You have seen from the previous entries the list of the possible illegal questions that might be asked during a job interview. In order to handle these questions, you must know what your true goals are, as they will guide you to the right actions. If you may come across some of the prohibited questions, there are three options which you can consider when you answer.

• You could momentarily forfeit your rights and allow yourself to answer the question, hoping that it will deepen affiliations with the employer instead of hinting prejudice.

• You can choose to carefully decline in answering the question but carry on with your aim to get the job you are applying for. You might want to say that, “I am a dedicated person when it comes to working and I balance my personal life and my job.” A promise of dedication is good for any employer.

• You can so choose to clearly refuse to answer the question and manifest an apparent aversion for the company. You can take blatant measures and go as far as filing a complaint or a law suit against the company.

(For further reading: http://www.job-hunting-tips.com/interview-center/interviews9.html)

A good job interview usually lasts up to about an hour. That must have wrapped up everything, from job descriptions to experience-based questions. Use real-life situations in the company and try to see the applicant’s perspective. Is he assertive? Or does he lack confidence in proposing a remedy to the problem?

As for interviewees, show that you are capable of the job by acting smart and confident at the same time. Don’t act as if you’re too desperate for a job. For hiring managers, let the candidate do the talking. Just listen and observe. Give the applicant a chance to illustrate his points and draw his own ideas.

Employers use job applications to standardize the information they have from all their applicants. You have to fill out the application as completely as honestly as possible. Remember that this is what some employers use to decide whether to call you for an interview or not.

When filling out your job application, bring your resume with you, as well as contact details of previous employers. Take a few minutes to read the instructions carefully before filling out the blanks. Be as neat as possible when you complete the application form. The application form is a reflection of you, and a legible form will swing in your favor. Answer all questions truthfully, especially for sensitive questions like why you left your last job. Being honest doesn’t mean that you should be negative though; try to make a positive spin on your answers. Finally, be prepared to fill out all sorts of job applications - from simple one-page ones to applications with multiple pages and questions.

Here are some resources where you might be able to find internships.

Placement office. Your university placement office should have a list of internship programs and application dates. This is usually the place everyone first starts looking.

Networks. Tell the people in your network that you are looking for a certain kind of internship. Your network includes your family, friends at school, friends of your parents, professors, previous employers, etc.

Internship or career fair. Most universities offer a college career fair at least once during the school year and the companies who are part of it usually offer internships. Even if you intend to have your internship in a different city, go to the fair and network anyway as many companies have multiple offices.

Company websites. If you’ve already figured out what industry or specific group of companies you’d like to intern for, go straight to the source by checking out their websites and available internship positions.

Before you start the search for your internship, spend some time to reflect on your goals.

Figure out your career interests. An internship is one way you can streamline your career goals. If you intend to have a political career, for instance, get an internship with a local politician. If you’re not sure what career path to take, consider getting an internship in both those areas.

Determine why you want an internship and what you hope to gain from the experience. There are many reasons why people get internships - college credit, learning new skills, gaining connections, etc.

Even if you know what you want to do, you can still be unsure about the industry you want to get in. For instance, if you’d like to get into sales, remember that pharmaceutical sales is different from selling insurance.

Cold calling is one effective way you can find a job. This is essentially uninvited job hunting where you dig for available job openings. The first step of cold calling is to make a list of the companies you’re interested in working for. Then look for people who have the power to give you a position in that company. Do this by calling the company and asking for the name of the human resources manager or the hiring manager. Then write a dynamic cover letter to the hiring manager stating the position you intend to apply for. Include a clean copy of your resume in the letter. Finally, contact the hiring manager or the human resources manager and ask for a job interview. This step is the most difficult since you’ll need to be persistent. If he or she is unwilling to give youa job interview, ask questions and try to gain more information about the field as well as the names of people you can do the whole process to again.

You can’t apply for a job unless you have a resume that describes and highlights your credentials, work experience, abilities, credentials, and skills. Here are a few tips that might help you write your resume.

The general rule is to keep your resume condensed into one page, but you don’t have to follow this rule to the letter. If you have a lot of work experience, you can stretch it up to two pages. If your resume spills over to the next page but you have less than half a page worth of material for page two, it’s better to try to put them all in one page.

Make your resume reader-friendly by using a bullet-style format.

Include as much contact information as you can, especially information about where your prospective employer can contact you during business hours.

Give your resume a sharp focus. Employers spend only 2 to 20 seconds to look at a resume, so you need to let them know what you can do and what you want to do at a glance. One way to do it is to place an objective statement - the position you’re looking for, or skills that will benefit your employer.

The internet is a handy, convenient way to find your next job. Maximize what it can offer by following these tips on job hunting through the Internet.

Don’t expect the Internet to be a genie that will magically offer you your dream job. Only 5% of job seekers find their job through the internet alone.

Take advantage of all features each job search site offers, including the resume and advanced job search.

Don’t be passive during your job search. After posting your resume and applying for the job, follow up with each prospective employer with an e-mail.

Don’t respond to job listings you aren’t qualified for, as this will just add to the numerous applications employers need to go through.

Put more than one version of your resume online so that potential employers have 24/7 access to your credentials. Also consider developing an online portfolio, especially if your career is in web design or web development.

Also try going directly to each company’s website, looking through their job openings, and applying for each directly.

Some companies give you a phone interview before they call you in for a face-to-face interview. Here are a few do’s and don’ts you might want to consider during a phone interview.

If you don’t think you have enough time to do a phone interview today, suggest a certain time to the recruiter. It’s better if you do the call back so you can be more mentally prepared.

Make sure that you are in a quiet place where you can concentrate and take notes.

Keep notecards, an outline, or a copy of your resume in front of you so you can remember the key points you’d like to bring up during the interview. While you don’t want your answers to sound scripted, you don’t want to forget the important points either. Having your resume in front of you will also help you recall the highlights of your career so far.

Stand up during the phone interviewer. Experts say that people sound more professional when they’re standing up than when they’re sitting down.

Avoid sneezing or coughing; say “excuse me” if you can’t.

Interviewers look for candidates who can convince them that they can help the company achieve its goals. One of the best ways you can answer interview questions is by giving career success stories. These are the moments in your career where you were able to overcome difficult challenges to achieve the project’s goals. These stories will give your interviewer an idea about your ability to handle tasks, solve problems, and come up with solutions. Relate your answer to each interview question to a similar experience in your career, how you handled it, and the results that came out. The key to any successful interview, especially if it’s for a new field, is to make a connection between your abilities and skills and related situations in the new job. Although this job may be different from your previous one, there will be similarities in terms of daily challenges and tasks that you need to deal with.