signals in Interviews Lead to Job Offers

When applicants are being interviewed, the right behavior is just as important as experience. But just what is the right behavior?

The answer depends on where you interview and who's doing the interviewing. The ultimate decision to hire or not to hire often comes down to whether the interviewer thinks an individual will fit in with the company's culture. And like it or not, the preferences of the people doing the hiring also plays a big part in the ultimate decision.

Susan Hodas, an executive at NERA Economic Consulting, uses her instincts when hiring. She looks at body language to see if the potential hire is too cocky or casual. She considers mumbling and poor communication skills a deal breaker as is poor eye contact. Hodas also wants to see her interviewees in a suit.

Experts offer pointers to improve interviewing skills:

• Research the company thoroughly
• Ask questions that convey interest in contributing to the firm's success
• Follow up each interview, even if there are several, with a prompt e-mail that reaffirms pertinent experience and knowledge about the company

The bottom line is that courtesy and common sense, coupled with research and intuition, can help seal the deal.

Discussion: At an interview, why is it a bad idea to be more casually dressed than those working at the firm? When would it not be appropriate to send a handwritten thank you note after an interview? Why is it important to bring print résumés to an interview?

Ask Not What an Employer Can Do for You!

The No. 1 mistake interviewees make that sabotages their chances of landing a job is to talk about what the job will do for them rather than what they can do for the company, says certified life coach Edie Fee.

She also notes that speaking negatively about former employers should be avoided. Instead, job seekers should discuss what they gained from prior work experience that they can bring to the new firm.

"This is especially important if you are asked why you left," Fee says. "You need to answer in a positive way." Good responses for the "why-you-left" question include saying that you had optimized the experience or that you were ready for a new challenge. Then discuss the wonderful opportunity you had while in the position.

Bob Grimsley is a director at Technisource in Los Angeles and advises job hunters to listen carefully to questions and respond directly to what is asked. He adds that simple yes-or-no answers are seldom useful, but providing concrete examples of situations that apply to a query will help.

A few more don'ts when interviewing include slouching and sitting with folded arms. And don't forget to turn off your phone!

Discussion: Why is it important to practice telling short success stories to illustrate your experience before an interview? What research can you perform so you are armed with questions to ask a potential employer at an interview? If you complain about a past employer, what might a potential employer think about you?

Advice for Repaying Student Loans

More than ever, students are relying on loans to pay college expenses. But they should stay on top of loan specifics to avoid extra fees and protect credit ratings. The following are the top 10 tips from the Project on Student Debt.

1. Keep track of your loans. Know the lender, balance, and repayment specifics of both government and private loans.

2. Understand the grace period. Depending on the loan, students will need to begin repayment soon after graduation.

3. Choose the best repayment plan. Federal loans are automatically based on a 10-year repayment plan, but you have alternatives. A new income-based provision will help those struggling to repay their debt.

4. Stay in touch with lenders. Notify lenders of address/phone changes. Be sure to read all mail from the lender. And work with the lender if you're having a hard time making your payments.

5. Know your options. If you become ill, unemployed, or want to return to school, you can postpone your repayments.

6. Don't ignore the loan. Defaulting on loans destroys your credit and can lead to the government garnishing your wages.

7. Pay down the principal. Always cover interest, but try to pay down the principal whenever you can. Make sure to include a written note explaining that you want to apply the amount to the principal, not to future payments.

8. Pay the most expensive loans first. If you can pay off loans before they are due, pick the ones with the highest interest rates first.

9. Consolidate only if it makes sense. Combining multiple loans may make sense, but shop for the best deal.

10. Look at loan forgiveness programs. By working in certain fields, the government will forgive some or all of your loans.

Discussion: How can not paying a bill negatively affect an individual? What steps should you take before accepting a loan? Can you take actions now to help minimize college expenses and avoid debt?

Source: The top 10 student loan tips for recent graduates. (n.d.). Retrieved September 17, 2009, from http://projectonstudentdebt.org/x_pag_flat.php?stpl=print&pagename=recent_grads

Pay to Work for Free?

A growing number of college students—and their parents—are paying for internships in hopes that the foot in the door will lead to a paying position.

The largest player in the paid internship game is the University of Dreams, a for-profit organization that matches students with summer internships. This past year the firm experienced a 30 percent increase in the number of applicants it serviced, bringing the number to 9,000. Of those, 1,600 were placed in internships in 13 countries around the world. The cost depended on where the internship was located and averaged about $8,000.

Many parents see paying for internships as a necessity and view it as part of underwriting their children's educations. Employers claim that dealing with the middlemen is a time saver. "They hand-select their interns for the specific agencies to make sure it's the right fit. They [interns] just show up at our doorstep, ready to go," says Sarah Cirkiel, CEO of Pitch Control PR in New York.

But critics of the practice say that it increases the divide between students whose parents are wealthy enough to pay for opportunities and those whose cannot.

Discussion: Why might some view paying for internships as a move toward an end of merit-based opportunities? What is the disadvantage of not finding an internship on your own? Why is having an internship so important?

Interview Outfitting Poses Dilemma

What to wear to an interview used to be a no-brainer: conservative business suit for men and women. But job hunters today need to consider the type of business and its location before donning their interview duds.

The key is to learn as much about the corporate culture of an organization before deciding what to wear. Whether the fashion template is designer jeans or an Armani suit, job seekers improve their chances at fitting in if they look the part.

Executives in various fields offer some basic guidelines.

Always be well groomed. Clean, neat hair, manicured nails, and buffed shoes are de rigueur. Women should avoid heavy makeup and make sure their colored hair is touched up.

Dress modestly. Ladies, no bare arms, low-cut tops, or too-short skirts. And if you can't walk on those stilettos, leave them in the closet. Men, cover the chest hair.

If interviewing in the law, finance, or banking industries, be conservative. Wear dark suits (preferably black) and lace up shoes instead of sneakers or loafers. Women must wear pantyhose. If you're going for a job in high-level sales, marketing, or real estate, the order of the day is still conservative but slightly less rigid. Instead of a black suit, any dark color will do.

In the creative fields, the guidelines become more vague. The rule of thumb is, the more creative the industry (fashion designer, graphic artist), the more liberties you can take. In these industries, wearing a suit shows you don't get it.

The bottom line is to research the company's corporate culture.

Discussion: How might you go about researching the corporate culture at an organization before an interview? How will you need to alter your current appearance for job interviews? What might the ramifications be if you dressed too formally at a casual business?