Acing The Interview

It's no secret that there is a lot of competition for writing jobs.

What makes or breaks you in an interview is more of a mystery that some writers may try to unravel for years. After you've developed an impressive resume (see my previous feature "Finding Your Niche"

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art5746.asp

for more on that topic), consider some of the suggestions below from professionals in the industry, who tell us how a writer can "sell" themselves in an interview.

"I look for someone who presents themself professionally, shows confidence, motivation and creativity," says Margaret Daleman, director of a national non-profit organization. "I want to hear a writer tell me in their own words why they can the job better than anyone else..."

Credentials may look great on paper, but if you can't deliver the whole deal in person, your qualifications alone will not get you hired, says H. Stevens, a Public Relations professional, who's worked as an editor and manager for several East Coast colleges.

"Your 4.0 G.P.A. (yes it matters) and your letters of recommendation (yes they count for something) and your internships in the industry (yes they help) are not enough," Stevens says. "Those qualities do not automatically qualify you for a writing job. It takes a combination of credentials, creativity, confidence, the ability to sell yourself in the interview and sheer luck to land a job as a writer." Stevens says he needs to see something special when he meets you for the first time.


"Whether it's the ambitious look in your eyes or the "I'm ready for a challenge - I can tackle any assignment you throw my way" attitude or the way you present yourself as a serious, professional capable of delivering what I want when I need it..." Stevens explains. "You have the floor for about five minutes when I'm interviewing you," he adds. "Make yourself memorable. Give me a reason to want to call you back for a second interview."

Daleman offers a few other tips: "Know what writers do within my company - know what I'm looking for," she says. "Know as much as you can about my company - do your research on us and the industry in general. Know what your answers will be to the questions I may throw at you in an interview - prepare yourself."

Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004) is the Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine - A free newsletter for quote lovers featuring more than 10,000 quotations in dozens of categories like - love, friendship, children, inspiration, success, wisdom, family, life, and many more. Read it online at - http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp


More Resources

Stand Out From the Crowd with Simple Marketing Methods
Although today's job market can be very competitive, many job seekers overlook simple techniques that will catch potential employers' attention. Apply these eight ideas to stay ahead of your competitors and get hired now!1.
Job Search Blurts
I coined this word to draw attention to the nervous and apprehensive way of saying something in the job search that makes you feel like a buffoon. A "blurt" is a catchy way of saing: Gaffe.
Make Your Résumé Sizzle with Success Stories
In today's competitive job market you can't afford a résumé that fizzles. Power up your résumé with solid success stories.
Do You Have What it Takes to be a Successful Petite Model?
Want to break into the petite modeling industry but wondering if you have what it takes to succeed? There are lots of magazine and commercial modeling opportunities for good modeling jobs. Take this quiz to find out if you qualify to be the next top face in the petite modeling industry.
The Pros and Cons of Telecommuting - As Seen Through The Eyes of a Seasoned Telecommuter
Janelle Delacorte has been happily answering calls for the Home Shopping Network and various infomercials since November 2004.Several nights out of the week she tucks the kids in to bed, turns around, takes 20 or so odd steps, and arrives at the office.
Ten Things To Do When You Really, Really Hate Your Job
1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape.
Your Job Search -- a Marketing Campaign?
The successful job search is really just a personal marketing campaign. And the same techniques used in infomercials and junk mail can help you get hired, too.
Job Interviews: Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression
Your personal appearance is a critical component of that all-important first impression when you walk into the room for your interview.So plan ahead!Some people don't think about what they're going to wear until the morning of the interview.
Job Interviews: How to Answer the How Do You Handle Stressful Situations? Question
When answering the "How do you handle stressful situations?" question during an interview, the best strategy is to give some examples of stressful situations you've dealt successfully with in the past.Everyone faces some form of stress on the job now and then.
Tell Me About Yourself
The need to tell people about yourself may present itself during an informal conversation with a colleague, on the Little League field with a neighbor, on the phone with a past acquaintance, or in a face-to-face meeting for a job opportunity. "Tell me about yourself" is a favorite question that has befuddled many an unsuspecting candidate.
The Top 10 Mistakes Job Seekers Should Avoid In Contacting An Employer
There are numerous tools and resources available to guide job seekers through the steps of a career transition. These tools are very useful and suggest much that you should do.
Searching for an Executive Job
A job search for executives is far less complicated today than it has been in the past. Anyone who is looking for an executive job can simply look to the Internet where there are hundreds of employment websites, with many specifically geared towards executives.
How to Terminate an Employee and Live to Tell the Tale
1. Employee Backdrop in AustraliaThe whole arena of Industrial Relations and the interaction between employer and employee is conducted within the complex framework of various statutes, state and federal, regulations and rulings and common law.
The 6 Stages of Modern Career Development
Career experts say that people will change careers (not jobs) 5-7 times in a lifetime. This being true, career management is an important life skill to develop and cultivate.
Necessary Psychological Skills When Working in the Executive Protection Field
The "hard" skills necessary for an executive protection specialist (EPS) and/or personal protection specialist (PPS) are often perceived as being that of a policeman or (elite) soldier. Though there can be certain similarities i.
Sweeping Up Worms
With the opening of a new venture and numerous reporters arriving in an hour, it felt like one of those "chickens with heads off" days. We were close, but not ready.
Settling Successfully Into Your New Job
The euphoria of getting a new job can sometimes be overcome by apprehension about what comes next. After all, you're "the new kid on the block," and there's much to learn--about your new job duties and much more.
5 Things Every New Caterer Should Know
It has been over twenty five years since I started a small catering company that specialized in International Tapas, tiny silver trays of finger foods to delight the eyes and satisfied the stomach. These little morels were tasty, light and filling.
Three Myths About Resume Writing
Your perspective on resumes - what they are and how they function - will doubtless influence how well you can write your own. To create an outstanding resume, begin by questioning and replacing some of the commonly held assumptions about resume writing.
You Are Lucky in Your Career!
You Are Lucky in Being Satisfied in Your CareerJust for fun let's you and I, reader, considerthat you are satisifed with your current career.It's good to find out why.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Reactions to Job Loss; Getting Past the Emotions
Without doubt, job loss through downsizing or redundancy, is a major event for everyone when it happens. Most of us invest so much of ourselves in what we do that job loss can take away our sense of status and belonging, as well as the routine and support that work provides.
Searching for an IT Job
Looking for an IT job is one of the easiest to perform due to the incredibly high demand in the IT field. As the Internet grows, corporations network through Intranets - even the advancement of science has the demand for anyone with IT skills at an all time high.
Retirement: Is It A Career Change Option?
Retirement might be the answer when you ask yourself "why do I want to make a career change" and you decide that what you actually want is not so much a career change as to stop what you've been doing altogether.This may be a good choice for some - those who can afford it - but not necessarily the right choice for all.
Career Success: Don't Be Caught With Your Pants Down
Do you want to know how to jump-start your professional career? Or, are you already in the trenches trying to be a high performer and wanting to make a quantum lead to the next stage of your career? Or, because of downsizings or reorganizations, you feel like you are paddling faster and faster but seem to be getting nowhere? Find out how to monitor your changing environment so you won't be caught with your pants down.Visualize your career environment as one huge jigsaw puzzle.
Everyday Is Saturday: Help for the Suddenly Unemployed
I recently was "unhired" by my former employer. Unhired is a softer term than "fired" but it means the same.
Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic
A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used to describe an actress or actor who has a talent for melodrama, characterized by intensely enacted interpersonal conflict and exaggerated emotions. The central figure in a melodrama is the hero, who spins his tale or portrays the justice of his cause in a positive light.
Career Transitions : Fearless Flyers
You may have read one of my previous articles on career transitioning which described how to create complementary careers for yourself. This article will introduce you to three people I call Fearless Flyers because they have taken the leap of faith that many of us would only dream of considering.
The Perils Of Employment: Are You About To Be Let Go?
From the moment you are born and you take your first breath, you begin to die.It's just a fact of life.
Little Mistakes That Keep You Unemployed
If your job search is dragging on and on, you might want to look in the mirror. Because the person looking back may be sabotaging your efforts.
Tips on Finding Employment as a Corporate Flight Attendant
I will not pretend that this is the easiest topic to write about. In fact, my knowledge of how one finds work as a private flight attendant is based chiefly on what others have shared with me.
7 Steps To A Job-Winning Resume
A new resume can jump-start your career. Your network contacts may ask for a resume and some industries absolutely, positively demand a resume as the price of admission.
How To Find A Job As A Copy Editor
Jobs for copy editors may seem like they are hard to find, but really you can find them and you can do so with many of the qualifications you already have. But, if you do not have any qualifications, this may be the first step in finding the copyediting job that you have been looking for.
Where Will Your IT Staff Come From NOW?
The labor recession is over. During the course of the recession, almost 500,000 IT positions were lost according to publicly collected data and anecdotal information suggests even more.
How to Become a Real Estate Agent
If you're wondering how to become a real estate agent, the basic process is fairly simple, although it does vary a lot from state to state..
Take the Personal Out of the Workplace: Leave Your Troubles at the Door!
Bringing your emotional baggage into the work place is inappropriate for all the reasons you may imagine. Yet employees, managers and business owners do it all the time.
How to Get Paid More Without Being Pretty or Good Looking
Guess what. The results are out they are ugly.
Overcoming the 7 Roadblocks Women with Families Face Making Career Changes
Family is the driving force of our lives. You need family to support you and in most homes you need money to support your family.
Ten Resume Writing Tips You Can't Live Without
For some job opening, employers receivehundreds and even thousands of resumes.When you are looking for a job, howcan you best promote yourself? Howcan you convince a prospective employerto pick-up the phone and call you foran interview?Sought-after career coach and authorof the critically-acclaimed book,The Dark Before the Dawn: 70 Secretsto Self-discovery, Theresa Castrostates that you should take into consideration that your resume is the first exposure a potential employer willhave of you.
Feedback: Take It or Leave It ... But Get It
The expense was substantial. An immersion workshop with twelve participants sharing a common goal to hone their skills.
Taking Your Words Seriously
When we ordered the stained glass window as an accent piece for our home, the artist-proprietor told us he was a bit behind. "So," he said, "to be on safe side, plan on six months.