Job Interviews For Dummies®, 4th Edition

by Joyce Lain Kennedy

Job Interviews For Dummies®, 4th Edition

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John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011942771

ISBN 978-1-118-11290-8 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-22418-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-23748-9 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-24207-0 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Author

Joyce Lain Kennedy is America’s first nationally syndicated careers columnist. Her twice-weekly column, “Careers Now,” appears in newspapers and on websites across the land. In her four decades of advising readers — newbies, prime-timers, and those in between — Joyce has received millions of letters inquiring about career moves and job searches, and has answered countless numbers of them in print.

Joyce is the author of seven career books, including Joyce Lain Kennedy’s Career Book (McGraw-Hill), Electronic Job Search Revolution, Electronic Resume Revolution, and Hook Up, Get Hired! The Internet Job Search Revolution (the last three published by John Wiley & Sons). Job Interviews For Dummies is one of a trio of award-winning job market books published under John Wiley & Son’s wildly popular For Dummies branded imprint. The others are Resumes For Dummies and Cover Letters For Dummies.

Writing from Carlsbad, California, a San Diego suburb, the country’s best-known careers columnist is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. Contact Joyce at [email protected].

About the Technical Advisor

James M. Lemke has earned a reputation as a leader in talent strategies and processes. He is Director of Affiliate Human Resources Systems Development for Finca International, a global nonprofit financial services organization.

Jim has held executive positions with Opportunity International, Wachovia Bank, TRW, UCLA, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Raytheon. Previously, Jim spent 15 years as a human resources consultant and hiring authority. His client list included Real Networks, Southern California Metropolitan Water District, Northrop Grumman, Southwest Airlines, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, United Arab Emirates University, and the White House.

Jim resides in Buckeye, Arizona. Contact him at [email protected].

Author’s Acknowledgments

The richness of helpful information you find within these pages is due to my luck in sourcing many respected minds in the employment space. Contributors to whom I am especially indebted are individually credited in chapter pages. Applause to one and all.

Additionally, thanks a billion to the following individuals who worked long and hard to make this book happen:

James M. Lemke, above-the-title technical advising star and executive world traveler, who is indispensable to the quality of every book I write.

Lindsay Sandman Lefevere, For Dummies executive editor, who is godmother for this book and quite a few others.

Linda Brandon, top editor at the top of her game, who attentively shepherded this book through a myriad of publishing hoops, always making valuable suggestions.

Melanie Astaire Witt, writer and editor, who provided inordinate expertise to produce this book’s first appendix of interview questions by career fields and industries.

Yevgeniy “Yev” Churinov, computer whiz and social networking guru, who contributed both technological clarity and practical production assistance to this work.

Krista Hansing, copyeditor of the first rank, who used her sharp eyes, sound judgment, and commitment to the project to make this a far better book.

Gail Ross, literary agent-attorney and longtime friend, who continues to help me make the right publishing moves.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Vertical Websites

Project Editor: Linda Brandon (Previous Edition: Traci Cumbay)

Acquisitions Editor: Lindsay Lefevere

Copy Editor: Krista Hansing

Assistant Editor: David Lutton

Editorial Program Coordinator: Joe Niesen

Technical Editor: James M. Lemke

Editorial Managers: Jennifer Ehrlich, Carmen Krikorian

Editorial Assistant: Alexa Koschier

Art Coordinator: Alicia B. South

Cover Photo: © iStockphoto.com / FMNG

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees

Layout and Graphics: Andrea Hornberger, Laura Westhuis

Proofreaders: Jessica Kramer, Toni Settle

Indexer: Ty Koontz

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher

Kristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director

Ensley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services