Landing the Job: Resumes, Cover Letters, Interviews, and Networking

In today's tough job market, getting the right job can be a struggle. Not only are you usually competing against a large number of people, but the standard requirements for most jobs increase every year. Don't despair. Despite these bleak predictions, there are numerous ways to get ahead of the pack in the job search.

The following set of articles focus on tips and advice for landing your dream job. Read through articles covering everything from resumes, cover letters, interviews, references, and networking.

50 Tips for Creating a Great Resume How to Get Ahead of the Curve: A Guide to Padding Your Resume 50 Tips for Creating a Fantastic Cover Letter 20 Ways to Ace an Interview

20 Things to Never Do in a Job Interview The Proper Way to Network Dressing to Impress and Other Extras to Get the Job Tips for References

50 Tips for Creating a Great Resume

1. Before you start writing, think about what the employer is looking for. Make a list of the skills, qualifications, and work habits that your potential employer wants.


2. Read the job ad thoroughly. Employers will often say exactly what they're looking for.


3. Think about what problems the employer might be facing. Are they trying to increase sales? Go paperless? Tailor your resume to sell yourself as the solution to their problem.


4. Make a master resume with all your job information, references, and skills. This will make it easier to write a resume on short notice.


5. Make a unique resume for each job you apply for.


6. Don't list jobs you had more than fifteen years ago unless one is uniquely relevant to the job you're applying for.


7. Don't include all the jobs you've worked. Instead, select only jobs relevant to the job you're applying for.


8. Pick a resume format that showcases your strengths and hides your weaknesses. For example, if you're a recent graduate without much work experience, you might want to put your education section before your work history. If you've had long gaps in employment, you might want to use a “functional resume” format—one that's organized by skills and qualifications rather than by work history.


9. Have a summary of qualifications section that conveys your unique qualifications. Think about what special combination of skills or talents or experience makes you the perfect candidate.


10. If you have an “objective” section, keep it short. It shouldn't be more than a sentence.


11. Make sure your title for past jobs is accurate, clear, and impressive. The employer should know what the position is, so don't make obscurely specific or technical. On the other hand, make sure it sounds professional. “Administrative Assistant” is better than “Filer” or “Phone Answerer.”


12. If you've held multiple positions at a single company, list all of them.


13. Make your headings sound professional. “Professional Experience” sounds better than “Work History.”


14. Use action verbs—verbs that evoke specific actions. For example, use “analyzed,” “planned,” or “produced,” rather than the generic “worked.”


15. Vary your language. Don't repeat power verbs.


16. Include a “skills” section where you can list any technical skills that make you qualified for the job. Computer skills are always good to put down.


17. If you haven't graduated yet, in the date section write “Degree expected” and the date you plan on graduating.


18. Don't lie.


19. Be concise. It's even acceptable to omit articles and pronouns—“a,” “the,” “I,” “she.”


20. Include an honors and accolades section listing any awards you've won.


21. Include a language section listing any foreign languages you speak and the degree to which you speak them—e.g., “Speak German at conversational level.”


22. Include extracurricular activities if you have a leadership or founding role or if the activity is directly relevant.


23. For each job on your resume, be sure you include your title, the name of the company, the city and state in which you worked, and the dates you worked.


24. Provide enough information about past jobs for potential employers to know what you did. This could be as simple as giving a single-sentence description of each job, or as much as a paragraph with bullet-points highlighting specific accomplishments.


25. Put the most important and relevant information about past jobs first.


26. When describing past jobs, focus on your achievements rather than on your responsibilities. Think about what special projects you were a part of or what leadership roles you took on in addition to your standard duties.


27. Revise descriptions of your duties at past jobs so that they're clearly relevant to the job you're applying for.


28. Use some of the same words that the job ad uses. Some large companies search resumes for key words and filter out applicants who don't have relevant experience.


29. Make sure you support your qualities and skills with specific evidence. Don't just say that you're good at organizing: say what you organized in your past job.


30. Use numbers when possible. If you can back up your skills with data, such as “Saved X Corp $1,000,000 by reorganizing our shipping,” do so.


31. Spell out numbers under and including ten. Use numerals for numbers over and including 11. This is a general rule. If you change it, just make sure you're consistent.


32. Don't speak poorly of past employers. Don't complain about your past jobs in your description of them.


33. If you're still employed, use the present tense in your description of your current job. Use past tense for all previous jobs.


34. Don't include references unless asked to do so. You may write, “References available upon request” at the bottom, but this is generally assumed.


35. In general, try to keep you resume to one page. Some jobs, such as consulting jobs, expect resumes to be longer, but most employers will expect your resume to be a single page.


36. Avoid altering the margins a noticeable amount.


37. Never shrink your font size in order to fit your resume to a page. Never go below size 11. Stick to 12 if you can.


38. If your resume is more than one page, number the pages.


39. Use a standard font: Times New Roman, Arial, Cambria. Don't use Courier or anything unusual.


40. Remember to include your name and contact information in the header.


41. Pay attention to the aesthetics of your resume. Strike a balance between white space and text.


42. Don't use color.


43. Don't include pictures.


44. Don't use fancy paper.


45. Don't fold your resume.


46. Don't bold or italicize excessively. It's a good idea to bold headings and not much else.


47. Make sure your resume is easy to scan. Can someone take in the important information at a glance?


48. Proofread your resume twice. Typos will get your resume tossed.


49. Check to make sure that your formatting is consistent—i.e., that you've indented a consistent amount in each section, that you've used bullet points consistently, and that your headings are of a consistent size.


50. Email your resume to yourself, open it—preferably on a different computer—and proofread it again. Sometimes formatting will change in email, especially if you change the margins to make it fit on a single page.

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How to Get Ahead of the Curve: A Guide to Padding Your Resume

The best way to improve your resume depends on what field you hope to go into. Employers tend to value well-roundedness less than colleges do, so simply having a renaissance-resume with dozens of different skills and activities won't help you. Instead, it's good to think about the skills required for the career you hope to enter. Does it require speaking a foreign language? Are there special skills that would be helpful? Are there internships in the field?

1. Classes and Activities
There are many skills which aren't explicitly required in a career but which can be useful in it. For example, if you're interested in construction or engineering, a skill like AUTOCAD or a hobby like woodworking would demonstrate your interest in the field while giving you a useful skill that would help you stand out from your peers. Ideally, because you find your prospective career intrinsically interesting, you'll find things associated with it interesting as well.

2. Soft Skills
Activities you've done or positions you've held can testify to your soft skills—your leadership ability, interpersonal skills, or capacity to work in a team. If you're explicit about what skills these activities required, then volunteer positions and extracurricular activities can be valuable assets on your resume.

3. Volunteer Work
Volunteering can be a good way to show your interest in a field and even to get experience in it. If you're interested in building, for example, you can get actual work experience volunteering at Habitat for Humanity. And if you're interested in the health professions, medical centers and health organizations are often need volunteers. Volunteering can also be a good opportunity to network. Be sure you volunteer for an organization who's work you believe in, though, because “It will look good on my resume” might not be enough to sustain your motivation as you work without pay.

4. Internships
An internship can help you make the transition into your career. An internship on your resume can work like actual job experience: evidence that you have the skills needed to do your job. Internships can also be a great way to get references from people in your field. It's good to do internships while still in college so that you can go directly from school to the workforce.

5. Foreign Language
Foreign languages are useful in almost any job. You never know when someone might need a translator at work—someone calls in who doesn't speak English or a coworker needs to know what a document written in a foreign language means. Health professions in particular often need multi-lingual employees. Even if a foreign language isn't directly useful in a job, having mastered one demonstrates your dedication, perseverance, and ability to learn. And even if a foreign language isn't useful in your field, it looks impressive on your resume.

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50 Tips for Creating a Fantastic Cover Letter

1. Length
Cover letters should be limited to three or four paragraphs in length and should not exceed one page.

2. First Paragraph
Your first paragraph should be a brief introduction of yourself to the employer and state what position it is you are applying, and how you came to find out about the job. Limit this to two sentences.

3. Middle Paragraph(s)
In these paragraphs your goal is to display your worth to the company by explaining your past experience that will translate successfully to the job you are applying for.

4. Final Paragraph
In the closing paragraph you should reiterate your interest in the job, thank them for their time, and explain when and how to best contact you.

5. Name and Contact Information
This information should be listed at the top, left hand side of the page. Include your name, address, phone number and email address, one on top of the other.

6. Include the Date
Underneath your name and contact information include the day, month, and year of the day you are writing the letter.

7. Company Information
Underneath the date you should include the name of who it is you are addressing the cover letter to and their contact information at work. This should include the person's name, title, and then the company address, followed by the individuals phone number and email.

8. Spacing
Your name and contact info should be one inch from the top of the page, with the date following two spaces after that, and the company contact info another space after that. Two more spaces down should be your greeting, and then another space should follow the body of the letter. Four spaces down from here include your farewell. At the bottom of the page you may note the other documents that you have submitted with the cover letter.

9. Greeting
It is ideal to address your cover letter to a specific person rather than including a general greeting. Try to get the name of the hiring manager from the company's human resource department and address it to them.

10. Customize Your Cover Letter
You should not just write a generic cover letter that you can use when applying to several different positions. Each one should be tailored specifically to each different employer.

11. Draw the Reader In
Hiring managers have to go through hundreds of cover letters at a time so yours must stand out from the pack. Within the first two paragraphs you must grab the reader's attention.

12. Keep It Simple
Because they go through so many cover letters you must keep yours short and concise. This will allow you the say everything that needs to be said without wasting the reader's time or boring them.

13. Establish Your Letter's Goals Before Writing It
Make a list of what it is you want to accomplish with this letter before your write it. Include the things that you want and need to communicate in the letter.

14. Stick to the Facts This is not an autobiography examining your psyche, stick to the facts about your past work experience.

15. Highlight Your Strengths
It is impetrative that you are able to do this in your middle paragraph(s). Try thinking of what your strengths are before writing your letter, and then checking them off as you go.

16. Relate Your Experience Relevant to the Job
Focus on your past experience that will translate directly into the job that you are applying for.

17. Cover the Job Requirements
The job posting will most likely list certain requirements. Make sure you touch on these in your letter and show how you meet these requirements.

18. Show That You Meet the Qualifications
Job postings also list required qualifications. Your cover letter should communicate what experience you have that meets these qualifications.

19. Communicate Why You Are Applying
Tell them exactly why you are applying for this certain position. Where did you hear about it and why does it appeal to you?

20. Don't Just Reiterate Your Resume
In most cases you will be submitting your resume along with your cover letter so it is important that you distinguish the two. Your cover letter should provide more specific detail about the work experience listed on your resume, not just restate it.

21. Explain How This Job Will Fit Into Your Long-Term Goals
You must show the employer how this job fits into your long-term goals. Tell them what you think you will achieve by obtaining this job and how this can better you.

22. Show an Understanding of the Job's Functions
Details about the job should be listed in the job posting. Show how your skills and experience will help you perform these tasks.

23. Be Assertive
Ask for an interview in the closing of your cover letter and let them know exactly how and when they can contact you. This assertiveness shows confidence.

24. Let Them Know What You Want
Show the hiring manager that you know what you want to get out of a job and that this particular job gives you this.

25. Highlight Leadership Experience
If you have any leadership experience make sure to highlight this in the middle paragraph(s) of your cover letter. Employers always value this type of experience.

26. Mention Your Awards
If you have won any awards that highlight any qualities that translate to the job you are applying, try to mention it in your cover letter.

27. Include Any Special Projects
If you have participated in any special projects while pursuing your degree, include this in your cover letter if any of the skills required for the project translate into the job you are applying for.

28. Reflect Your Personality
By the end of your cover letter your personality should show through.

29. Do Not Sound Arrogant
It is important to sound confident, not arrogant. Do not assume that you are going to get the job; this is one of the major turn offs for employers.

30. Spell Everything Correctly
Spelling errors have a negative effect on your chances of getting the job. It shows that you cannot communicate effectively and that you did not take the time to spell check.

31. Use Proper Grammar and Punctuation
Along with spelling, proper grammar is also very important. By using proper grammar you display that you can communicate effectively.

32. Do Not Use Slang
Use only proper grammar and spelling in your cover letter. You must show that you can communicate effectively with variety of people and slang can alienate certain individuals or demographics.

33. Tell Them How You Plan On Following Up
In the closing paragraph let the employer know when and how you plan on following up on your application. This shows that you are assertive and confident.

34. Use An Active Voice
Voice all of your accomplishments actively: I have won this or that, not I had won this or that.

35. Do Not Speak Negatively of a Past Employer
Along with being arrogant this is another turn off for potential employers. It makes you appear disloyal and negative.

36. Describe What You Have Learned From Past Jobs
While highlighting your past experience try to include what you have taken away from these jobs and how this has made you a better employee.

37. Do Not Portray Your Lack of Experience as a Negative
Just because you may not have as much experience in a certain area do not describe this as a negative. This job is your opportunity to gain this experience.

38. Do Not Ask About Salary
Never ask about salary in your cover letter. This will make you appear greedy and uninterested in other aspects of the job.

39. Appear Driven
Let them know that you are driven to succeed and that this job gives you the opportunity to do so.

40. Use Contractions
Use can't instead of cannot, i.e. This will help you save space.

41. Look At Cover Letter Examples Online
Before writing your cover letter you may look at examples online. This will give you a better feel for the format.

42. Don't Draw Attention to Your Age
This is unnecessary when applying for a job so do not waste the space doing so.

43. Use Keywords From The Job Posting
By using keywords from the job posting the company can better identify with you and this will keep you on track during the writing process.

44. Don't Waste Space
Do not use wasteful descriptive phrases such as “I want you to know” or “I would like to introduce myself.”

45. Exude a Positive Attitude
The vocabulary and tone of your cover letter should be positive. Do this by speaking highly of yourself and your past experiences.

46. Read Your Cover Letter Aloud
By doing this you are not only proof read it as you go, but this will also give you a sense of the letter's effectiveness.

47. Have Someone Else Proofread Your Letter
This is helpful because it actually mimics a hiring manager reading the letter. Try to choose someone who will give you honest feedback.

48. Avoid Describing Your Salary History
Some employers may ask you to describe your salary history in your cover letter. If your past salaries far exceed the job your are applying for, describe your past salary in ranges and include that you are willing to work for the wage that the job you are applying for will award you.

49. Try to Compliment the Company
Tell them why you would like to work for this particular company rather than its competitors. Communicate what it is that you think sets them apart from the others.

50. Reiterate Your Value to the Company
In the closing of your cover letter reiterate your value to the company. This should not sound like your opening.

Article Resources:

Accent Resume Writing
Advanced Resume Concepts
AARP
Virginia Tech
Resume-Help.org
The OWL at Purdue
Work Tree

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20 Ways to Ace a Job Interview

1. Look Over Your Resume
Make sure your resume looks neat and professional. Make sure there are no spelling or grammar errors on it. Mistakes like this may cause you the job.

2. Know Your Strengths
Looking over your resume also gives you time to think about what your strengths are as an employee. Think about these strengths, how they helped you excel in the past, and what they will bring to the employer you are interviewing with.

3. Know Your Weaknesses
Once you have established your strengths, also ponder some weaknesses you may have displayed in the past. Do not merely present this as a weakness; rather, present it as an area or moment in which you did not reach your full potential, and then describe what you learned from this experience and how you have worked to build upon it. Also, avoid the clichés. Employers have heard the "I'm too much of a perfectionist line" far too often. This will sound practiced and fake if you use it in an interview.

4. Do Your Homework
Take the time to get to know the company you are applying to work for: its history, mission statement, accomplishments, etc. It is also helpful to do some research on their competitors to decipher how they differ from the company you will be interviewing with.

5. Consider Your Long-Term Goals
Many employers will ask you where you see yourself in five or ten years so be prepared to answer these questions. Think about your long-term goals and how the job you are interviewing for plays into accomplishing those goals.

6. Know Your Objective
Be prepared to tell your interviewer why it is that you applied for this particular job. State your objective and let them know how this job allows you to pursue that objective.

7. Know Your Reasons For Leaving Past Jobs
Many employers will ask you the reason for leaving your past job so you should think about how you will answer this. If you have stated your objective and long-term goals you may focus on how past jobs did not allow you to accomplish these tasks and how the job you are interviewing will.

8. Dress for Success
It is important to dress in a business professional manner unless otherwise stated by the employer.

9. Get to the Interview Early
By being early you not only have time to compose yourself, you also display to the employer that you are a punctual individual and that you value their time.

10. Try to Be Conversational
Make an attempt to appear personable to the interviewers and whomever you meet before the interview begins. This may establish a friendly rapport and give them a glimpse of your personality.

11. Bring Extra Copies of Your Resume
Many times you will need to provide another copy of your resume. By having extras your show your employer that you have come prepared.

12. Appear Confident
Your body language is very important during an interview. Sit-up straight, make eye contact, and smile when appropriate.

13. Take Notes
Don't be a passive interviewee. Take notes about the job. At the end of the interview, they will likely ask you if you have any questions. Don't say no. This will make you looked unengaged.

14. Be Driven
It is okay to appear to be driven by money and/or success. Let the employer know how your drive has led you to apply for this job in particular.

15. Let The Questions Come to You
Let the interviewer take the lead when it comes to questions. You do not want to interrupt him or her or appear to be unable to listen.

16. Talk About Your Skills, Not Just Yourself
When asked about you as a person remember to frame your answers based on your skills and qualifications in relation to the job you are interviewing for.

17. It's Okay to Appear Nervous
We are only human and the interviewers know this. It is OK to appear a bit nervous as long as it does not affect how you answer the questions.

18. Think Before You Answer
You are not expected to answer all of the interviewers questions right after you have been asked. Take some time to gather your thoughts and provide a meaningful answer. If you are particularly stumped on a question, explain to the interviewer why.

19. Emphasize Your Strengths
During the course of the interview remember your strengths and use them when answering questions.

20. Be Prepared to Ask Questions
It is always good to have a few questions of your own. This shows the interviewer that you have engaged during the interview process and that you are curious about the company and the position in question.

Article Resources:

Job Interview Questions
Job Openings.net

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20 Things to Never do in a Job Interview

1. Not Know Your Long-Term Goals
It is very important to establish your long-term goals before going into an interview. You will most likely be asked what these are and how the company and the job you are interviewing for fits into those goals.

2. Demonstrate a Lack Understanding of the Company
It is considered disrespectful to come into an interview with no knowledge or understanding of the company and what it does or produces. Do your homework prior to the interview.

3. Lie or Over-Exaggerate
Never do this in order to get a job. There can be legal repercussions.

4. Under Dress
When you are in doubt, dress business professional.

5. Arrive Late
Employers will take this as a sign of something to come. Plan to arrive fifteen minutes early.

6. Show-up Unprepared
Remember to bring extra copies of your resume and any other material that the employer asks you to bring.

7. Appear Arrogant
This is a major turn-off for interviewers. You must not act as if you are above the job that you are interviewing for, even if you are overqualified.

8. Struggle to Answer Common Interview Questions
There are several common questions that are asked in interviews, such as, “where do you see yourself in five years?” and “how do you describe yourself?”. If you struggle with these common questions you will appear unprepared.

9. Act Like the Interviewers Best Friend
It is important to be conversational and friendly with the interviewer in the beginning, but this must be balanced with a sense of professionalism. Once the interview begins it is time to get serious.

10. Appear Disinterested or Unenthusiastic
You must appear to be interested and enthusiastic about the job. You can do so by being attentive, asking questions, smiling, and maintaining proper body posture.

11. Interrupt the Interviewer
The interviewer is the one asking the questions here so do not interrupt them. It is considered rude and may cost you the job.

12. Present Your Weaknesses Simply as Flaws
Present your weaknesses as things you have recognized in the past and have worked to correct.

13. Describe Your Lack of Relevant Experience as a Negative
Just because you do not have the experience that translates directly into the job you are applying for do not present this as a weakness. Highlight your strengths that will allow you to make-up for that lack of experience.

14. Speak Unsurely
Avoid saying “um” and “like” during the interview. Speak confidently.

15. Not Commit to the Job
An employer is looking for someone who will be committed to the position and the company. By describing this job as a mere stepping-stone you will show that you are not committed to it.

16. Speak Before Thinking
It is okay to take some time before answering questions. Do not simply blurt something out because you are concerned about appearing confused. If you are having trouble answering a question, explain to the interviewer why.

17. Speak Negatively of Past Employers
Absolutely do not speak of your past employers negatively. This will make you appear disloyal to your employer.

18. Not Ask Any Questions
By not asking any questions the interviewer may think that you are not very interested in learning more about the company and the position. When you do ask questions, don't ask about the pay until the interviewer brings it up.

19. Answer Phone Calls or Texts
This is obviously considered very rude and in most cases will blow the interview. Either turn your phone off or leave it somewhere safe where it can't distract you.

20. Use Inappropriate Grammar or Slang
An interview tests your ability to communicate affectively so make sure to use proper grammar and pronunciation, while also avoiding the use of slang terms that are not relevant to the position.

Article Resources:

CNN
Job Openings.net

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The Proper Way to Network

Networking is an essential element of a successful career. However, it can be difficult for people who are new to it. Here are some helpful tips to ensure networking success.

1. Be genuine.

The most common thing people who dislike networking say is that it's disingenuous or manipulative. The thing to remember is that good networking is mutually beneficial: you meet or get referred to a potential employer or client, and the other person gets a potential employee or the appreciation of the person whom they refer you to. By being honest about who you are and what you want, you increase the chances of making a good connection.

2. Don't dissemble.
Not only does honesty increase your chances of making a good connection, but dishonesty significantly increases your chances of making a bad one. If you're striving to impress someone, it can be tempting to pretend that you know more than you do. This is a bad idea. People know a lot about what they do, and even if the things you're making up on the fly sound pretty slick to you, someone with actual experience in that field will be able to see right through it. If conversation turns to a subject you don't know about, it's alright to say simply that you're unfamiliar with that subject but that it sounds fascinating, or that it reminds you of something you do know about.

3. Come prepared.
Write and practice reciting a short description of who you are and what you do. Practice answering follow up questions—what's it like? How'd you end up there? What do you like about it? What makes the way you do it different from the way others do it? Practicing a description of yourself and what you do may sound cheesy, but it will help keep you on-message.

It's also good to think about what you want to get out of a networking event. What career are you hoping to break in to or learn more about? That way, when people ask, “how may I help you?” you'll have an answer ready.

4. Ask about the other person and what they do.
People love to talk about themselves. When you let them, you learn important information about who they are, what they do, and who they know. You may also find things the two of you have in common—an important foundation for a conversation. Be sure to ask open-ended questions: nothing that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”

5. Follow up promptly.
If you get someone's email address, send them a message thanking them for talking with you. It's a good idea to mention some specific things that it was helpful for you to learn. Sending a follow-up email is polite; it also opens up the channel for future correspondence.

If someone refers you to someone else, it's a good idea to contact that person in addition to thanking the person who referred you. Make sure your email to the person you were referred to is top-notch: a sloppy contact email reflects poorly on both yourself and the person who referred you.

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Dressing to Impress and Other Extras to Get the Job

When you walk through the door, your clothes are the first thing your interviewer will judge you on. Start your interview off on the right foot by dressing professionally.

1. Don't follow the company dress code.
Just because everybody working at the company is wearing jeans, doesn't mean you should. Overdress. Your safest bet is to wear a suit. The more professional you look, the more serious about the job you will appear.

2. Follow the general rule.
If you're cautious, you'll wear a solid suit, either black, navy, or dark grey, with a solid-color shirt and a tie. Women can also wear a long suit skirt with nylons. As for shoes, it's best to be conservative: black or brown leather lace-up shoes for men, close-toed shoes, pumps, or loafers for women. If you're not sure what to wear, you can't go wrong with a suit.

3. Try to fit in.
If you are applying to a company that is known for a certain image, feel free to try to acclimate yourself to that image. For instance, if you are applying to a fashion magazine, where something somewhat fashion savvy. By disregarding these types of things, you are risking looking uninformed. However, as stated before, be careful not to look unprofessional in your attempt to do this. Always dress a little bit better than the other people in the company.

4. Cut down on distractions.
Don't wear garish colors. Don't use powerful cologne, aftershave, or perfume. Don't wear dangly earrings or excessive jewelry. Don't bring logo-spangled bags. Don't bring coffee or tea. Don't walk in listening to an iPod. Silence your phone.

5. Keep your hands on the table.
Fidgeting in an interview is extremely distracting to your interviewer and makes you seem nervous and lacking confidence. If you're prone to fidgeting, it might be a good idea to keep your hands on the table. A better method is to bring a pen and paper and channel your nervous energy into taking notes: you don't look nervous; you look diligent.

Tapping your foot or bobbing your knee can be even more distracting. There is nothing comparable to note-taking that you can do with your feet, so just be sure to position your legs in a way that isn't conducive to knee bobbing.

6. Practice answers to common questions.
Some questions always pop up in job interviews. For example, many employers ask what your future career goals are or where you see yourself in five years. Even if an employer doesn't ask you a question as straightforward as why you want the job, having a clear answer prepared will help you nail other questions. Practicing answers to these questions out loud will help you sound confident and keep you from rambling.

7. Send a follow-up
Send a follow-up email within 48 hours of the interview. Thank your interviewer for their time and reiterate your interest in the position.

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Tips for Getting the Right Job References

1. Ask Permission

Never use someone as a reference without asking for his or her permission. Cordially ask them if you may use them as a reference without assuming they will say yes.

2. Title Is Not Everything
Some people think that it impresses a potential employer to have a high-ranking individual from a past job as a reference, but title isn't everything. When thinking of whom to use as a reference, choose someone whom you have worked closely with and knows you well.

3. Keep It Professional
You do not want to choose a reference based solely on how well you know them and whether or not you are friends with them. You will want to choose someone who has managed or supervised you in the past.

4. Ask for a Letter of Recommendation When You Leave a Job
When leaving a job it is a good idea to ask for a letter of recommendation from your supervisor. If they are willing to provide this for you, than this is an indicator that they would accept an invitation to serve as a reference for you.

5. Offer Some Tips
Once someone has accepted your invitation to serve as a reference, it is okay to let him or her know what qualities of yours you would like them to focus on if they are indeed asked to comment on your behalf.

6. Keep the Reference Honest
Never ask a reference to lie or embellish the truth about your experience. There can be serious consequences to these types of actions.

7. Give Your Reference Writers a Heads Up
When you do indeed submit a list of references give them an email or a call to alert them that they may be contacted in the near future.

8. Keep in Touch
Keep the lines of communication open between yourself and your references. Update them on your situation and make they sure you may continue to use them as a reference.

9. Keep a List
While continuing your contact with your references you should keep a detailed list of all your references and their contact information. By staying in contact with them you can keep this list up to date.

10. Thank Your References
In the event that you do submit a list of references to your employer and you have contacted them alerting them to this fact, do not forget to thank them.

Article Resources:

Best-Job-Interview.com
Job Web

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