Conquering the job interview: An ITworld.com special report

April 26, 2001 —

It is said that death and taxes are inevitable. You can't stumble through life without facing both of them. That tired cliché should be expanded to include job interviews. Unless you're lucky enough to be so well heeled that you'll never have to hold down a job, you'll have to endure the interview ordeal. The alternative is starvation or debtor's prison.

Don't mistakenly think that brilliance or talent means you're a shoo-in on interviews. I doubt if the richest geek on the planet -- Bill Gates -- could have turned in a great interview performance. Don't make any assumptions about interviews. Yes, some are easy. But many are tough, some grueling. Preparation is necessary even for the easiest interview. The more preparation and time you put into the process, the better you'll do. It's that basic.

In the following articles, Bob Weinstein, journalist, card-carrying cynic, and the author of 12 career books, passes on priceless advice for mastering interviews. "No one is better qualified to cover the subject of interviews," he confesses. "I job-hopped my way through life making every interview mistake in the book, short of hurling obnoxious interviewers out windows. I speak from experience."

Five biggest interview blunders Even though it's still a seller's market, techies are tripping over themselves on interviews. Find out about the five biggest interview faux pas.

Watch out for computer interview traps They've been around for a few years, but the new twist is more companies are using them as a time-saver to weed out candidates. Find out what to expect and how to prepare for them.

Conquering the technical interview How to interview books are as plentiful as cooking books. But not many provide hard-core advice for mastering the technical interview -- not until techie Michael Rothstein wrote Ace the Technical Interview.

Brace yourself for the behavioral interview You mistakenly thought the perennial "Tell Me about Yourself" interviews were the toughest. Behavioral interviews are another animal testing new skills. Here's how to prepare and score well on them.

High-powered questions for snaring a great job Turning in a great interview performance is only the first step in getting a job. High-powered HR consultant John Sullivan says the key to opening the door to a great job is asking intelligent questions. Find out the insightful questions to ask.

Secrets for acing interviews Unfortunately, there are neither guaranteed questions nor answers for turning in a brilliant interview performance. But, there is a method to most interviews, according to a top HR consultant. Find out what they are.

Learn to survive a team interview 10 tips on how you can show several people at once that you have the right stuff.

Should you dress up or down? Choosing the appropriate clothes is a lot more difficult these days.

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