It is now proper job-seeking etiquette to send your interviewer a thank you note when the first meeting is over. In fact, many hiring managers will take notice if you don’t follow up with some sort of acknowledgment. Not only is a post-interview thank you note a great way to network, it can also help you clarify information that was discussed during (or omitted from) the meeting.

Handwritten Cards

The most common post-interview thank you notes are sent via snail mail. Any local greeting card store will sell a variety of thank you cards, but you don’t need to be creative here. Avoid anything humorous or unprofessional. Ideally, you should choose a thank you card with a conservative cover and nothing written on the inside. You will handwrite this part.

Email

If you have been corresponding with your would-be employer through email, it would not be deemed inappropriate to follow up in this fashion. Virtual correspondence is more commonplace in the business world than ever before. While you do not want to email a thank you “ecard,” you can write a professional email to follow up and thank your interviewer for his or her time.

What to Say

Whether you are using snail mail or email, the sentiment will be the same. You will want to express how much you enjoyed meeting with your interviewer and thank him or her for the opportunity. You may wish to reiterate why you feel you are a good fit for the position. If you feel you left the interview without clarifying certain points, do so now.

Thank you notes can even give you a forum to do some damage control. If you were five minutes late to the interview due to traffic, for instance, you can express your regret again for the faux pas. Remember, this will be a hiring manager’s last impression before he or she makes a decision. Use this medium wisely and you could increase your prospects of being short listed for the position.

This article is contributed by Heather Johnson, who regularly writes on the topic of career exploration. She invites your questions and writing job opportunities at her personal email address: heatherjohnson2323@ gmail.com.

The panel interview, otherwise known as the “tag-team interview” or the “team interview” causes great stress for many candidates. For those people who are already terrified of meeting one-on-one with one hiring manager, the panel interview can be a nightmare.

The key to managing interviewing stress is the same for all kinds of interviews – Preparation. Plan for your panel interview in the same way you would for all other interviews and don’t let the thought of multiple interviewers or recruiters add to your stress.

Here are a few tips for success in the panel interview.

1. Make eye contact with more than one person on the panel. One person may have asked you the question, but you are still addressing your answer to everyone on the panel.
2. Take extra copies of your resume and business cards to the interview.
3. Do not be distracted by strange or odd behaviors you perceive from the interviewers. Some may have been called in at the last minute and you really don’t know what else is happening at the company.
4. Try to get contact information for the interview panel. You will want to thank everyone.
5. Fee free to ask questions of any or all the interviewers on the panel. You may get additional insight into other areas of the company.
6. Manage your stress before, not during, the panel interview. Get there early so you will have time for some deep breathing exercises before you get before the interviewers.

Marcia Robinson writes and trains on career, workplace and employment issues for BullsEyeResumes.com. She has more than 9 years experience in higher education and 14 years of business experience in the Hospitality and Technology sectors. Robinson holds a BS in Business Management and a MBA with emphasis in Human Resources.

Most articles on the Web dealing with job interviews seem to cater to new graduates or job seekers looking for entry-level positions, as if with time people suddenly become good at it… That is, obviously, wrong. Interviewing needs practice and even if someone did well in an interview few years back, he or she needs to re-practice to get in shape again. CIO.com has a refresher for executive interviews: How to Ace an Executive-Level Job Interview. This article goes through the whole interview process and gives some very good practical tips.

Everybody talks about meeting new people and renewing old contacts as a way to uncover job leads.

But after you speak to someone about your job search, then what?

You follow up with them later, that’s what.

Follow-up is an often-neglected part of networking that can pay off huge in your search for work — as much as $417 an hour, as we’ll see.

To motivate you to follow up with your network contacts — all of them — here are two recent success stories from my readers. What can you learn from each?

1) Follow up with old contacts

Lynda H., from Apple Valley, Minn., interviewed with a Fortune 500 company in Minneapolis last year. They offered her a job, but rescinded when the departing employee, whose position Lynda was to fill, decided not to quit after all.

What would you have done?

Here’s what Lynda did.

Please click here to read the rest of your article: Two Stories of Follow-Up Success

Don’t be one to say, “if I could only do it over”, after your next interview. It’s not uncommon to lose sleep over an upcoming interview or to fret over your performance afterwards. It’s something else though, to lose a shot at a great opportunity after you realize you made a dumb mistake you could have avoided.

Avoid these 5 common interviewing mistakes that can make you look dumb and eliminate you from further consideration.

1. Not Doing Your Research

This is one of the most common complaints hiring managers make today. By not conducting research beforehand, you lack basic knowledge about the company and the job opportunity. You look foolish and you’ll likely be rejected because you’ve given the strong message that you don’t care enough about the company or the opportunity.

Before your interview, find out:

• How large is the company?
• What products/services do they offer?
• Who are their competitors?
• Where do they rank in their market?
• What is their financial situation?

Knowing as much information as possible up front puts you in a power position when you interview. You’re now prepared to talk intelligently about the company, the opportunity and the company’s products, and to use this information to engage in a knowledgeable conversation with your interviewer.

To read the rest of this article, please click here: 5 Interviewing Mistakes That Make You Look Dumb

The interview stage serves two purposes: to sell yourself and to obtain an impression of the work environment.  Many job seekers tend to focus only on selling themselves.  True, the job search process is competitive, but once you take on the job, you’ll be stuck with it… unless you decide to resign later on…  What does this mean?  Unlike the Olympics, winning is not always good.

In simple terms, you can win and yet be a loser.  Why?  Because you may win something you didn’t want.  Experts  tell us to trust our inner voice.  If your gut feeling tells you that the job is not right or there is something bothering you, it is your duty to look into it.  Don’t look for any job.  Look for a job you will truly enjoy and one that will last.  Don’t always trust what recruiters tell you.  They might tell you that the group is friendly and that the hours are flexible, but when you attend the interview, see for yourself.  See how people interact and how the interviewer addresses you.  These are all very important hints.  Even if your mind is in denial, oftentimes your body will process all this information and will produce that gut feeling/ warning that tells you “slow down.”  Listen to your inner voice.

Don’t Ignore That Warning Inner Voice During Job Interviews, DailyRecord.com

It seems that the tight labor market and the deterioration of common courtesy have lead to an increased number of candidates not showing up for their first interviews: Employers Increasingly Jilted by Job Seekers.

Anne Fisher, a senior Fortune writer, gave some tips on how to perform well in phone interviews.  The first thing she mentions is that all you have in a phone interview is your voice.  Accordingly, make sure you are clear when you speak, and choose a time and a location where there will be no distractions.  In that regard, it is preferable to use a land line as opposed to a cellular phone.

Ms. Fisher then refers to a technique often used by salespeople: “Stand up, walk around, and smile while you are talking. Standing rather than sitting improves the projection of your voice. And smiling, silly as it seems when the other person can’t see you, will make you feel - and sound - upbeat and positive.”

How to Ace a Phone Interview, CNNMoney.com

According to the article cited at the end of this entry, 40% of job candidates have turned down an offer because of unpleasant experience during the interview. In an economy with low unemployment, suddenly the power shifts towards applicants who are becoming more selective. The bad news for those employers who can’t conduct a proper interview is that those same interviewees will tell between one and 10 people about their bad experience. This is how the word gets out about certain companies not being “employee-friendly.” In fields in which there is a big shortage, this could represent a real struggle, especially knowing how rumors are hard to dissipate.

The article ends with some tips for employers on how to improve the recruitment process.

Job Applicants Have Upper Hand, News.com.au

Are you self-employed and attempting to re-enter the workforce as a W-2 employee?

It’s not unusual to “leave the nest” of a salaried job and become an independent contractor or grow a new business/career as a self-employed sole-proprietor. This often proves to be the best option for an individual. But economics, personal needs or lifestyle changes can force a re-evaluation of that self-employment choice. If that has happened to you, you’ll face this potentially difficult question:

“Why do you want a job after being self-employed?”

Here is how you can address this question:

Stress the Positives

Focus on how you can help benefit your next employer, not on what the job can give you. We all act out of self-interest and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just be careful to include several clear benefits the employer will gain from your special experience.

You know you will be asked why you want to return to salaried employment. Instead of focusing on what self-employment may NOT have provided you, focus instead on what you’ve GAINED from the experience. Remember, this is a unique experience that you bring to the table. It sets you apart from most of your competitors. It’s how you answer this question that either will create doubt in the mind of the interviewer or instill confidence.

Give Specific Examples

While self-employed, perhaps you had to work more efficiently to complete a project. Maybe you had several crises and had to rise to the occasion and find creative ways to overcome them. It’s probable that you also had to educate yourself in some new specific business areas, which gave you a new perspective about your work. Or, maybe you learned how to achieve more results from fewer resources. When you do some analyzing, you’ll no doubt come up with a list of several positive experiences that you gained during your self-employment. Turn these into employer benefits using them in your favor.

Let’s say you’ve been self-employed as a real estate manager and did some investing on the side for the past several years. You’re now in your mid forties and can no longer make an adequate living doing this on your own. You’re also looking for a chance to move into larger real estate management projects so you’re now looking for a salaried position.

What to do?

There’s no reason you should describe the negative aspects of your situation. Rather be proactive and describe the many ways you’ve grown from your self-employment experience. List several examples. Perhaps you’ve become an expert in real estate tenant/landlord law. Maybe you’ve acquired additional skills in negotiating vendor contracts with a high return on investment. There are probably a number of other areas where you’ve done well. Take the time now to develop a list of the knowledge, skills and abilities that you’ve acquired in self-employment.

Take the Initiative and Talk Bottom Line

Employers are looking for employees who can help them make money or save money. As a self-employed person, no doubt you’ve learned how to make more money with fewer resources. You, more than most, understand the bigger picture of a profit and loss statement. Perhaps because your salaried competitors get a regular paycheck, they don’t often grasp this major economic fact. You have the opportunity to use your self-employment to your fullest advantage by selling each of your experiences as a valuable benefit that can help your employer strengthen his bottom line. Provide several achievements from your self-employment and attach a $$ value to them if possible. Now, indicate you’re ready to take the next step to bring your special assets as an entrepreneur to your next employer.

Summary

If you’re self-employed seeking a salaried position, you needn’t take a defensive, one-down role. Instead, tally up your positive experiences and sell the employer on who you are: a seasoned professional with unique real world experience ready to hit the ground running. Always think, “What’s in it for THEM?” Wherever possible, assign some $$ value to your achievements and link them to what you’re able to accomplish for your next employer.

As a recruiter, Joe Turner has spent the past 15 years finding and placing top candidates in some of the best jobs of their careers. Known on the Internet as “The Job Search Guy”, Joe has also authored ‘how-to’ books on interviewing and job search. He’s been interviewed on several radio talk shows. Discover more insider job search secrets by visiting: http://www.jobchangesecrets.com.