taking charge™

Entrepreneur Magazine's March issue featured "10 Signs not to hire the person you're interviewing" in its +ten [Observations on a cocktail napkin] column. Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/dfap85.

Here is our own take on how to avoid falling into this interview trap:

1. Show culturally appropriate respect for the talents and contributions of the company's leadership.

2. Get plenty of rest, exercise, and nutritious food in the 24 hours before an interview. You need to take your A game, so be professional-athlete-ready for the game.

3. Highlight your strengths. Downplay your weaknesses. Presenting yourself in an interview is like putting on make up (my apologies to those of you who have never had this pleasure, but read on and I'll explain). Well-applied make up accentuates your best features, say, for example, your eyes, while downplaying your less attractive features, say, for example, your nose.

4. Be completely focused on the interview and the interviewer. Remove all distractions: your blackberry, cell phone, anything that says, "You, Mr. or Ms. Interviewer, are the most important person in the world to me right now." Is your wife in labor? Your mother having heart surgery? Well, then you shouldn't be in an interview to begin with.

5. Make sure you answer questions in a way that is compelling and forthcoming (without disregarding #3).

6. Compensation, including benefits, is appropriate to discuss when you have an offer on the table.