How Not to Get the Job

On most days we do our best at the ThinkTalk Career Blog to bring you advice on how to best further career. We provide interviews with successful individuals, career advisers, resume advice, cover letter advice and countless other ways to improve your odds in the search for a new job. And that's all great.

But some days - especially Friday's - we like to have a little more fun. On days like today, we want to show you what not to do when searching for that perfect job. And if that comes at the expense of those who have failed before us, well then, that's just the price that must be paid.

The brilliant and insightful Seth Godin recently linked to the hilarious hidden camera job interview blog How To Nail an Interview. The website installed a camera in an HR employee's office to capture some offending interviewees violating some basic rules of interview etiquette ... all for your benefit and enjoyment. Let's go to the video tape.

I love the interviewer's timing. Waiting a beat before incredulously asking "You stole office chairs?" Check out the website for the rest of the rules on how to properly conduct yourself and prepare for that big interview (and thanks for the enlightenment, Mr. Godin.)

For more advice on how TO score the big gig, we present The Links ...

George's Employment Blawg Offers: Advice on answering the always difficult interview questions "what are your weaknesses." Take my advice, the correct answer to this question is never "shots" (even if it's true!)

Brazen Careerist TalentEgg Incubator (what?) Suggests: some do's and do not's for the post-graduate internship. Maybe a job just isn't in the cards after graduation. A good way to keep getting experience is to take an internship. They are out there, you may just have to do some digging. This is a good list of things to do and things to avoid in your search.

Maggie Mistal: Provides some insight into how to score a job with the government. Maggie's Q & A with Stewart Liff, author of Managing Your Government Career, is a great way to learn about what to expect and how to set yourself apart when applying for government gigs.

Mashable Has: The 10 social networking sites that college students should be using. There are some great sites in here, beyond just the run of the mill Facebook or LinkedIn. My favorite is Cramster. "The Q&A board is pretty extensive, and is full of experts willing to help with any questions you might have 24/7. Users can also gain “karma points” by answering questions, which can be redeemed for prizes."

YouTube Gets In on the Job Fail Act

You've heard all the stories of employees being fired for Facebook and MySpace indiscretions. Who hasn't? Some of these are justified and clear-cut firings, some are a bit foggier. If there is a lesson to be learned, it is simply be very careful what you post online ... and as an extension of that, be very careful with how you conduct yourself in general, lest a friend or bystander posts some incriminating evidence you would prefer to keep personal.

But now, there comes a case of just flat out, despicable stupidity and meanness. Mashable links to a story originating at the Consumerist featuring some less than sanitary acts by Dominoes Pizza employees. These employees filmed their brazen acts and then (and we probably could have expected a move like this from these two brain surgeons) uploaded the clips to YouTube.

Some readers were able to track down the location, inform Dominoes and the employees were subsequently fired (a commenter in the Mashable thread says criminal charges have been filed, but this is unsubstantiated at this time). I'm not even sure if this qualifies as Job Fail ... this one may be Life Fail. I'll post the video below if you are interest. It isn't particularly enlightening or interesting, but hey, some of us are masochistic in that way.

Before I lose my lunch, let's move on to The Links ...

The Lone Gunman Contemplates: The negative side of setting goals. Apparently setting "performance" goals can backfire as they inspire short bursts of a lot of effort, rather than sustained levels of just the right amount. Apparently, "learning goals" can be more effective as they teach to search for a solution to a problem, rather than a quick fix.

Penelope Trunk Says: Retail is the new banking ... from a career perspective. "[A]s college grads contemplate their options for June, and twenty-somethings watch pink slips fly, here’s something to consider: The prestige job of the new millennium is waiting tables and folding shirts. That’s right. If you are in your 20s, you should try retail. Here’s why."

ERE Reports: On CareerBuilder's custom twitter job alert service. "The newly launched beta version at TwitterJobAlerts is more customizable than the city- and industry-specific Twitter feeds CareerBuilder introduced last summer. Those deliver every job in an industry category. The Twitter Job Alerts deliver only the matching jobs."

Forbes Advises: On how to stand out at a job fair. "When possible, pre-register. In so doing, you will learn what companies will be there, which means you can research those companies and get a sense of what jobs they'll be trying to fill."

The Daily Roundup: The Price is Wrong, Drew

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

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