The Monster Blog

The Job Search Isn’t Over Until the Offer Is in Hand

About 10 days ago, I began a second and final round of interviewing, and everything went swimmingly. I was thrilled when the recruiter called to say there was a job offer in the making. But sealing the deal with this recruiter has been a bumpy ride.

 

Usually the recruiter would have relinquished the offer process to the firm’s hiring manager or HR department by this point. The problem is, I have questions about the offer, which means the recruiter has had to chase down answers. Trying to untangle the phone conversations, I requested to see everything in writing.

 

And so, I wait by my mailbox.

 

Now it’s time to focus on wrapping up loose ends. So much gets put off during a search for permanent full-time employment -- doctor's appointments, postponed luncheon engagements and the home office to-do pile. My biggest task by far is finding full-time care for my 2 young sons. The good news is that there are many more quality caregivers in the market now -- a manifestation of underemployment, perhaps? In theory, then, my job offer will actually employ 2 people.

 

What happens when I finally find the written offer in my mailbox? I will carefully carry out my benefits and salary due diligence. You only have one chance to come out of the gate swinging, so now is the time for negotiation. Once I have all my questions in a row, I want to understand how this firm will treat me as potential employee. Given that I am unfamiliar with the company culture, I am very cautious -- as they say, buyer beware. But the hiring courtship often indicates how an everyday employee is treated. A few of my unemployed friends have accepted jobs even though they didn’t like how they were treated by the hiring firm, but the positions satisfy their healthcare and revenue needs. I would prefer to find a position that satisfies both my fiscal and emotional needs.

 

When you receive an employment offer, what next steps will you take?

 

Career Boomerang: What If Your Job Search Brings You Back to a Former Employer?

In all the months spent researching and searching for permanent full-time employment, who should emerge as one of my top targeted firms? My former, former employer. Not the one that laid me and hundreds of others off about 6 months ago, but the firm I voluntarily left more than a decade ago. Recently they opened a branch just 20 miles from my home – a civilized commute in my congested part of the world. Since I have a solid track record with the firm, and I thrived in their culture, I never hesitated to contact them again. And through the magic of networking, it’s likely that I'll have an interview there next week.

Naturally, many of my former coworkers have moved on given the 10-year time span. But I am sure that if I work at this firm again, I will encounter some of the same colleagues. There’s a big lesson from my professional tenure: you never know who you will meet again and under which circumstances.

I've learned through my networking conversations that there are two key skills the firm is looking for. One is a sense of urgency or as I like to call it, "getting it done-ness." The other is leadership. Getting things done is a fairly straightforward skill set for anyone with two young boys. Even something as seemingly simple as propelling my sons forward in the mornings -- getting fed, dressed and ready for the learning day -- requires a sense of urgency. The added teamwork and motivation further finesse my “get it done” skill set.

Leadership is a tougher skill set to illustrate with any employer, former or not. People define leadership differently, so figuring out how to frame my leadership experience is a primary goal in prep for the impending interview. I will sound out various resources, gather feedback and apply this to my work results. Since my leadership “sagas” don’t lend themselves to retelling in an interview setting, I will craft brief, to-the-point leadership snapshots.

Now that I've mulled over my approach to this interview, I had better get it done!

Would you consider working for an old employer?

 

3 Steps to Prepare for 3 Job Interviews in 3 Days

Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Last week, I was fortunate enough to land 3 interviews in as many days. Other job-seeking friends are reporting an increase in activity too. In some cases, it is because firms want to spend their remaining Q4 budget by bringing someone on board. In other cases, the companies are gearing up for their Q1 hires now. Whatever the business rationale, I welcome the opportunity to interview, although it does require some pre-work. Here are the 3 fundamental steps that I use to prepare for interviews:

 

1. Read All Available Public Domain Information

 

Obviously, the Internet is a great tool for collecting general data about the prospective company. To dig deeper, consider a subscription business information service such as OneSource. Thanks to their high-level overview of one particular firm's financials, board members and recent performance results, I gleaned useful information about a large, family-owned business.

 

2. Reach Out to People Who Have Worked at the Firm

 

Of the past employees I spoke with, most were balanced and neutral in the assessments of their former employer. Of course, some contacts departed the company on unfavorable terms, so you may wish to take their perspectives with a grain of salt.

 

In these informational interviews, I try to understand their views about the company’s culture and team dynamics. I discovered that one firm has had very high turnover. What would spark these departures even in these economic times? I was told that some of the departing folks will actually be rehired as consultants, and that this is essentially the firm’s “growth” plan. Hmmm, my gut is telling me to be careful. I will dig around more before another round of interviews with this particular company.

 

3. Check Out the Firm’s Competition

 

To round out my intelligence gathering, I also look at the companies’ competitors. While competitors will not speak to me about strategy or other proprietary information, they are more than happy to expound on their products. In preparing for an interview with one of the companies, I stumbled across a major patent case that reached the Supreme Court. Given my limited legalese, I turned to a patent lawyer who happens to be in my job search networking club. He did a little pro bono patent law definition for me, and now I really feel that I've turned over every possible stone.

 

The pre-interview work isn’t complete until I polish my questions and make sure that my career portfolio is presentable. While time consuming as these preparations are, they all paid off. I've secured second-round interviews in all 3 cases. That’s a good feeling!

 

What techniques do you use to prepare for a first or second interview?

 

Hanging on by a Thread: Month 6 of My Job Search Approaches

I’ve just had one of the most unusual first interviews in my 20 years as a working (and, lately, job seeking) professional. Armed with excellent information and company market research about the firm’s products, I went in prepared with a PowerPoint marketing strategy. I also brought along photos of the company’s products captured in a variety of store format settings. None of these materials were asked for, but since I do not have this particular industry experience, I had to show my marketing skills proactively.

 

The first interviewer was with the actual hiring manager. She was interested in my capabilities in developing new products and delivering revenue. This was a great topic for me as I have developed many new products, in various firms, generating well over $300 million. She was also impressed with the work I had done in my PowerPoint presentation.

 

After a 12-minute wait, the next individual to interview me was the group’s senior manager. This is where the interview got strange. Her first reaction to my resume was “Eewww, you worked for ABC company,” which she said in a very denigrating tone of voice. I was rather taken aback given that ABC company is a good corporate citizen and has generated more than $50 billion in the local economy. I did not want to start this interview on a negative note, so I chose not to respond to this remark. After many more questions, interviewer number 2 then concluded the meeting with, “So when can you start?” What a turn of events!

 

The last person I met with held the position I was interviewing for -- he was moving on to another job in the firm. We had a long and lively conversation, which concluded with his asking me, “So when can you start?”

 

The very next day, I received a call from the recruiter who told me the firm decided not to proceed with my candidacy because I didn’t have the necessary marketing skills. What a rollercoaster ride that was, to say the least.

 

That night, after receiving the news, I diverged from my usual organic menu and ate a big pile of mac & cheese (Why is comfort food bad for you?) and did some soul-searching. Obviously, I need to up my game to get beyond the first interview stage. To put my new plan into action, I went to the library and loaned out several key career books. I also set up appointments with 2 professional job interviewing experts. But emotionally, I am not great, I am "just OK.” It takes a lot of bad things happening to me for me to end up “just OK.”

 

A friend in one of my job search support groups tells me of another member who’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He has had many second-round interviews in the past year, but none are progressing to the offer stage. Another buddy of mine is upset about the undercurrent of disrespect pervading the job seeking experience. I am very worried for them. Fortunately, this job club is very supportive of venting, and all involved are very understanding.

 

There are many of us hanging on by various diameters of threads, ropes, etc., in this job search climate. How do you feel about your situation?

 

3 Interviewing Lessons Learned While Out on the Job Search

In the last 2 weeks, I’ve had several interviews of such vastly different styles, I thought sharing some perspectives might help you in your job search. For example, I’ve learned to discern what questions I need to ask up front before going to the interview location. While it is gratifying to be asked to interviews these days, any interview should still have a reasonable return on time and energy, given I need to focus all my time and energy on finding and landing a job.

 

One of the three interviews is definitely a nomination for the comedy category. This firm had posted for some rather engaging and fun marketing positions involving local products for the local market. So I submitted my resume thinking a local position would be ideal given my young sons, allowing me to simplify my commuting/care-giving situation. Within 3 days, a very, very happy person called me about my “perfect” background for their jobs. She called herself a recruiter for this company and said she was working with the hiring managers to screen the resumes, and mine had made the cut. It sounded reasonable, so I accepted her suggested time and date and waited to receive driving directions by email.

 

Red Flag #1: The word “perfect” for the job -- really nobody is perfect.

 

Red Flag #2: The directions were very poor and not really written to be sure a candidate would find the firm.

 

Red Flag #3: This is a big one. The recruiter was sitting in the company’s reception area, busy making personal calls while I waited for the actual interviewer.

 

Red Flag #4: The application form resembled an ancient mimeograph machine copy (do these machines even still exist?) and looked very unprofessional.

 

Red Flag #5: This is the last one, and pretty big at that -- the style of the interviewer. Both in a fashion sense and professional approach, the interview was a comedy of errors on the interviewer’s part. As always, I was dressed appropriately in my best interview suit with a resume in hand and a list of prepared questions for the interviewer. The interviewer could barely tell me her name and had zero answers about the firm’s business model for marketing their local products. I rephrased the questions several times and was only told I needed to stay “glued to my cell phone” so they could invite me back to an open house.

 

Interviewing Lesson Learned: On the phone, I should have clarified the job description I was interviewing for. That in itself would have ferreted out this firm’s nonsense approach, because they would have been equally as evasive on the phone as in person. Fortunately, I found the humor in this interview and it hadn’t been such a far drive for me.

 

The next interview was a very serious one at a regional, well-respected firm that drives multimillion-dollar building projects. All the preparation was done by an external recruiter who was very professional and excellent in following up to set the stage for the interview. The top HR person interviewed me for twice as long as the allotted time. It was a solid dialogue about my accomplishments and the benefits I could bring to this firm. However, at one point in the dialogue, the HR person mentioned he liked and had fun interviewing all sorts of people given the diversity of dialogues he could have with the job seekers.

 

Interviewing Lesson Learned: While it is nice to have a good dialogue with the interviewer, it has to be for a specific end result in landing a position. Hopefully, landing a job with this firm continues to be an option and I wasn’t just the half-time entertainer.

 

The third lesson learned came from a recent interview with a national firm that has local offices specializing in consumer products. The interview was set up as very casual, but professional. I was asked to bring any public domain materials of work that demonstrated a track record of success. I was prepared in all aspects. But it turned out the hiring manager only had a 15-minute “screening” type of interview in mind and just wanted to focus on a reality check of working with customers and consumers. The next steps are the actual further interviews to begin in a few weeks.

 

Interviewing Lesson Learned: I should have asked on the phone about the time allotted for this interview or how long I needed to plan for my parking space.

 

What lessons have you learned and are now incorporating into your future interviewing experiences? Any that have made a key difference when you leveraged a lesson learned?

 

For more job interview tips, check out Monster’s Interview Advice.

 

Leveraging Skills Learned from Past Jobs When Interviewing for Your Next Job

Over the past few months in my job search, several wise hiring-firm insiders have told me that if you are brought in for an on-site interview, it means you are considered to have the skills needed to meet the job requirements. So the interview is mostly about your fit with the company’s culture. That said, almost everyone has once held less-than-glamorous job but has been able to move on and adapt to a new company culture. And tales of these jobs offer insights to potential employers about your capabilities that could get you invited for a second interview or even a job offer.

 

Often the past jobs that seemed rather unattractive at the time did have value beyond the money earned. Many folks learn certain skills or characteristics they can leverage in the job search when going for a new position. One of my favorite colleagues, who had a real nuts-and-bolts industrial job, really appreciated the hard work he had put in on the factory floor for many years while he earned his degree. The job he had was a very smelly one -- he was in charge of applying a paste to a surface that was then baked. This paste-and-surface combination was very fragrant. And if he did not properly apply the paste while crawling under moving machinery, then a very expensive piece of material became useless to the company. His job function was critical to the firm, and he learned he had to do his job 100% every single time. As a result, he can speak with confidence in job interviews about the importance of meticulously doing a task right with complete accuracy the first time out of the gate.

 

A sporting friend of mine worked as a lifeguard for a local community center for many summers. Given the center was funded by local taxes, the lifeguards also had other tasks when they were not working the guard stands in the pool areas. One such task was to service the bathrooms and locker rooms. This involved using lots of chlorine and other sanitizing products on the floors and surfaces of the facilities. My friend had the ability to clean the facilities with a smile on her face as she always kept in mind that if the restrooms were clean, then most likely the people entering the pools were clean. While this work was not glamorous, it was necessary to keep the community center up and running and in compliance with local health laws. If the community center had been shut down, she would have lost her revenue stream. She’s able to express this past work experience as an integral part of keeping a business afloat to not only her own financial benefit, but also to the benefit of the greater community, literally.

 

Yet another job seeking compatriot had the opportunity to drive a forklift for several months. Her firm had a slight labor disruption at the factory and many of the employees had to step up to the plate to keep the customers satisfied with product shipments. While driving a forklift is an unusual skill and very useful if you wish to be on the factory floor, it doesn’t fit in with my friend’s normal corporate persona. However, she can prove to prospective employers she is willing to roll up her sleeves and do whatever it takes to keep the customer happy. After all, the customer pays the bills and she’s demonstrated exceptional customer service by extending herself.

 

What unusual skills have you gained from past experiences that you can leverage to set yourself apart from other job seekers?

 

For more about how to promote your skills in your job search, check out these articles:

 

· “Assessing Your Skills”

· “Showcase Marketable Skills in Your Resume Skills Section”

· “The Skills You Have and the Skills They Want”

 

Juggling Motherhood and the Full-Time Job of Finding Work

The recent holiday weekend was a good milestone to assess how far I've come in my job search as well as bringing me to a turning, semi-crisis point. My young sons’ caregiver is returning to university in her country now that her year as an au pair is done here. Having paid all of her fees last year while I was still employed, it made sense to keep her engaged for her manageable weekly pay until the end of the summer. So I've had to make a number of choices and arrangements to manage child care and my full-fledged job search going forward. Nonetheless, I am rather stressed and conflicted despite the logic I applied to the choices.

 

I've decided to take a bit of a hiatus in my job search for just 2 weeks until my mother, bless her, is able to pitch in with child care for 4 weeks. So for the next 10 business days, my job search work will be conducted only during the hours the boys sleep, as I'll be their daytime caregiver. Within those 10 days, I have one all-day teaching gig, so I planned ahead and have spliced together 2 friends for kiddie coverage.

 

A few other retired teacher friends are willing to pitch in some hours here and there should I get an interview scheduled, which is likely given several screenings from before the long weekend. Even for a scheduled phone interview, I'll need peace and quiet and someone to watch the boys. I've put some friends on notice and hope to be able to give them ample time, but I don't want to wait to schedule an interview. I need to be viewed as an employee who is not burdened with single-parent concerns as it may unwittingly put a slight prejudice against my candidacy for a position, so I need keep my child-care concerns out of a potential employer’s view. I want to be the best possible candidate without the small "but" coming up during key stakeholder conversations for a job offer.

 

While I have the essential job search obligations covered while I’m caring for Owen and Evan, I am distressed at the number of networking events I will need to pass on. For example, my local project management chapter is having its kick-off for the year this week, and it is a fabulously well-attended networking event with up to 200 folks and a great deal of interest from local employers. I'm also missing out on the Marketing & Martini Mixer featuring Speed Networking from the greater metro area marketing group. That is a really cool one, but it has an undefined ROI for me as well as a two-hour plus drive. On a much smaller scale, I’ll be missing out on two local job-hunting groups that offer seminars and tips. It seems everyone kicks off events, right after Labor Day, but I don't feel I can cash in all my friends' good will by also using them for these "nice-to-do" job events.

 

For 3 out of 4 of these events, I will be able to sound out a few of my fellow job seeker friends and get their reports back. But it is just not the same as being there in person. Fortunately, it is only a two-week gap in my job search, and the night hours are great for online networking and follow-ups. Then with my mother's help full-time, I'll be able to arrange my job searching days as I had with my au pair. To give my mother and myself a small break, I've managed to find a nice young college student with licensed day care center experience. She'll be able to take care of the boys for 10 hours a week at a very reasonable fee but already has another job.

 

So far, my planning seems like a crazy patchwork quilt, but it is all with people my sons know and trust. Additionally, my mother and friends all understand and fully support my main educational points for my sons in addition to any structured preschool coming down the pike. So it is reassuring to have consistency in that regard as well.

 

When my mother leaves in 6 weeks, I'll have planned my next steps for kiddie coverage. As they say, one day at a time. And who knows? I might land a decent position with on-site day care that won't bankrupt me or my sons’ college educations.

 

Do you have any personal dilemmas such as child, elder or other care that impacts your job search? How do you address those challenges?

 

For more tips on balancing work and family obligations, check out these articles:

 

* "Tips for Working Mothers"

* "Manage Work and a Family Crisis"

* "How to Get a Flexible Schedule"

* "The Sandwich Generation Balances Children and Elderly Parents"

 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Unemployment Office and Other Job Search Adventures

For some reason, my state's unemployment office keeps wanting to see me (and many of my laid-off brethren) in person every 6 weeks or so. While the sentiment is nice, it means I have to take an afternoon off from my job search to go to a location that is not convenient to my library or home. This last visit clearly indicated that the state employers were overworked. The two managers escorted a number of us into a testing room setup and then read us a list of 10 items word for word. These 10 items were the basics of job interviewing, such as "wear clean and pressed clothing." While mildly interesting, I was more focused on eating my lunch, which was much delayed given non-stop meetings all morning. I tried to eat it in the car, but there was too much traffic to safely drive and eat. Lo and behold, I was told you can't eat in the unemployment office, so my stomach grumbled.

 

After listening to the 10 items, we job seekers were suddenly and summarily dismissed by the two unemployment managers. Now I had won back an hour of time! I politely asked if I could use the resource center to process more job posting applications given the bank of computers in the unemployment office. Oops, it is closed on Friday afternoons. I guess the staff may have gone to the beach? So back in the car to drive all the way back to my library's computers, which fortunately are now open 7 days a week.

 

In other driving adventures, I made the "quick" drive to a neighboring state that hosted a stop on Monster’s Keep America Working Tour. One key technology firm was focused on hiring for 80 positions. I was astonished! I asked what was driving this quantity of positions and even intimated that I was wondering if the jobs were real. The internal company recruiter assured me that the 80 positions were viable and solidly available. The driving factor behind these openings was that this firm's fiscal year ends on September 30. So this firm's business units are gearing up for their new fiscal year (in short, an advanced 2010) on October 1 and wish to have their teams hired and in place by then. There must be other firms that follow this same type of fiscal model, and I wonder if they may be also driving such strong hiring numbers?

 

Also of note in this job fair was the quantity of recruiting firms. Each recruiter I spoke with was very encouraging about participating in their firm's job banks. They went out of their way to really impress upon me to go to their Web site and be engaged with their recruitment efforts. I only had my first name on my badge, so they didn’t know who I was. Another bonus in talking with these recruitment firms: I was able to practice my 30-seconds-or-less elevator speech. It's now fine-tuned to really rock.

 

So the 4-hour drive (only 88 miles) to the job fair paid off in a variety of ways (I also squeezed in a satisfying networking luncheon), while the 22-mile trip to the unemployment office only left me hungry. Nonetheless, I was left with plenty of food for thought after both of these trips and use my drive time for some of my best creative thinking as to the next steps in my job search quest. I wonder, if I drove to Alaska might I land a position?

How do you use daily life routines -- and bumps -- to keep focused in the search for employment?

The 3-Month Checkup: What Is New and Improved in My Job Search?

Today marks 3 months to my last day at my former employer. So what has changed since my layoff, and what am I doing differently in my job hunt?
 
I’m thinking about these topics in a pro/con analysis. On a positive note, I've been able to drop approximately 10 pounds given a little more flexibility in the start time of my “working at finding work” days. Mostly, I've been able to exercise more, which, consequently, has helped with the weight loss. Additionally, I've been moving between so many appointments and events that often there isn't time to fit in a full meal. I strive to avoid filler foods and eat healthy, and often truly healthy foods can’t be easily found while on the run. As often as is practical, I pack a lunch. So fitting in the interview suits is easier these days. Plus being energized is an important trait when presenting yourself in interviews.
 
I spent the first month of my job search laying the foundation for the actual job hunt. As with a foundation for a house, the support structure for the job search needs to be solid. I spent several weeks tailoring my resume to be sure it incorporated state-of-the-art resume writing tips and could be used in a variety of computer formats. That same month, I also attended several classroom seminars on networking, interviewing, negotiating and other job search skills. To round out my calendar, I volunteered my marketing expertise for a global conference on sustainability.
 
After the global conference finished, I had most of the seminar learning bolted into my brain as well as a nicely fine-tuned resume. So I was all set to tackle the second month of my journey. The foundations I had laid in those first 4 weeks were critical in preparing me to actively job seek. Perfecting the resume was a really important step and truly well worth the time invested. It doesn't make sense to float out a resume that isn't as stellar as possible. Plus, it’s hard to keep track of various versions that just aren’t the best reflection of your capabilities.
 
What did my very active job seeking look like? At the very least, I have learned not to multitask as much as I had been doing previously in my professional life. I simply focused on the task at hand. This involved:
 
     • Contacting a wide variety of industry-related recruiters.
     • Contacting my old firm's business friends via professional social networking sites.
     • Participating in industry special-interest groups.
     • Enrolling in and using various job boards.
     • Networking in new business groups.
     • Practicing public speaking in local business forums.

So all cylinders were on fire and I was hitting my stride in my job search, and then a new opportunity arrived in my third month. This was the chance to gain certification in project management at a local technical university. The training was being funded by a grant I qualified for, and it mandated I start the coursework almost immediately. Fortunately, the coursework is just part of the week and I can devote the rest of the week to my job search. As a result, the quest is on a slightly slower path while I partake in this formalized training that certifies work I had done for the past 9 years.
 
I recall a couple short years ago my twin sons had various immunizations at their start-of-life checkups: 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, etc. With that cadence in mind, my job search’s 6-month checkup will be next. Hopefully, any shots I have to take in the arm (or to the ego) will be well-placed to bolster my ongoing health and maintain my well-being while I seek a new position. Or, more optimistically, maybe I'll be reemployed prior to the next checkup!
 
Looking back at the first three months of your job search, what is new and improved in your life now?

Getting Back in the Interviewing Groove

Lo and behold, during the final stages of planning our mini-vacation to Chicago, I received a call to a much-desired interview with a local subsidiary of a multinational firm. The position is aligned with my marketing skills and, at the outset, looks like a good fit. The resume did its job and opened up the door for this first conversation with this firm. Now I’ll have to dust off my interview savvy from 9-plus years ago and weave in some of the new learnings to insure the next steps happen with this firm.

You may have heard the old joke: “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?”

“Practice, practice, practice!”

And the same applies with interviewing. I’ve decided I need the practice in order to be comfortable answering new, challenging types of questions I hadn’t encountered years ago. Fortunately, one of my running buddies knows an actively employed HR person who is doing some volunteering at a local community center. So he’ll connect me with her, and I’ll see if she is willing to spend a half hour conducting a mock interview. Of course, I’ll read up on potential questions and practice in front of a mirror, but having this HR person’s perspective shall be immensely helpful. As they say, you never know who knows who, and I openly talk about my job search steps every time I meet with my running buddies.

Preparing for the interview is part of getting my groove back. Part of that preparation includes researching the firm -- beyond what is posted on the company Web site. Often the local library has a business section or even a business librarian who can cull out relevant articles in the papers and other media. I’ve also been told that the local unemployment office has resources either on site or at the state level to do this type of research on your behalf.

Once I’ve done my homework about the firm, I need to draw up my list of questions. It is critical to learn more about a firm that might be your next potential employer for many many years. The first interview is all about the fit; after all, since you’ve got the interview, it most likely has been determined that you have either all or most of the skills to do the job. HR or the hiring manager has chosen you based on your resume to be one of the top candidates, given how time-consuming interviewing can be for everyone involved. So the fit check, both by the people interviewing you as well as you them, is critical for moving on to the next steps, whether it be a second interview or an offer. Having prepared questions on my end indicates a desire to be part of the corporate fit.

Lastly, I need to do an inventory of how I will present myself in person with respect to attire, accessories and being pulled together. At the initial interview, nobody needs to see that I am a mother of two very active, small boys. I’ll need to be sure my interview bag is clean of any children’s toys or papers. While it is very sweet and endearing to find a surprise toy or love note drawing from my boys in my bag (on most days, the little boy wonders do sneak something in), it would be an awkward pause in the beginning steps of an interview conversation to pull out a scribbled drawing rather than a clean notebook. Maybe this would be a funny scene in a sitcom, but not in real life. Just like getting back in the dating scene after a divorce, you don’t wish to scare away a potential love of your life -- or the right employer.

How have you geared up for interviewing again? Any funny, yet important lessons learned to share with your unemployed compatriots?