PAUL BOWLEY asked:


If your job hunt is going smoothly, you may become complacent. You may think you can cream any interview because you’re sharp enough to handle anything that’s thrown at you. But be careful!

Now is the time to be prepared for job hunt backlash . . . you know, the kind of questions an interviewer may throw at you to unsettle you and find your weak spots. It happens almost every time. And unfortunately unprepared candidates fall right into the trap . . . and strangle their chances.

Job hunt tip: Be prepared for tough questions. Don’t become defensive!

Human nature being what it is, we tend to become defensive when confronted with something we don’t like to hear about ourselves. We feel we have to explain. We have to protect our image. We can’t let someone else think we’re not as good as we think we are.

So we have to show the other person they’re wrong. Trouble is . . . no one likes to be told they’re wrong. Especially if you’re a prospective employer.

In fact, employers will frequently ask difficult questions just to see how you respond. If you get defensive you just lost! So you need to be prepared for the tough questions that come your way. And you need to have a way to respond that opens door rather than close them.

So, here’s a simple 3-step process guaranteed to defuse tough job search questions and create respect.

STEP ONE: Acknowledge the legitimacy of an employer’s concern by saying, “I appreciate your concern,” or “I certainly understand why you would want to know that.”

STEP TWO: Give an employer an alternate, more positive way of considering an objection. For example, you could say, “My lack of experience in your business actually works to our advantage. It means I can bring fresh thinking to the table and an opportunity to show you innovative ways of getting the job done.”

STEP THREE: Illustrate your alternate positive statement with a story taken from your experienced that demonstrates in very picturesque and memorable ways how you handle situations like that. Then show the benefit that this experience brings to the organizations.

Like we said before, the secret to avoiding job hunt backlash is to be prepared. Certainly, you want to have responses worked out and practiced for the obvious liabilities an employer might find in you and your background. Be hones with yourself. Put them down in a list and prepare a strategy for each using the 3-step method we showed you above.

But the questions that can sink you are the ones that you can’t prepare for . . . but you have to be ready for. If you memorize and practice out loud the 3-step response, you’ll come across like a pro even if your answer isn’t right on the money. You’ll be a winner because you didn’t become defensive. And you’ll win the respect of the interviewer.

Sandra Stammberger asked:


A job interview is one of the most important events in ones life. If it is your first, the importance increases. How does one pull it off with out nervousness or fear? One of the key things people forget when they go into an interview is that staying cool is the best option. Be relaxed and prepared, the best answers will come on their own. What is the fear when all the knowledge you ever need has been already taught you?

Often, people lose in the interview because they are panic stricken at the last moment. Why does this happen? Well, thinking about the future. The foremost thought running through a lot of our minds before the interview is that if we do not succeed then what will happen? Where will I get the next job? These negative thoughts make us nervous and enable to answer the simplest of questions. So being positive is a crucial point before going to a job interview

Before the interview, may be a day before, remember to mentally rehearse the interview from your own perspective: When you are pleased with the imagined performance you are producing, step inside the image of yourself and run through the scenarios again as if YOU are now doing it. See, feel and hear it as if it is really happening. This time, you are looking out into the world from your own eyes, so your arms are directly in front of you with people facing you, as you feel your clothes on your body. Allow it all to unfold in great detail - make it as real as possible by letting your imagination free to create a rich and colorful panoramic view of a successful day. Finally, pay special attention again to feelings, really spend time imagining yourself feeling exactly the way you want to feel, and then go get the job! It is a proven fact that visualizing your success can get you exactly that. If you think of negative things, then you will be bound to get that.

Like anything in life it takes time to get really good at mental rehearsal. Using this visualization technique for twenty minutes a day will train your brain to perform new behaviors. The results will astound you. Judge mental rehearsal by trying it out in the real world and decide for yourself how effective it can be. Use it to prepare for those crucial job interviews and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are performing at your very best.

Eventually you will be able to use this approach in day-to-day situations on the spur of the moment by focusing on using the power of your imagination. Imagination is the gift an individual has got. Use it today for your success and the stepping stone to a new future with brighter prospects!