10 Commandments of Interviewing

By George Gurney, Careersite.com Daily News

Your Interview: "It's Showtime"
Your suit is freshly pressed, just the right fit on your dress shirt or blouse, shoes glossed, hair and nails trimmed and you are looking good! Your new resume is a tight one page best seller! You feel great! You look great! Who could resist?

You are getting interviews, but no job offers. Doubts start to creep in. You start remembering those negative cliches: "coughed up; can,t close; dropped the ball; left at the altar, always a bridesmaidSum" You,re not sure what's happening.

What's wrong?

What's wrong is that many interviews without job offers often reflect a strong resume, but weak interviewing skills. I have found that most people interview quite well when discussing their job skills and their educational background.

They memorize answers to probable questions. They can quote their employment dates backwards. They are ready with the answers to any red flags or gaps on their resumes. They have rehearsed their strong and weak point answers.

The problem they face is their unawareness of the subtleties that can make or break an interview. Did you know arriving to early for the interview is a negative? If you arrive more than five minutes early, you will appear to be too eager and amateurish. Did you know that ending the interview without a question could cost you the job offer? If you leave the interview without stating "I want the job, how does my background fit?" your chances are greatly diminished.

I have written the Ten Commandments of Interviewing as a guideline to keep your interview on track to get the job offer. These commandments have evolved from years of feedback and conversations with hiring managers. They have told me why interviewees do not get job offers. Read them, copy and save them, and re-read them prior to any interview. Use them as guides to keep you on track during the interview.

**THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF INTERVIEWING**
1.Thou shall not be late or arrive too early
2.Thou shall not dress business casual
3.Thou shall not commit blabbermouth
4.Thou shall not be negative on boss or company
5.Thou shall not worship me, myself and I
6.Thou shall not talk money or benefits
7.Thou shall not steal achievements of others
8.Thou shall not covet a career resting place
9.Thou shall not bear falsehoods in any manner
10.Thou shall not forget to sell and ask for the job