I just got a wonderful email from a job seeker who heard me speak at Jewish Family Services in West Hartford, CT. He wrote that he did careful preparation and “listed the job requirements and coordinated them with my strengths” and also “carried of list of my accomplishment stories for some quick reading in the car (just before the interview) and kept the headings in clear sight during the interview.” The results? Two offers and another interview in the works. What I love best is his analogy:  “It was like taking an open book test.”

So good preparation is not optional. Take a look at a free chapter of my new book, “The Essential Job Interview Handbook” on my website:  JeanBaur.com. And make sure to put smart effort into getting ready for interviews. It pays off!