World's Top Party Cities

Jennifer Murphy

What makes for a great party city is obviously subjective, and while it involves variables as concrete as the number of nightlife options available, the ineffable but all-important spirit of a city is also central. To highlight the best party spots, we sought the advice of Sanya Souvanna Phouma, creative director of Bed Management, and Marissa Anshutz, an associate director at Camron, a public relations firm in the U.K.

Bangkok

All through the night, Bangkok's unsurpassed energy buzzes through the streets, which come alive with night markets, food stalls and a lot of people. "There's a unique sense of chaos, multitude, and picturesque-ness that brings visitors an impression of anonymity and freedom" while they're in Bangkok, says Sanya Souvanna Phouma, creative director of Bed Management.

Reykjavik

Alcohol-loving natives are famous for creating a never-ending pub crawl called a rúntur, where a group of friends hop from bar to bar. This ruggedly beautiful Icelandic city comes full circle for the depth and range of its nightlife options, especially for such a relatively small locale.

Marrakech

Unexpectedly for a city in an Islamic country, Marrakech has a relaxed attitude toward alcohol and, as such, happily boasts its belly dancers at countless lounges and discos throughout the city. A plethora of bars and clubs stay open late to meet the demand of travelers seeking a healthy shot of Mediterranean fun.

New York City

Whether you're seeking a giant nightclub or a laid-back lounge, a live jazz band or a standup comedy show, New York's got it--and it delivers all night long. Anything is possible and everything goes in the original Gotham, where despite a cleaner, calmer spirit, the city is still infused with the very-New York notion that you can, indeed, have everything you want.

Ibiza (San Antonio and Around)

As the Mediterranean's most renowned island for moonlight debauchery, Ibiza also boasts stunning beaches, an infinite string of sunny days and festivals so raucous they'll fire the imagination of even the most jaded partygoers. The alarmingly hardcore party scene begins each evening on Sunset Strip and carries on all night in the festive West End section.

Tel Aviv

Partying is the theme song of the vibrant city of Tel Aviv, also known as Israel's nocturnal playground--particularly for singles. Nightlife here is cosmopolitan, ceaseless, unpretentious, and it provides everything from open-air beach parties to raucous clubs.

Berlin

Cool crowds, cheap cocktails, loads of artists, no dress code and amazing music: When it comes to nightlife in Europe, it's impossible to compete with Berlin. The capital city with 3.4 million inhabitants is always buzzing, thanks to a number of clubs that stay open all night long. This may be the only city where dressing down is encouraged and doors of the hottest clubs remain unmarked.

Saint-Tropez

While Saint-Tropez has received somewhat of a bad rap for flaunting its gilded side, painters still dot the beach in the once-quiet fishing village, where old-school French elegance meets American rock and roll.

Rio de Janeiro

Beautiful rainforests and white-sand beaches give Rio its natural glow, and the city also boasts a number of five-star restaurants, swank clubs and hip bars. The late-night scene at Hotel Fasano's Londra Bar in Ipanema and Melt in Leblon are ideal for gawking at stylish locals and sun-loving travelers.

Buenos Aires

South American warmth mixed with European style give Buenos Aires a friendly, timeless quality. Restaurants don't start filling up with steak-eating dinner crowds until around 1 a.m. When night falls, bars in Palermo and San Telmo swarm with chic locals sipping bottomless glasses of Argentina's to-die-for wines.

London

If you've got pounds to spare, London is one of the world's most elegant playgrounds for pleasure-seekers. Partygoers meet the Paparazzi, Boujis Club in South Kensington, reputed for its signature "Crack Baby" shot: a mix of vodka, champagne and fruit juice. No wonder Prince William keeps showing up at the club. In the summer, high-culture partiers vying for a discrete, members-only type of nightlife experience head to Shoreditch House's roof deck.

Las Vegas

Crammed with casinos, high-rise hotels, rapid-fire wedding chapels, raging clubs and a range of fabulously bizarre live acts, this is America's most infamous city. Cliché or not, Las Vegas is unapologetic about itself, and is a must-see for travelers with a hankering for naughtiness.

Los Angeles

Downtown, the bold and beautiful converge on the dazzling rooftop bar at Andre Balazs' The Standard Hotel. This easygoing city also offers an impressive range of art galleries and museums, if you happen to find yourself awake in daylight.

Hvar

Tiny streets are lined with restaurants while sun-kissed crowds unwind at sensuous bars like harbor-front Carpe Diem in this culturally-rich Croatian town. By day, the breathtaking landscape teeming with lavender fields and olive trees provides a Mediterranean haven for backpackers and fashionistas alike.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/21/top-party-cities-lifestyle-travel-nightlife_slide.html

America's Best Places to Find a Job

Liz Wolgemuth

Anchorage, Alaska

Last year, in the depths of the recession, Anchorage officials proudly marked their city's 20th consecutive year of job growth. Jobs have been added in education, health services, and government. The city's expansive energy industry helped insulate Anchorage from the recession. Also, the housing market has not experienced the highs and lows seen elsewhere in the nation.

Arlington, Virginia

As neighbor to the nation's capital and home to the Pentagon, Arlington has been cushioned by its concentration of government jobs. But Arlington County's economy is not wholly dependent on the proximity to Washington; private companies have a significant place here as well. Among the largest private employers are US Airways, Booz Allen Hamilton, Lockheed Martin, and Marriott.

Columbus, Ohio

You can thank the diverse economy for much of this capital city's resilience. Healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and even the tech industry contribute plenty of jobs. Columbus is centrally located and boasts a strong transportation and distribution industry. Local distribution employment has grown by about a third since 2001, while the rest of the nation, on average, is down.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Like many cities that have fared better in the recession, Honolulu city never experienced much of the housing bubble's burst. Its home values are among the highest in the nation. Granted, it's not all aloha in this Hawaiian state capital. Tourism rules Honolulu's economy, and the high oil prices earlier in the recession hurt. But that industry seems to be stabilizing.

Houston, Texas

Texas has proved enormously resilient during this recession. The state's economy has performed better than much of the nation. Home values never really bubbled in Texas. Also, the world's dependence on fossil fuels always helps Houston. The city is home to the headquarters of 27 Fortune 500 companies, including ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

This capital city has gotten its fair share of the spotlight in this recession, as its job market has powered through with one of the country's lowest unemployment rates. A big secret to the city's success is energy—rich resources of oil and natural gas that strengthen the construction, resources, and mining sectors.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City has squeezed through the recession with one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation—still below 6 percent in June. The city's largest employers include Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, Intermountain Healthcare, and the Utah state government.

Shreveport, Louisiana

Economists at IHS Global Insight expect Louisiana to have lost just 2 percent of its jobs by the end of the recession and think the state will return to its pre-recession employment peak by 2012. After Hurricane Katrina, Shreveport embraced filmmakers forced out of New Orleans and created a new industry for its workers. Also, the Haynesville Shale rock formation promises a booming natural gas industry.

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida may not seem an ideal spot to land after the recession, given that the state's housing market had such an extreme bust. But the unemployment rate in the capital is still 3 percentage points below the state average. Tallahassee has seen job growth in education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and the government sector.

Wichita, Kansas

The Wichita housing market has resisted the wild swings in value that have done so much damage to other U.S. cities. Also, Wichita's healthcare sector may be the strongest in the state—education and health services employment has risen 4.7 percent in the past year.

http://www.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/americas-best-places-to-find-a-job

9 Insider Secrets to Getting Hired

Liz Wolgemuth

Fine-tune your cover letter.  

Employers have to shuffle through stacks of résumés, and they want candidates who know their specific needs. You should fine-tune your résumé and cover letter. "Spend two hours going through the company's website, executive LinkedIn profiles, blogs, and industry articles—before you even touch your résumé or cover letter," says G. L. Hoffman, chairman of Jobdig and blogger at What Would Dad Say.

Watch your body language at a job interview.  

If you lack self-awareness and social skills, it shows. Even in the critical small talk before the interview, make eye contact, smile when appropriate, and look alert, says Karen Burns, author of the Amazing Adventures of Working Girl. "Most of all, don't jiggle your knee, kick the desk, twirl your hair, check your cellphone, play with your pen, stare off into space, or bite your nails," she says.

Fill in a big resume blank spot with volunteer work.  

Many Americans will have gaping recessionary holes in their résumés through no fault of their own—they wanted work but just couldn't find it. One solution: volunteering part time. "Volunteering tells potential employers that you are an energetic, compassionate person who—even when faced with problems of your own—found the wherewithal to help others," says Burns, who blogs at Karen Burns, Working Girl.

Don't be careless—watch the small stuff.  

You forgot to fix the date on your résumé. You whiffed on the hiring manager's name when you showed up for the interview. The small stuff is not always a deal-breaker in real life, but it often is in a job search, says Alison Green, a hiring manager for a Washington-area nonprofit. "When you're on a job search, a small blunder can take on far greater importance than it would in most contexts," Green says.

Your resume must answer this question.  

Green, who blogs at Ask a Manager, spends a lot of time looking through résumés, and most of their previous work experience "read[s] like a series of job descriptions." But that's not the information hiring managers need to make their decisions. Good résumés answer the question: "What did you accomplish in this job that someone else wouldn't have?" Green says.

Make sure you match the job description.  

Many applicants' résumés are totally unmatched to the position advertised. "If you don't have an accurate understanding of what the job is all about, your opinion of how well-matched you are will be based on an erroneous foundation," Green says.

Put your interviewer at ease.  

"A great many interviewers hate interviewing," says Michael Wade, a management consultant and blogger at Execupundit. "They know they're not good at it, and they are dealing with strangers and asking questions to fill a job with which they are unfamiliar." A job seeker can gain an edge by staying friendly, listening carefully, and stressing that he or she gets along with colleagues, Wade says.

Plan before you pursue.  

A recent study found that developing a plan at the start of your job search can significantly impact the number of job offers you'll receive. Curt Rosengren, a career coach and blogger at The M.A.P. Maker, recommends setting "process goals" to stay on track toward career goals. "Process goals are . . . 'roll up your sleeves and make it happen' objectives," Rosengren says. "Maybe you set a goal of making 10 phone calls a day."

Take the less-desirable job.  

Many job seekers are trying to break into a new industry. That's a tough goal anytime—and especially tough in a recession. Human resources expert Suzanne Lucas (and blogger at Evil HR Lady) suggests job seekers look for the job that no one else wants. "If a position is hard to fill, they may be willing to hire you if you are willing to learn how to do the work, rather than requiring you to already be an expert," Lucas says.

http://www.usnews.com/money/careers/slideshows/9-insider-secrets-to-getting-hired

10 Tips for Playing Well With Others at Work

Karen Burns 

January 27, 2010

Who would you rather work with: a genius star performer who's an incredible pain in the you-know-what or a "merely" competent worker who's a breeze to get along with?

Your coworkers think so, too.

Scary thought: You probably spend more hours of the day with your work colleagues than with any other group of human beings. And the great majority of the time you don't even get to choose them. You all have different backgrounds, ages, and interests and yet you need to function well and smoothly with these people.

We live in a world where the ability to get things done as a team is more and more prized. You will be judged (and promoted) on how well you work with customers, colleagues, superiors, and those lower down on the corporate ladder. It's one of the major keys to career success. While you probably learned in kindergarten how to play well with others, sometimes we lose track of the basics. So here are 10 useful tips:

1. Heads up. When people talk to you, don't continue tapping away at your keyboard. Instead, give the person the gift of your undivided attention, if only for a minute. It sounds like a small thing. But the art of truly paying attention is a dying art, and if you excel at it you will stand out.

2. Listen actively. Many people don't express themselves well. You may need to look beneath the surface of their words to get to the core of what they're trying to say. Be a little patient, and don't interrupt, or jump on small mistakes.

3. Show (sincere) interest. You may not want to be BFFs with your cubicle mate but it won't kill you to ask, "How was your weekend?" Listen for a couple of minutes, and then turn back to the work at hand. Now, was that so hard?

4. Assume goodwill. Most people are sincerely trying to do a good job. So no matter how stupid or incompetent or misguided your colleagues' actions might be, consider the possibility that they believed they were doing the right thing at the time. Try to look at the situation from their perspectives. You might learn something. At the very least, you'll earn their gratitude.

5. Share credit. Even if a success was all your idea you will look like even more of a winner if you share the glory. Besides, does anybody really ever accomplish something entirely on their own?

6. Be open to the possibility that you might be wrong. Hey, it's possible. At least accept that there's room for improvement. Your ideas and work will benefit from the input of others. Really.

7. Honor your commitments. Be the kind of person who says he'll have the report done by Tuesday and has it done by Tuesday. Reliability and integrity not only make you look good, they're contagious and will contribute to a constructive work environment.

8. Show appreciation. Even though it may be someone's job to supply you with, say, paper clips, when that person delivers the paper clips, say "thank you." It costs you nothing, and it fosters an atmosphere of civility.

9. Speak to others in a clear, direct, respectful, pleasant, and positive way. It inspires your coworkers to treat you likewise.

10. Finally, don't expect to like everybody. And don't expect everybody to like you. As with any group of people, you're going to get along with some better than others, and there may be a few you just can't stand. Be tolerant. Pick your battles. Sometimes it's just enough that the work gets done.

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/01/27/10-tips-for-playing-well-with-others-at-work

13 Tips on Finding a Mentor

Karen Burns 

January 13, 2010

Perhaps as you were reading my post last week, you reached No. 4 on the list of 10 career resolutions for 2010, read "Find a mentor," and thought, "Ha, easier said than done."

How do people find mentors anyway? Is it as simple as just asking?

Well, pretty much. You choose someone you think would be a good mentor and then ask, "Would you consider a mentoring relationship with me?"

But wait! Before you do that, optimize your chances and check out these tips:

1. Be clear on why you want a mentor. Are you looking for someone to offer specific advice? Do you want a conduit to your industry's movers and shakers? Or do you just need a sounding board?

2. Define your personality and communication style. What kind of mentor would best complement you? You may choose someone who's your opposite (an extrovert to your introvert, for example), or someone in whom you see yourself (and vice versa).

3. When asking someone to be your mentor, explain why you're asking and what you'd expect out of the relationship (see No. 1). Name your reasons for approaching this particular person. Don't be afraid to be flattering (e.g. "I'm asking you because you are the most successful person I know").

4. A mentor is a powerful role model. Look for someone who has the kind of life and work you'd like to have. Also, choose a mentor you truly respect. Don't just go for the biggest name you can find.

5. Before asking someone to be your mentor, consider first simply asking for input on a single specific topic. How did that go? Was it good advice? Was it delivered in a way that made sense to you, and filled you with confidence and energy?

6. Look for ways you can reciprocate the help your mentor offers. At the very least, you can occasionally spring for lunch or, say, send a fruit basket. You don't want to be all take-take-take.

7. Show gratitude. Never let your mentor feel taken for granted! Also, supply feedback. If your mentor suggested something that really worked out for you, report back. People love hearing about their part in a success story.

8. When looking for a mentor, think beyond former bosses and professors. Look to older family members or friends, neighbors, spiritual leaders, community leaders, the networks of your friends and colleagues, or officials of professional or trade associations you belong to. Avoid asking your direct supervisor at work. You want to be free to discuss workplace issues as well as your plans for future advancement.

9. Keep in mind that mentoring can take many forms. It can be a monthly lunch, a quarterly phone call, a weekly handball game, or merely a steady E-mail correspondence. Your mentor does not even have to live in your city or region.

10. Many mentors derive pleasure from "molding" someone in their own images—great for them and great for you if you want to be molded. But beware of mentors who are too bossy, controlling, or judgmental. This is your path, not theirs.

11. Don't become too dependent on your mentor. The idea is that one day you will eventually be able to fly on your own. In fact, you may not take every bit of advice your mentor offers. Continue to think for yourself.

12. Guess what: You're allowed to have more than one mentor. In fact, you can have a whole committee if you want, and call it your Board of Directors. Choose different mentors for different facets of your professional (and even personal) life.

13. Finally, if you ask someone to be your mentor and that person refuses, don't be hurt or offended. This is not personal! Potential good mentors are very busy people. Thank him or her for the consideration, and ask for a referral.

If you study the trajectories of successful people, you'll see that most of them had considerable help along the way. A mentor can be a boon to any career. So why deprive yourself? Go out and get a mentor of your own.

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/01/13/13-tips-on-finding-a-mentor

The Best Way to Quit Your Job

Karen Burns 

February 3, 2010

A majority of Americans are unhappy with their jobs, according to a recent Conference Board survey. What does this mean? For one thing, it's a clue that as soon as this economy improves, an awful lot of people are going to be setting off for greener pastures.

Now is a good time to talk about how to quit a job with class. (A lot of this also applies to how to leave a job classily under any circumstances, voluntary or not.)

It helps to break down the process into three phases: before you give notice, when you give notice, and after you give notice.

Before You Give Notice:

1. First and foremost, if you're leaving for another job, have the offer for your new job in writing. Make sure everything is absolutely a "go."

2. Get your work up to date, and organize it in a way others will be able to understand. Don't leave messy, half-finished projects for your soon-to-be-former-coworkers to clean up. You wouldn't want people to do it to you.

3. Erase your digital footprints. If you have any personal stuff on the company computer, now is the time to remove it. Clear your browser cache, remove passwords, and delete all personal email.

4. Check company guidelines. You'll want to know your company's policy for giving notice so you can do it right. Also check to see if you have any unused vacation or comp time coming to you, or if there are any other policies regarding resignation.

When You Give Notice:

1. Tell your boss before you tell anyone else, and do so in private and in person. Make an appointment. Know in advance what you're going to say and how you're going to say it.

2. Display some regret. If you hated the job or the boss you may be tempted to vent your feelings at this point. Please resist. The moment you leave a job your boss ceases to be your boss and begins to be part of your network. And you should always treat your network like gold.

3. Volunteer to train your replacement or otherwise help to make the transition easier. More often than not, your employer will not take you up on this, but it's just good manners to offer.

4. You'll be giving notice as per your company policy (if your employer has no policy, two weeks is still standard), but be prepared to be escorted out that very day. This is actually required practice at some companies. Try not to take it personally.

After You Give Notice:

1. Follow up your in-person meeting with a written letter of resignation, stating you're resigning as of such and such a date. Try to say something positive about how much you enjoyed the job. If you didn't enjoy the job, you can at least say you learned a lot working there. (You learned you never want to work there again!)

2. Do not brag to coworkers about how happy you are to be leaving, how great your next job is going to be, how much more money you'll be making, etc. Do not make off with the company stapler (it's tacky, and could easily get caught on a security camera).

3. Ask for a letter of recommendation. Do this even if you already have a new job lined up. You can add it to your portfolio.

4. Continue to do a good job, right up to the last day, even the last hour. This is the mark of true professionalism. It's a small world. Someday you might find yourself back at this same company, or working for one of your former coworkers.

For a good example of a job sign-off, take a look at Conan O'Brien's last words upon leaving The Tonight Show. Now that's class.

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/02/03/the-best-way-to-quit-your-job

How to Ace the Phone Interview

Karen Burns 

February 10, 2010

Many job interviews these days are conducted by phone. It's faster and cheaper for both job hirers and hunters. HR folks especially like it because it allows them to screen more applicants in less time. A phone interview may even be your first contact with a potential employer.

Phone interviews are not, however, the same as in-person interviews. So much human communication is non-verbal! You may need to acquire a few new skills to pull off a great job interview over the phone. To get you started, check out these phone interview do's and don'ts:

DO:

•Smile while you speak. It may feel silly, but smiling shows up in your voice.

•Stand up. It removes pressure from your diaphragm and gives your voice more resonance.

•Choose a quiet room. No dogs barking, kids whining, music playing, lawnmowers mowing, or TV blaring in the background.

•Tape your résumé and whatever notes you'll use (say, lists of your accomplishments and strengths) on the wall so you can consult them without having to look down, which can muffle your voice.

•Have pen and paper handy, along with your calendar (maybe they'll want to schedule a follow-up!)

•Remember that your interviewer can't see you. If you pause to make a note, don't let the silence stretch out. You might say, for example, "Just one second, please, while I write that down."

•If a switchboard operator or an assistant connects you to the interviewer, be nice to that person. Word gets around.

•Whether you use a land or cell line, test your phone connection with a friend. Choose a phone you can hold to your ear comfortably. If you use a headset or speaker phone, make sure you are not unconsciously shouting.

•Do a practice interview with your friend. Ask if you say "um" a lot (which is even more annoying on a phone than in real life), or if you speak too slowly or quickly, or if your voice is too loud or too soft. Taping yourself is another good way to get an idea of how you come off.

•Try setting up a mirror in your phone-interview room. Sounds crazy, but having a human face to talk to may help you to speak with more passion and conviction. Try it!

•If you have time, just before the call, take a series of long deep breaths. Say a few practice phrases, slowly and in a slightly deeper register than your normal voice.

•Be prepared. A prospective employer may call when you least expect it. Yes, you can ask to reschedule at a more convenient time but showing you are flexible and can think on your feet is not a bad way to impress people. Keep your phone-interview area set up and ready to go.

•Close the interview by trying to set up an in-person meeting. It's that old sales technique of "asking for the sale."

DON'T: (Most of these should go without saying but let's say them anyway.)

•Don't eat, drink, chew gum, spit tobacco, smoke, sniffle, belch, or blow your nose. If you absolutely must sneeze, hold the phone as far away as possible, briefly apologize, and turn the conversation back to the interview. (Don't say, "Whoa, what a honkin' sneeze!")

•Don't put your interviewer on hold to answer an incoming call.

•Don't talk to other people in the room. (Try to be alone when you're interviewing.)

•Don't monopolize the conversation. This is also true for in-person interviews, but on the phone you lack visual cues to tell you when your listener is zoning out. Practice speaking in two-minute increments (use an egg timer, or the timer on your microwave).

•Don't interrupt. If you accidentally speak over your interviewer, quickly apologize and let him finish.

•Don't fail to realize that a phone interview is as formal as an in-person interview. A phone call may feel casual but—beware!—you are being judged and you need to sound professional. If it helps, try "dressing up" for your phone interview.

Good luck. Your next phone interview may be The One. Oh, and don't forget to follow up with a thank-you note, just as you would after an in-person meeting.

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/02/10/how-to-ace-the-phone-interview

How to Answer 10 Tricky Interview Questions

Karen Burns 

March 3, 2010

Does it seem as though some job interview questions are designed to trip you up?

It should, because they are. Here are 10 of the trickiest tricky questions you might be asked at a job interview, with ideas on how to handle them:

1. "Tell me about yourself."

•DO: Talk about the ways that what you know and what you can do are perfectly suited to this job.

•DON'T: Tell the interviewer your life story.

2. "Tell me something bad you've heard about our company."

•DO: You wouldn't apply for a job at a company you disapproved of, would you? So you should be able to honestly answer that you haven't heard anything negative about this place.

•DON'T: Repeat gossip you might have heard.

3. "Why should I hire you?"

•DO: Impress your interviewer with how much you know about the company's requirements and then describe how you are the best person to meet those requirements.

•DON'T: Get tripped up by a lack of prior research.

4. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

•DO: Talk about how your specific abilities, training, and experience will enable you to smoothly integrate with this company.

•DON'T: Say that you have no idea.

5. "How would you react if I told you your interview so far was terrible?"

•DO: Recognize that this is a test to see if you get flustered. Say, mildly, that you would ask for reasons why.

•DON'T: Freak out. Remember, the interviewer said "if."

6. "What's the last book you read?"

•DO: Mention a book that reflects well on you. Choose something by a reputable author that your interviewer has probably heard of.

•DON'T: Name a book you haven't actually read.

7. "Can you work under pressure?"

•DO: Say that of course you can, and then relate a brief story about a time you did.

•DON'T: Just say, "Yes I can." Provide a specific example.

8. "Who's your hero?"

•DO: Name a person who has inspired you and then describe specifically how this inspiration relates to your work.

•DON'T: Get caught off-guard by what should really be a softball question. Come prepared with a good answer.

9. "Have you ever considered starting your own business?"

•DO: Talk about how you are happiest and do your best work in a company that is amazingly similar to the one you're applying at.

•DON'T: Go on and on about how you'd love to be your own boss one day.

10. "If you won the lottery, would you still work?"

•DO: Be honest and say you'd be thrilled to win the lottery; then add that even if you did you'd still seek out satisfying work, because work is what makes people happy.

•DON'T: Say that you'd never work again (too honest) or that you'd just work for free (too BS-y).

Bottom line: It pays to think through in advance how you would handle some of the more common trick questions. In general, remember never to badmouth or blame others, especially past employers. Be careful not to betray your nervousness with jittery body language. Don't lie or babble, or show frustration, impatience, disappointment, or anger.

The most important thing to remember is that hiring managers who ask these questions are far more interested in how you answer than what you answer. They just want to see how well you think on your feet. So even if a question completely flummoxes you, keep your cool, smile, and look 'em in the eye.

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/03/03/how-to-answer-10-tricky-interview-questions

50 Worst of the Worst (and Most Common) Job Interview Mistakes

Karen Burns

Wednesday March 10, 2010, 11:56 am EST

You may have heard the horror stories--job hunters who take phone calls or text during an interview, or bring out a sandwich and start chomping, or brush their hair, or worse. You wouldn't do any of those things, would you? Of course not.

But there are tons of other job interview no-no's you may not have thought of. Or that you've forgotten. The job hunting trail is long and arduous, and a little refresher course can't hurt. So for your edification and enjoyment, here are 50 (yes, 50!) of the worst and most common job interview mistakes:

1. Arriving late.

2. Arriving too early.

3. Lighting up a cigarette, or smelling like a cigarette.

4. Bad-mouthing your last boss.

5. Lying about your skills/experience/knowledge.

6. Wearing the wrong (for this workplace!) clothes.

7. Forgetting the name of the person you're interviewing with.

8. Wearing a ton of perfume or aftershave.

9. Wearing sunglasses.

10. Wearing a Bluetooth earpiece.

11. Failing to research the employer in advance.

12. Failing to demonstrate enthusiasm.

13. Inquiring about benefits too soon.

14. Talking about salary requirements too soon.

15. Being unable to explain how your strengths and abilities apply to the job in question.

16. Failing to make a strong case for why you are the best person for this job.

17. Forgetting to bring a copy of your resume and/or portfolio.

18. Failing to remember what you wrote on your own resume.

19. Asking too many questions.

20. Asking no questions at all.

21. Being unprepared to answer the standard questions.

22. Failing to listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying.

23. Talking more than half the time.

24. Interrupting your interviewer.

25. Neglecting to match the communication style of your interviewer.

26. Yawning.

27. Slouching.

28. Bringing along a friend, or your mother.

29. Chewing gum, tobacco, your pen, your hair.

30. Laughing, giggling, whistling, humming, lip-smacking.

31. Saying "you know," "like," "I guess," and "um."

32. Name-dropping or bragging or sounding like a know-it-all.

33. Asking to use the bathroom.

34. Being falsely or exaggeratedly modest.

35. Shaking hands too weakly, or too firmly.

36. Failing to make eye contact (or making continuous eye contact).

37. Taking a seat before your interviewer does.

38. Becoming angry or defensive.

39. Complaining that you were kept waiting.

40. Complaining about anything!

41. Speaking rudely to the receptionist.

42. Letting your nervousness show.

43. Overexplaining why you lost your last job.

44. Being too familiar and jokey.

45. Sounding desperate.

46. Checking the time.

47. Oversharing.

48. Sounding rehearsed.

49. Leaving your cell phone on.

50. Failing to ask for the job.

Karen Burns is the author of the illustrated career advice book The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, recently released by Running Press. She blogs at www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com.

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