MBA Degree is now a centralized Importance for working professionals in any field in order to sharpen their Skills for managing the resources and thus brings out Better results for Organization in terms of more profit, better interpersonal Relationships and Better market standings among Competitors. An mba degree comes in many forms and many Specialization Fields each of which has its own importance in Respective aspects.

The Typical jobs of an MBA are various kinds that include Executive, Finance, Accounting, Marketing analysis and Management jobs. A brief about each job Profile is a stated below.

Executive Jobs Includes C-suite People (CEO, CFO, CIO and other C level jobs) having to use their Skills for the Betterment of the Organization.

Management Jobs are awarded candidates and employees with applicable degrees and a master’s degree in business.

Jobs in Banking are widespread and include several job Profiles such as Consumer banking jobs that deliver financial services to individual customers and businesses, Human resources jobs that manage employee placement, salaries, and training Bank administration / accounting job – Bank administration / accounting jobs that handle the internal operations of banks.

Jobs in Finance are also widespread like banking jobs including Corporate Finance jobs that help companies find money, grow the business, make acquisitions and plan for its financial future. Money management jobs in Finance include managing stocks and bonds for institutional clients and are on the buy side of Wall Street while insurance jobs help individuals and business manage risks to protect themselves from losses and to anticipate potential risk problems. Jobs in Real state cover field such as title insurance, construction, mortgage banking, property management, real estate appraisals, brokerage and leasing, and real estate development.

Accounting Jobs in Finance Includes Public and Managerial Accounting jobs that focus on preparing financial statements and recording business transactions.

Thus MBA Degree offers gateway to lots of Opportunities in lots of Fields and thus is very Beneficial to have one in today’s World growing more and more Competitive and complex..

Ms. Carole Chehab was born into a loving family in Lebanon which pampered her as the eldest child. She was fortunate to be able to attend the finest schools and receive much encouragement at home. With such a sound foundation, it’s easy to assume that her life would flow effortlessly forward toward her dream of becoming a lawyer.

Stop for a second, however, and consider where she is from . . . Lebanon. Life has been very hard for the Lebanese. During most of her youth, the country was ravaged by a continuing civil war. Residences that she lived in were even hit with missiles while she was away from home.

When Ms. Chehab graduated from high school, the civil war had recently ended. During the war, the government’s baccalaureate exam to decide who could go to a university had been suspended.

Ms. Chehab’s graduation year was the first year the exam was reinstated. The results shocked many. Poor students passed in some cases while good students failed after being marked down severely for trivial errors. Ms. Chehab was one of the latter, failing to make the passing grade by two points in physics.

Not wishing to waste any time, Ms. Chehab found a school where she could study to become an executive assistant, a far cry from her initial plan to practice law. But we all must move on when a little slip happens that shunts us onto one track instead of another.

Because her school work in learning to be an executive assistant was exceptionally good, Ms. Chehab obtained a position as an administrative officer after graduating. In addition to handling many activities for the company, she developed excellent skills in English, French, and Italian to be able to handle correspondence in those languages. She did well and stayed with the company for eight years.

Deciding that she could handle bigger responsibilities, she applied and was hired to become the assistant to one of Lebanon’s most highly regarded CEOs. In that role she handled tasks like ensuring proper implementation of executive decisions, planning and controlling corporate budgets, serving as project leader in a number of areas, and handling correspondence with the firm’s owners and banks.

After performing those duties successfully for five years, Ms. Chehab was ready for a bigger responsibility: Now, she wanted to move into a managerial position with her company. The time had come to earn an MBA. She was happy to find that three universities accepted her as an MBA candidate.

There was a problem. With a busy job that required that she work late, there was no time to attend classes at a Lebanese university. How could she avoid turning that problem into a slip that would cost her another educational and career opportunity?

Ms. Chehab had heard good reports from people who had earned MBA degrees from an online university, Rushmore. After checking out those reports and studying Rushmore, she decided that this school would provide her with the quality, credibility, and good investment she was looking for. She would supplement her MBA studies with seminars in areas where she wanted to build expertise.

Studying online on top of her busy duties at work would be difficult. At the time she started, almost all of her waking hours during the week were devoted to work or commuting.

By writing papers about running her company more successfully, Ms. Chehab developed new skills in applying theoretical knowledge that made her time at work more productive and increased her eagerness to learn more. At work, her accomplishments through these papers earned her recognition, and her responsibilities began to expand.

Because she had been working closely with the CEO, she understood a lot about the company and its markets. She used that understanding to develop powerful strategic insights into new choices for better performance with less risk.

Her world was shaken again, however, when conflict broke out between Israel and Lebanon. Once again, it was dangerous to live in Lebanon. It was difficult to work and her company faced major challenges as business dried up due to war-time conditions. Even if she could find time to work on a paper, there was no guarantee that she would be able to connect to the Internet to send the paper to a professor.

Would this fighting cause another slip? No! Ms. Chehab was well aware that you have to do your best no matter how difficult life is.

A favorite Zig Ziglar quote inspired her: “You want to soar up where the eagles fly, up there far in the sky, where you can touch the sun with your wings, you want people to know you have the ability and skills that take you to your place up there and appreciate you accordingly . . . No matter what . . . Always remember: It is never your aptitude but your attitude that determines your altitude.”

Despite the difficulties, she battled on and earned her degree in two years. Her company was so pleased with her work and academic progress that she was promoted to being the CEO’s Office Manager and Board Coordinator upon graduating.

What’s in the future for Ms. Chehab? For now, she’s enjoying a little respite from working long hours and studying during her limited spare time.

But there’s possibly a Ph.D. in her future. With her attitude, it’s likely that her career will reach new heights.

Ms. Chehab has demonstrated exceptional talent in solving strategic questions. With her skills, it’s likely she’ll be asked to run a business. When such an opportunity comes, I’m sure she’ll be ready for the challenge.

How can you adjust your attitude and skills so that little slips in the past won’t slow down the progress of your business career?

More Business Careers Articles

If you are looking towards acquiring new skills for enhancing your career or wish to upgrade your skills, then career training programs can help you achieve this. Career training programs impart skills necessary for contemporary businesses, thus increasing your employability.

These are industry-focused programs that provide certificates recognised by the industry on completion of the programs. The interactive education method and hands-on training equip students to face multiple business situations with ease. Such benefits make career training programs popular among professionals and the career-oriented.

Career Training Programs: Types

There are several options in career training programs. Based on your interests and educational background, you can opt for:

* Information Technology

* Computer Science

* Healthcare

* Massage Therapy

* Dental Care

* Surgical Technology

* Information Management

* Criminal Justice

* Computer Programming

* Video Game Designing

* Government and Law

* Education

* Business

Career Training Programs: Learning Options

Certain basic skills that are taught in career training programs are critical thinking, problem solving and practical business skills. These ensure long-term career development for the students. Based on their convenience, candidates can choose from among the following learning options:

* Classroom Career Training Programs: These programs follow the traditional method of learning in classrooms, led by instructors.

* Online Live Career Training Programs: These programs do not require students to be physically present at the training schools. The training is imparted live on the Internet by a trainer at fixed periods.

* Online Anytime Career Training Programs: Such programs allow students to learn at their own pace, using web-based training programs.

Tips on Choosing Career Training Programs

The following points must be considered before enrolling in career training programs:

* The program must suit your interests and aptitude.

* The certificates of the programs must be acceptable in the industry.

*Long-term prospects of the program must also be assessed.

Top Education Guide is an excellent resource to find out more about the best career training programs available. The website topeducationguide.com provides access to a comprehensive directory of universities, colleges and training programs that enhance your professional skills and prospects.

If you are looking towards acquiring new skills for enhancing your career or wish to upgrade your skills, then career training programs can help you achieve this. Career training programs impart skills necessary for contemporary businesses, thus increasing your employability.

These are industry-focused programs that provide certificates recognised by the industry on completion of the programs. The interactive education method and hands-on training equip students to face multiple business situations with ease. Such benefits make career training programs popular among professionals and the career-oriented.

Career Training Programs: Types

There are several options in career training programs. Based on your interests and educational background, you can opt for:

* Information Technology

* Computer Science

* Healthcare

* Massage Therapy

* Dental Care

* Surgical Technology

* Information Management

* Criminal Justice

* Computer Programming

* Video Game Designing

* Government and Law

* Education

* Business

Career Training Programs: Learning Options

Certain basic skills that are taught in career training programs are critical thinking, problem solving and practical business skills. These ensure long-term career development for the students. Based on their convenience, candidates can choose from among the following learning options:

* Classroom Career Training Programs: These programs follow the traditional method of learning in classrooms, led by instructors.

* Online Live Career Training Programs: These programs do not require students to be physically present at the training schools. The training is imparted live on the Internet by a trainer at fixed periods.

* Online Anytime Career Training Programs: Such programs allow students to learn at their own pace, using web-based training programs.

Tips on Choosing Career Training Programs

The following points must be considered before enrolling in career training programs:

* The program must suit your interests and aptitude.

* The certificates of the programs must be acceptable in the industry.

*Long-term prospects of the program must also be assessed.

Top Education Guide is an excellent resource to find out more about the best career training programs available. The website topeducationguide.com provides access to a comprehensive directory of universities, colleges and training programs that enhance your professional skills and prospects. Visit us at http://www.topeducationguide.com

More Business Careers Articles

Choosing career-training courses can be a daunting task with thousands of options available. Knowledge and familiarity with current trends and needs are critical when selecting career courses. Business management training courses seem to be a wise choice based on current needs. Qualified marketing and management professionals are still needed in volume at each and every firm.

The Responsibilities Of Marketing And Management Professionals
There is a misconception among people that a career in marketing will be tiresome and neck breaking. The thought of marketing the products or services of a firm or company might seem grueling to some. However, if you are trained at the best colleges, handling such a position comes with ease.
Marketing and management careers are meant for people who love to be leaders. The first and foremost responsibility of marketing and management professionals is to provide support to sales professionals for achieving the targets set by the company. They are also responsible for developing marketing campaigns for innovations and effective product/service promotions. They should be able to optimize and manage each and every aspect of marketing.

Earning a Business Degree or Associate’s Degree can help graduates achieve an entry-level career in the marketing and management sector. The associate degree program will prepare you with the skills to interact with people. The ability to interact with others is a very important aspect of marketing and management.

Marketing careers require at most knowledge about various aspects of a business. Business degree programs are indispensable for an aspiring career. Business degree programs cover the areas of finance, economics and management in depth. Moreover, communication skills, which are keys to success for any marketer, are also taught in these degree programs.

The highly advanced communication, written, oral and interpersonal skills taught at these training colleges will be of great use to the candidates as they handle clients. Attending such business degree programs prepares candidates to effectively meet the challenges that arise in their marketing and management career.

The success of a career in marketing and management greatly depends on the institution where you get trained. The McCann School, with colleges in Pennsylvania, provides quick and effective training to anyone desiring marketing and management careers. Moreover, McCann’s Pennsylvania colleges for business management offer great career assistance too. The business degree holders can seek careers as sales representatives, management trainees, and service representatives, marketing representatives and advertising executives. The advantage of such careers is that there is an excellent career growth.

If you are looking for training courses for a business career, look no further than the McCann School and the school’s Business degree and Associate’s degree programs!

Related Business Careers Articles

“No matter the market conditions, there are always companies looking to hire talented professionals, and those people who are prepared will be best positioned to take advantage of new career opportunities as they are uncovered,” says David Sanford, executive vice president of business development at Winter, Wyman. Sanford says that people should always be looking for a new job (hey, you never know what’s out there unless you’re looking) and that the New Year is a great time to go out and make it happen.

If you want to know how to get yourself noticed and find your dream job during the New Year, follow these 10 tips for 2010.

Be ready to move.
As with all of life’s opportunities, you have to be ready to strike when the iron is hot — and sometimes even when it’s heating up.  No matter if your plan includes pounding the pavement for a new job or sitting back and waiting for one to come your way, make sure you have all the groundwork  in place for a successful job search.  Update your résumé, prepare a compelling story to tell about why you would consider a new opportunity and know whom you would use for references.  Start becoming mentally and emotionally ready for a change so you are better prepared for when it happens.

Don’t ignore the elephant in the room.
In soft economies, many people think it’s safer to stay with their current employer than to risk taking a position with a new company — and often it is.  But don’t ignore the elephant in the room and  hope that everything will be OK.  Even in the best of times, companies routinely are merged, acquired, imploded and overtaken, sometimes leaving hundreds and thousands of people looking for new jobs.  Be prudent and always be aware of your business’s conditions; keep your nose in the wind and your eyes and ears open for when it is the best time to move on to a new job.

Know thyself.
As people age and lives and goals change, so do their career objectives.  Spend the time necessary to know what really makes you happy.  Is it being an authority at work?  Having a schedule flexible enough to see your kids play soccer on a midweek afternoon?  Knowing the drug you are researching will someday eradicate a life-threatening disease?  Have a heart-to-heart with yourself about what you want from your career and what steps would be necessary to achieve this goal.  Have realistic expectations, but know that most career dreams are within our reach.

Step out of your comfort zone.
As human beings, we don’t like to admit that we don’t have all the answers, and it’s uncomfortable for most people to ask for help, especially from those outside their inner circle.  Asking for assistance and advice is the heart of networking and the single most important thing a person looking for a new job should do.

Your next opportunity could come via a tip or chance encounter with a former boss, colleague, neighbor, recruiter, barber, golf buddy — but you will never hear about it if they don’t know you are looking (even passively).  You need to be courageous enough to talk to people you meet about what you ultimately want instead of regretting that you didn’t mention it sooner.

Devote time to job searching.
Take a hint from the world’s greatest athletes. Succeeding at anything takes practice and hard work. If you are trying to further your career, you need to devote the energy needed to make that change, and that takes time.  Find a way to carve out the hours necessary, whether it’s giving up an hour of gym time on Tuesday nights to attend networking meetings, or getting up early on Sunday mornings to search for leads and contacts online, establish some goals and set aside the time it will take to accomplish them.

Focus your résumé.
Most résumés are vanilla — overview, titles, tasks, accomplishments and education.  But companies want to see the sizzle and the steak.  They want to see progression in experience, skills and responsibility and how you have contributed directly to your employer’s, or former employer’s, success.  Make sure your document includes enough substance to explain the strategies and tactics you were responsible for, but also the intangibles where you made a difference.  It doesn’t have to be overly long or detailed, but back up any success claims with real facts and examples.

Join in and get connected.
There isn’t a profession or industry on Earth that doesn’t have a trade association, user group, online discussion board or fan club.  Find one relevant to you and join it.  Whether you are employed or not, opportunities flow from being around like-minded people, and professional associations and communities are where you need to be.  They are a great way for uncovering hidden jobs, to further your knowledge and to make new relationships.  Investigate which are appropriate for you and join in.

Sell yourself.
Unless you are a pompous, arrogant bore, you are probably not used to — and are uncomfortable with — talking immodestly about yourself, your attributes and shining moments.  Get over it.  Advancing in your career or finding a new job requires you to balance humility with bravado.  Your résumé or a relationship may open a door, but you have to be prepared to march through it with a lot of confidence and a bit of swagger.

Find a way to get over any discomfort when talking about yourself and how wonderful you are.  The best job candidate is one who truly believes he has something unique to offer and can articulate his message with words, body language and confidence.  A hiring manager wants to fall in love with you; give her reason to.

Narrow your thinking.
Don’t try to be all things to all people, especially when looking for a job.  You are not going to be good at everything you do, so don’t fool yourself into thinking you are.  Figure out what you want to do and where you want to do it, and narrow your search to opportunities that fit into your realm.  Don’t have interviews or networking meetings where you hope the other person can help you figure out what you want to do.  The responsibility is yours; be targeted and specific about the jobs you want, skills you have and the companies for which you want to work.

Get started.
Self-assessment is important but can be paralyzing.  Take the time necessary to be introspective and then craft your plan, but don’t let those activities stall you from taking action.  Talk is cheap – get out there and take the steps to change or improve your career.  Being proactive in your career will open up opportunities you never dreamed of and will start 2010 off right.

The frustrating reality isn’t nearly as simple.  Getting an interview alone is an exercise in persistence and patience.

Here are 10 reasons for why you’re not landing that interview and what you can do to reverse the trend.

Your résumé and cover letter are as articulate as Courtney Love’s Web blog. If your application materials contain typos, grammatical errors and irrelevant or inconsistent information, employers will take notice — in a bad way.  Once you’ve looked over your résumé and cover letter to the point of dementia, take this advice from Joyce Gioia of the Herman Group: have three people, for whom English is a first language, review your résumé and cover letter before you send it.

Your cover letter is generic. Make it personal by tailoring it to the particular job and addressing it to a person, not “To Whom It May Concern.”  And include a sentence or two about how you are the right fit for that particular job.  If no contact is listed, take the initiative to find out who the hiring manager is by searching the company’s Web site or calling the reference desk.

Your letter is a CliffsNotes version of your résumé. Instead of simply restating what’s on your résumé, include new information like how you found out about the job, why you want to work there and what you can do for them.  Finally, close with something that will encourage a response, such as a request for an interview.

Your letter exudes self-consciousness, not self-confidence. If you don’t feel qualified for a job, why are you applying for it?  Don’t call attention to your shortcomings in a letter; emphasize your strengths by focusing on your skills, experience and ability.

You cross the line from sounding confident to sounding cocky. Don’t mistake selling yourself with bragging.  Putting “I would be an asset to your company” in your cover letter catches the eye; writing “You would be crazy not to hire me” turns the stomach.

Your MySpace page lists “binge-drinking” as a favorite pastime. Don’t post anything on a publicly accessible Web site that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see.  Not all hiring managers run searches on job candidates, but some do, and it’s better to err on the side of caution.  Google yourself to see what comes up, because recruiters will see the same results.

You assume e-mail is enough. Hitting the send button on an online application is only the first step in landing an interview.  For one thing, not every e-mail is received or read.  Try following up your application by sending a paper résumé and cover letter via snail mail (indicating you’ve already applied online).  After that, call the hiring manager to see that they’ve received your application and check on the status of the job in question.

You assume the Internet is enough. The majority of all employment opportunities aren’t advertised, so be proactive: Contact human resources managers at companies you want to work for inquiring about positions available; register with a job recruitment agency; attend industry events to stay on top of news; and devote energy to meeting like-minded professionals who will be the keys to discovering more opportunities.

You misrepresent yourself. It may sound like a no-brainer, but misrepresenting yourself on a résumé is bound to catch up with you.  Upon performing a reference check, Denise Moorehead, communications director of a non-profit service agency in Boston, once discovered a job candidate had left her previous job a year earlier than she’d admitted. It turned out that the candidate had gotten burned out and decided to take a year to temp and regroup, but thought the obvious employment gap would be held against her, so she simply lied about it.  “I figured if she’d lie about something this easy to explain, she might lie about the deadline-driven work she would have to do with me,” Moorehead says.

You give up. Remember that looking for a job is a full-time job.  If you’re not hearing back from employers, considering changing your strategy.  Experiment with different cover letters, revise your résumé on a regular basis and look for opportunities to add to your experience even when you’re not working (i.e. taking classes, participating in workshops, volunteering).

Understand the purpose of a résumé. It is not intended to get you a job. It is meant to tell the prospective employer enough about you so that they’ll look at your work samples or call you in for an interview. Use the interview, tests, tryouts and other activities to land the job. In a business where word economy is valued, one-page résumés are twice as effective as two-page résumés. Even editors with 20 years and several papers behind them limit their résumés to one page. You’re certainly free to go over that, but it’s not very smart — especially when your experience, in comparison to the editor’s — is modest.

What Comes After Name, Address and Phone Number?
Stating your career objective can help, but only if it matches the opening. An incompatible career objective can eliminate you from consideration. It’s also OK to omit this. Put education or experience next, depending on which is more relevant to the job you’re trying to get. If all of your work has been outside of journalism, but you have a degree in it, lead with the degree and details about your coursework. If you’re completing a non-journalism degree and have two internships at newspaper, list the internships first. Chronological order is less important than relevance.

Go Beyond Simple Job Titles
Describe your jobs. Don’t say you were a reporter. Say you were a reporter who covered a school district, two police departments and the local court and that you wrote a Sunday column. Mention the more complicated, difficult or humorous accomplishments you had in those jobs. These accomplishments distinguish your résumé from others, tell the newspaper something about your interests and abilities and could open the door to an interview.

Use a Clean and Simple Design
Be bold if you can, but not flashy. I have seen cartoon résumés, résumés with little basketballs on them and résumés made to look like front pages. Gimmicks can suggest a lack of experience or sophistication and do not give you any advantage over other applicants. As more and more companies scan résumés for databases, you may want to consider how to make a résumé that scans cleanly.

What About Non-Journalism Jobs?
If you have a short employment history, you certainly may include jobs that are not journalism-related. These help demonstrate that you have worked for others, know how to toil for a living, show up on time and generally be responsible. Stress areas that are most similar to news papering: writing, working with the public, juggling tasks.

What else should I include?
Second languages (but they better be more than the obligatory school minimum), awards, scholarships, extracurricular activities that demonstrate leadership and personal achievements — if they demonstrate relevant qualities such as resourcefulness, tenacity or responsibility. In one case, I was impressed that, while carrying a full load of classes, a student also was a full-time, caregiver for an elderly neighbor.

What About References?
Before you list anyone as a reference, make sure it’s OK with them. Ask whether they can give you a good word. (Once, I called a reference, and the person said, “He listed me? That was a mistake.” The candidate’s chances stopped there.) If your résumé is getting crowded for one page, you can use a second sheet just for references. I don’t think there’s any need to say, “References available upon request.” I assume so.

Omit Personal Information.
It is not relevant whether you are married or single, old or young, a smoker-or a non-smoker. Don’t include those facts. It can mark you as lacking the sophistication to know what’s relevant and what isn’t. My curiosity is piqued when someone’s résumé carries a list of places visited or lived in. Hobbies can intrigue me, too, but they turn others down cold. Generally, the more relevant it is to the job, the safer you are using it. Being accomplished at a musical instrument, for example, implies precision, discipline and practice. Saying that you have a passion for coffees or that you bake bread may turn some people off.

When the Free Press asked me whether I wanted a job, I immediately yelled, “Yes!”

Not very cool, I know.

And I quickly slammed any door I had for negotiating. Fortunately, I was treated pretty well anyway. Now, I tell people (even people I make offers to) not to accept instantly.

A little about the dynamics of hiring: Between the time when a company offers you a job and you accept, you have leverage.

Inside the company, a bunch of people have met and decided that you are the person, out of a handful of candidates, whom they want to hire. The person who makes the call is expected to get your acceptance. They do not want to reconvene, go to the next candidate or re-ignite their search.

Often, the company has room to improve its offer.

When you get an offer from a place where you’d like to work, be effusive with your thanks. (I love it when people get excited about a job offer. It’s one of the big thrills of our job and gets people started off on the right foot.)

Be excited, but don’t commit on the spot. Tell the employer you’d like some time to think it over. That’s only reasonable. But what’s a reasonable amount of time? That’s debatable. Overnight at the bare minimum. A couple of days is reasonable. More than a week might make it seem as though you’re playing one offer against others, or aren’t very interested.

When they make the offer, get the particulars. How much will they pay? When do they want you to start? What are the specifics of the job? What about vacation pay and insurance? (These are questions you may have wondered about, but declined to get specific about during the interview process.) How about moving expenses? Training opportunities? When will you be up for a salary review?

The Money.
The key question, of course, usually is how much you’ll earn. When will they review your salary? Typically, that happens after a year. Can they make it six months? This could mean a more immediate raise, not just in the first year, but subsequent years’ raises will come faster, too. This is especially good to negotiate for if you and the company agree that the wage rate isn’t as high as would seem appropriate for someone with your skills, and you’re both willing to bank on your ability to prove yourself.

Experience Level.
A key question is to ask what experience level they’re crediting to you. Especially in the first five years of a career, salary and paid vacation may be structured around how much experience you have. How are they counting the three internships you had? Some will count them, some won’t and some are negotiable. You want to get that number up as high as you can.

Vacation.
How much vacation will you get, and when will you get it? Some places don’t allow you to take vacation until the calendar year after the year in which it was earned. That means, that if you start in February, you won’t get vacation until the next year. You could be looking at a year or more without a break. Ask whether you can take some in the current year.

Vacations tend to be earned on a pro-rated basis for the first year — so many days off for so many days worked — and in lumps of two, three or four weeks in the second year and beyond. The number of weeks depends on your experience. If vacation time is important to you, find out whether you can get to that three- or four-week level a year earlier.

Moving Expenses.
How will the company handle your move? Will they pay “all reasonable costs”? Does that include your piano? Your pets? Your car? Will they set you up with house or apartment hunting help? Will they pay for the visit out to look? If it looks like their moving policy won’t cover the expenses from your move, can they give you a lump sum (some call it a signing bonus) to make up the difference?

Training Opportunities.
Few people negotiate development opportunities, but this is an option, too. Ask what and how you’ll be learning skills for your new job, especially if it’s something new for you. What form will on-the-job training take? Will you have a mentor? Periodic progress reports?

Even the start date is negotiable. They may want you right away, but you haven’t had a week off in years. Maybe you want to blow that week into your transition time so you can relax, get ready and celebrate your new job.

Get It In Writing.
Now that you know what might be negotiable, decide what you really need. Reasonable people don’t negotiate everything. Go for your top-priority items. The way you handle negotiations will affect the way you begin your job. You want to be smart and ready to work with your new employers, not pushy and demanding.

Finally, ask them to put in an offer letter. This is a polite way to ask for it all in writing. This should not be taken as a sign of mistrust, but as a sign that you’re thorough, above board and business like. It’s a reasonable request. Don’t then be surprised if they ask you to sign off on your acceptance, too.

1. The Bad Interviewer. Not every professional who conducts job interviews with candidates knows how to conduct an interview effectively. In fact some are downright lousy at it. A bad interviewer might be unfocused, disinterested, unprepared. He or she might dominate the interview by doing all the talking or might ask inappropriate and illegal questions.

The unfocused, unprepared interviewer probably hasn’t read your resume and maybe can’t even find a copy. This hapless soul doesn’t even know what to ask you. Be sure to offer this disorganized interviewer a copy of your resume while asking, “May I take you through some highlights of my career?”

While the bigmouth interviewer is holding forth, make as many mental notes as you can (or jot them down if you’ve brought a small notepad). Don’t show your exasperation; instead be an attentive listener and hang on the interviewer’s every word. Try to get a word in edgewise by leaning forward and opening your mouth slightly, advises Anne Kadet on Smartmoney.com. If that doesn’t work, even a nonstop talker will likely eventually ask if you have any questions. At that point, you can ask questions or describe your fit with the company and the position based on the mental notes you’ve been making.

For inappropriate and illegal questions, see No. 6 below and try your hardest to keep the interview focused on your qualifications for the job.

1. The “Tell Me about Yourself” Question. Of course, this question is not a question at all but a request for a command performance. It’s the most commonly asked interview question, yet it frequently still rattles interviewees. The trick is to make your response a succinct summary of information that is specifically targeted to the job you’re interviewing for. (Sell yourself!) For example:

“My background to date has been centered around preparing myself to become the very best financial consultant I can become. Let me tell you specifically how I’ve prepared myself. I am an undergraduate student in finance and accounting at ___________ University. My past experience has been in retail and higher education. Both aspects have prepared me well for this career.”

The interviewer is not looking for your autobiography and probably is not interested in your personal life unless aspects of it are relevant to the job you’re interviewing for.

1. The “Weakness” Question. The conventional wisdom about responding to “What are your weaknesses?” used to be that the candidate should spin a weakness into a strength. For example: “I’m a perfectionist and don’t believe anyone can do the job as well as I can, so I sometimes have a hard time delegating.” That type of response has, however, worn out its welcome with interviewers. Other approaches include offering a weakness that is inconsequential to the job (such as being a poor speller and relying on spellcheck) or denying that you have any weaknesses that would stand in the way of your performing the job effectively. The former approach may work but be seen as shallow, while the latter sometimes lacks credibility. After all, everyone has a weakness.

An approach that seems to work well is to talk about an area that was once a weakness but that you have worked to improve. Here’s how you could frame the perfectionist example above in terms of professional growth: “I tend to be a perfectionist who has had trouble delegating tasks to others, but I’ve come to see that teamwork and capitalizing on everyone’s strengths is a much more effective way to get the job done than trying to do it all myself.”

1. The “Why should I hire you?” Question. The unspoken part of this question is: “Why should I hire you [above all the other candidates]?” This is your chance to shine, to really make a sales pitch for yourself. Use your Unique Selling Proposition to describe what sets you apart from other candidates. The employer will make a significant investment in hiring and training you, so tell the interviewer that this investment will be justified. For example, you could say: “I sincerely believe that I’m the best person for the job. Like other candidates, I have the ability to do this job. But beyond that ability, I offer an additional quality that makes me the very best person for the job — my drive for excellence. Not just giving lip service to excellence, but putting every part of myself into achieving it. Throughout my career, I have consistently strived to become the very best I can become. The success I’ve attained in my management positions is the result of possessing the qualities you’re looking for in an employee.”

1. “Off-the-wall” Questions, also known as “Wild Card” or “No-Right-Answer” Questions. Occasionally you’ll be asked an interview question that’s just downright weird and certainly doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the job — for example, a question like this: “If you were an ice-cream cone, what flavor would you be?” Interviewers often ask these oddball questions to see how quickly you can think on your feet and whether you can avoid becoming flustered. Others, unfortunately, ask them because they enjoy seeing interviewees squirm. Still others are amused by the range of creative — and not-so-creative — responses they receive.

Don’t let an off-the-wall question rattle you. Take a moment to gather your thoughts and respond the best way you can. There is rarely a wrong answer to this type of question, but quick-thinking candidates can turn the response into an opportunity to impress the employer. A response given by one of my former students has always stuck in my head as being a standout answer. The question was: “If you were a superhero, what would be your super powers, and why?” His response: “I think I would prefer to be a superhero like Batman, who doesn’t have superpowers per se, but who relies on his intelligence and use of the right tools to get the job done.”

1. Illegal Questions: It’s illegal to ask about age, marital status, children, childcare arrangements, and the like, but employers still do — or come up with subtle ways to ask, such as by inquiring about when you graduated from high school/college. It’s best to address the concern behind the question rather than the question itself by saying something like: “There is nothing about my personal status that would get in the way of my doing a great job for your company.” While it may also be tempting to point out the illegality of the question, doing so likely won’t endear you to the interviewer.

1. Salary Questions: As a screening device, interviewers often ask early in the interview what salary you are looking for. If you ask for more than the employer is willing to pay (or occasionally, on the flip side, undervalue yourself), the interviewer can eliminate you before spending a lot of time with you. That’s why the best tactic for salary questions is to delay responding to them as long as possible — ideally until after the employer makes an offer. Try to deflect salary questions with a response like this: “I applied for this position because I am very interested in the job and your company, and I know I can make an immediate impact once on the job, but I’d like to table salary discussions until we are both sure I’m right for the job.”
2. Questions about Being Terminated from a Previous Job. It’s always uncomfortable to be asked your reasons for leaving a job from which you were terminated. Don’t lie about it, but don’t dwell on it either. You could explain that you and the company were not a good fit, hence your performance suffered. Or that you and your supervisor had differing viewpoints. Emphasize what you learned from the experience that will prevent you from repeating it and ensure that you will perform well in the future.

1. Questions about Reasons for Leaving a Current Job. This question is similar to the previous question, even if you haven’t been fired. Responses about fit with the company and differing views from your supervisor can also work here, but remember never to trash a current employer. Always speak positively about past and present employers even if your experience has not been positive with them. Another good response in this situation is to say that you determined you had grown as much as you could in that job and you are ready for new challenges.

1. Questions about the Future. Interviewees are often asked, “Where do you see yourself in five (or 10) years?” Strike a delicate balance when responding to this kind of question, with just the right mix of honesty, ambition, and your desire to be working at this company long-term.

Avoid responses such as starting your own business, running for Congress, which suggest that you don’t plan to stay with the company.

It’s not totally inappropriate to mention the personal (marriage, family), but focus mainly on professional goals. Mention your career and company goals first, and tack on any mention of marriage and family at the end.

Your response could be: “I’m here to let you know that I am the best person for the job. If in the future you feel I would be a candidate for a higher level position, I know I wouldn’t be passed up.”

OR: “I hope to stay at the company and expect that in five years, I’ll make a significant advance in the organization.”

OR: “I would like to become the very best ______________ your company has.”

And then there’s my personal favorite, which a student told me a friend had used. Asked by the interviewer, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” The response: “Celebrating the five-year anniversary of your asking me this question!” While the response probably made the interviewer laugh, it’s probably not the best answer.

Final thoughts.
Job-seekers need to think of each interview question as an opportunity to showcase an accomplishment or strength. Every response should build momentum toward convincing the interviewer that you deserve to advance to the next level, whether that level is another round of interviews or a job offer.