Are You Getting The Job Interview But Not The Job?

Maybe your interview skills are not up to snuff.

One of the biggest mistakes I see job candidates make is that they explore their "true selves" a bit too much during the job interview.

Be forewarned: Job interviews are NOT an opportunity for you to spill your guts. You are not at your shrink!

Rather, at an interview, or in any business interaction, you are ACTING. And the part you are playing is that of an eager, accomplished, confident, skilled professional.

Are YOU adept at portraying yourself in the best light? Let's discuss!

Feel free to write in and tell us what you feel might be going wrong at YOUR job interviews. Post a comment on this blog and we'll fire back with some helpful advice.


Click on the "# comments" link just below this line to post your career questions and opinions. Thanks!

Mid-Life Career Changes: Is There Any Hope?

I want to apologize for not commenting on this blog more frequently. Given my personal workload, it is very difficult to fit in blogging. However, we are back in the saddle and intend to post often from now on.

A reader comments as follows:

"I've been trying unsuccessfully to land a Marketing Internship. I'm a 37 year-old trying to transition from a career in Information Technology to a career in Marketing. My degree is a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems from a well-respected Cal State University, but it's certainly not Harvard, Wharton, or Stanford. I've sent a few cover letters and resumes for Marketing Internships, but I've not gotten any bites.

Perhaps I'm operating under some incorrect assumptions, but I assumed most job screeners would prefer someone with proven experience who is still hungry enough to work for free over those who may not have held any real job or graduated yet.

I have some decent transferable general experience to highlight, and it's probably more than the average Marketing student, but something must be wrong. Either a mid-level career changer is raising red flags, my resume is weak aesthetically, job screeners are only interested in Marketing majors (current or degreed), most Marketing students already have Marketing-specific experience to highlight, or something else is the issue.

Could you provide any guidance to mid-career people like me trying to break into the field of Marketing who have good skills but not a Marketing Degree? Is Graduate school a necessity for us?"

Making a transition such as the one you describe is perhaps one of the hardest things you'll ever do in your career. If a transition is what you really want, do not give up, but understand the road is going to be a bumpy one. To my mind, your particular case would be easier were you to pursue an MBA or other degree that signifies a change in direction. And to expect an employer to give up a highly prized marketing internship to you - versus a younger Marketing major - is probably unrealistic.

Here are some things I would suggest:

1. Go back to school if possible, even if you have to do it at night.

2. If you are going to try for Marketing internships, don't just mail or email resumes -- try to get on the phone and call these people directly. In my experience, I find that writing or applying online does not produce half the result of personal contact.

3. Go to job fairs to meet and greet with employers. Visit college campuses and crash guest speaker forums.

4. If you are a techy (did I spell that right), you should know that technical companies have marketing departments, too. Try transitioning to a Marketing department in a company where your own skills are held to be valuable -- maybe even the company you work for now!

5. Do you look and dress like a Marketing person? Take a good look at your image before you even go to an interview and decide, maybe with the help of a friend, whether you look the part.

6. Your resume may have to be looked at by a professional - I could not begin to guess whether it is the problem or not. Our firm and others provide resume consulting services for a modest fee. You may want to invest a little money in your resume.

Good luck! And don't give up.