CAREERS NOW 05-03-09

Learn Fresh Ideas In Job Interviewing

DEAR JOYCE: I've been looking online and in the bookstores for help with finding a job. There are lots of books on interviewing and resumes. But wherever I turn, there are no job openings. I need to work! What can I do? -- H.F.

Jeffrey G. Allen, J.D., C.P.C., is the nation's premier placement attorney, as well as one of the most knowledgeable job hunting voices in the constellation of top employment experts. I've known and admired Allen professionally since 1983, the year he wrote the classic "How to Turn an Interview into a Job." Now, 23 books later, Allen skips the too familiar bromides of most job-finding advice to deliver a must-read powerhouse of innovative thinking that can pull you out of the unemployment ditch.

"Instant Interviews: 101 Ways to Get the Best Job of Your Life," by Jeffrey G. Allen, (Wiley), explodes with the energy of new ideas! You haven't seen these techniques on the Net or anywhere else. Simple, upbeat and action-oriented, the book is testimony to Allen's
40 years of experience as a recruiter, human resources manager, consultant's consultant and job-getting machine.

Allen devotes 101 chapters to "Do's"- his term for creative step-by-step advice designed to spark hiring offers sooner, rather than later. Summing up the techniques that make each "Do" work doesn't adequately illustrate their value, but here's a drive-by look at four of the chapters.

Lining up interviews. In "Appearing Magically - Like a Genie!," Allen delivers a round-up of practical tools and tips, showing you how to be a champion producer of interviews that hold the potential of putting you on an employer's payroll. His system covers how to dress, where to go, when to arrive, how to greet, what to say, how to close, how to follow up and how to ignite a job offer.

Getting the handshake right. The chapter titled, "Making and Taking the Instant Interview Magic Potion," analyzes the specifics of a specially-formulated, effective handshake designed to give you the staying power you'll need for consecutive interviews. Mastering the connecting shake will make you quick on the uptake, radiating positive signals and feeling great!

Being remembered. "Shifting into Overdrive with the Callback Card" is a chapter describing a special breed of business card that combines a resume, a "help-available" ad and a traditional business card. If you prepare and distribute it as Allen recommends, you greatly increase your odds of garnering immediate interviews.

Using written agreements. In "Indemnifying an Offeror for Your Instant Dream Job," Allen explains an unusual strategy to whip up a hiring offer. (Offeror is the term the author uses to mean your immediate employer target.). The book gives you an actual agreement you can use for your target job, and shows you how to interview as you present it. The agreement eliminates the reluctance to hire, especially in a shaky economy, because it removes the risk for the employer.

Instant Interviews is filled with unexpected and new breakout techniques for getting back to work in a rebooted economy. It is very sales-oriented, and will, I expect, become the top seller in a long line of bestsellers that Allen has produced. The book can be ordered online and is available at bookstores everywhere.

DEAR JOYCE: The company owner had tears in his eyes when he laid me off last week. I was a purchasing agent for a plumbing services company and don't even have a resume yet. But I already have an interview next week, which I obtained by contacting all of the suppliers with whom I did business. Tell your readers to ask themselves whom they know who would benefit most if they found another job quickly, and to concentrate networking efforts among those people. - B.K.

Good idea. Thanks for writing.

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