CHAPTER ONE An Assault against Anxiety 9
The Most Common Interview Fears 11
Strategy versus Memorization 13
Interviewing Can Be Fun! 14
CHAPTER TWO Building Your Skills Arsenal 15
Assessing Your Skills 19
General Skills 20
Job-Specific Skills 27
Personal Traits 30
Competencies 33
Your Gift 35
Skills Summary Page 36
CHAPTER THREE Q Statements: Your Secret Weapon 39
What Is a Q Statement? 41
Quality or Quantity? 44
Let’s Get Specific 45
CHAPTER FOUR Research: What Separates the Hired
from the Not Hired 57
CHAPTER FIVE Winding Up Your Strategy 69
Recommendations 71
References 74
The Presentation Packet 77
Punctuality 77
The Preinterview Checklist 78
CHAPTER SIX Managing the First Twenty Seconds
CHAPTER SEVEN Answering Interview Questions 91
CHAPTER EIGHT Negotiating Your Salary 123
CHAPTER NINE Following Up: Juggling Multiple Offers 141
Focus Letters 143
Follow-Up Calls 146
Multiple Offers 146
CHAPTER TEN Sample Interviews 151