Crazy Good Interviewing

How Acting A Little Crazy Can Get You The Job

John B. Molidor, Barbara Parus

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781118331842
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Human Resource Management
• Index: Business

How acting a little crazy and thinking outside of the box can get you the job you want

Ever hear of a job candidate stretching out on the interviewer's floor to fill out an application? Or an applicant who sees nothing wrong with texting during the interview? Securing a job interview is a golden opportunity. The crazy-bad behavior described above will not net a job offer. Crazy Good Interviewing shows readers that crazy-good behavior, however, can make an applicant stand out favorably in a sea of mediocrity. Take the candidate who created a keynote presentation on his iPad to show what he could bring to the job or the one who created a DVD highlighting her abilities.

Crazy Good Interviewing is a book geared toward those who are looking for work in this tough economy.

• Addresses how slightly eccentric behaviors can tip the scales in the applicant's favor
• Delves into how to access your three key strengths, how to use body language effectively, how to prepare a five-sentence history that builds a bridge to the interviewer, and more

Turn just plain crazy into crazy-good, and land the job at your next interview.

Chapter 1

Job Hunting in a Crazy Economy

Could you stand up and sing in a Karaoke bar? In front of complete strangers? Without any practice? With little or no lead time?

If your vocal talent is similar to Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, Christina Aguilera, Seal, or Lady Gaga, you would undoubtedly enjoy doing this, even basking in the afterglow of audience applause and whistles from your newfound fans chanting “Encore!”

If your voice is mediocre at best, or if you are sorely out of practice, you know what it feels like to sing your heart out trying to imitate your favorite performer only to be met with laughter, groans, and rude remarks such as: “Next,” “Get out of here,” or “Don't give up your day job!”

Translation: If you don't know what you're doing (even if your intentions are good), you're going to be in trouble. Moreover, if you quit your regular paying job to become a singer, you will starve.

This type of negative reaction can be disheartening at best.

In today's tough economy, I don't know many people who are contemplating quitting a secure, well-paying job to become a singer or turn their other passions or hobbies into an income-generating business. In fact, most people consider themselves lucky if they have a job at all. For many people who are unemployed, though, their full-time job is looking for a job.

Job Market Overview

By definition, persons are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have been actively looking for work for the past four weeks, and are currently available for work. With unemployment hovering around 9 percent at the end of 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it's no wonder many people are discouraged at their prospects of finding employment, especially in their chosen fields. Add in those who have stopped hunting for jobs, and the numbers soar to 11 percent nationwide.

Everyone is familiar with tales of the Great Depression, which sparked the stock market crash and forced millions of people into the unemployment line. But did you know that the Great Recession, launched in December 2007, has put more people out of work for longer periods of time since the Great Depression? The fact is 6.4 million people have been jobless for at least six months, and 1.4 million have been unemployed for two years or longer.

The country is experiencing the greatest recession since the Great Depression with 9.2 percent unemployment reported in October 2011. Unemployment rates rose in 28 states and Washington, D.C., according to the BLS. Nevada had the highest unemployment rate for the 18th straight month (13.4 percent), followed by California (11.7 percent) and Michigan (10.6 percent).

If these statistics don't motivate you to hone your interviewing skills, then nothing will. It's time to consider your options if you're not independently wealthy or the holder of a winning lottery ticket.

If you cannot pack up and move to North Dakota, which boasts the nation's lowest unemployment rate of only 3.5 percent, Nebraska (4.2 percent), South Dakota (4.5 percent), or New Hampshire (5.3 percent), then you must have a winning job interview strategy in place. Table 1.1 lists unemployment rates by state.

Table 1.1 United States Unemployment Rates by State

Rank	Modified November 22, 2011 State	Rate
1	North Dakota	3.5
2	Nebraska	4.2
3	South Dakota	4.5
4	New Hampshire	5.3
5	Vermont	5.6
6	Wyoming	5.7
7	Iowa	6.0
8	Oklahoma	6.1
9	Minnesota	6.4
9	Virginia	6.4
11	Hawaii	6.5
12	New Mexico	6.6
13	Kansas	6.7
14	Louisiana	7.0
14	Utah	7.0
16	Maryland	7.2
17	Maine	7.3
17	Massachusetts	7.3
19	Alaska	7.4
20	Montana	7.6
21	Wisconsin	7.7
22	New York	7.9
24	Pennsylvania	8.1
25	Colorado	8.1
26	Arkansas	8.2
26	West Virginia	8.2
28	Texas	8.4
29	Missouri	8.5
30	Connecticut	8.7
31	Idaho	8.8
32	Ohio	9.0
32	Indiana	9.0
32	Washington	9.0
32	Arizona	9.0
36	New Jersey	9.1
37	Alabama	9.3
38	Oregon	9.5
39	Kentucky	9.6
39	Tennessee	9.6
41	Illinois	10.1
42	Georgia	10.2
43	Florida	10.3
44	North Carolina	10.4
44	Rhode Island	10.4
46	Mississippi	10.5
47	South Carolina	10.6
47	Michigan	10.6
49	District of Columbia	11.0
50	California	11.7
51	Nevada	13.4

Is there an end in sight to this bleak employment picture? Well, maybe. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that unemployment will decrease to 8 percent in ...