There is a huge amount of advice on job interviews available on the internet and most of them say pretty much the same thing. A very good example is Kiplinger’s article, What Not to Say at a Job Interview - all good, sound advice.

But what I’d like to add is that you can do everything right and still not get the job. So much depends on the character and personal preferences of those interviewing you - and that can come down to as silly a thing as someone not liking the fact that you wear brown shoes (don’t laugh - I had an area manager once who detested them!).

Just as an instance, I once gave the job to an interviewee who gave exactly the wrong answer to the the question, “Why do you want this job?” His answer was so clearly honest and without the usual carefully pre-constructed explanations that I just had to give it to him. He answered, “Because I need the money.”

Many interviewers would have turned him down immediately; honesty is less important to some people than others, I guess. But I see it as one of the most telling factors in any interview; if someone is not prepared to give you a straight and simple answer, the thought must occur that he is hiding something. Incidentally, that guy turned out to be one of the best employees we’d ever taken on.

So I’m saying that you cannot ever be certain that your interview technique will necessarily hand you the job. Be prepared for disappointments and decide that you will push on to the next interview regardless. That is what wins in the end: determination and persistence.

A survey conducted by CareerBuilder dot com found that 1 in 4 hiring managers say they have used the internet to screen candidates applying for jobs. 1 in 10 say they have used social networking sites in researching potential hires.

51% of the time, the applicant did not get the job based on an internet investigation and when social networking sites were accessed, it cost the applicant the job 63% of the time.

Divulging personal information on the net can be a risky business for your career. Everything from unprofessional screen names to bad-mouthing former employers were cited as reasons a candidate did not get hired. 31% of the time the company was able to determine that the candidate did not have the qualifications claimed on a resumé.

“While sharing information online can have a potentially negative impact on your job search or career plans, it can also be leveraged as a tool to differentiate yourself to employers,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com.

“Highlighting professional and personal accomplishments and showcasing your creativity can help a candidate make a positive lasting impression on employers and validate why he/she is the right person for the job,” she added.

Read the do’s and don’ts in the full article at Consumer Affairs

Ever wanted to tell your boss that he’s an idiot? Workplace consultant, Robert Flower says, “It is the responsibility of workers to tell their managers that they are stupid. Who isn’t going to pay attention when they hear that?” But wait - before you rush off to see the boss, there’s more that you should know.

Flower continues with advice on just how to go about saying such things without getting fired. “Obviously, you can’t say it like that,” he says. “You have to find a way to show how changing your job makes sense for the company. Managers will listen to that and appreciate it.”

The point is really that the employees are best-placed for understanding what is wrong with their jobs and how to make them better. If they can get this across to their managers and supply well thought out ideas and suggestions, everyone will benefit.

Flower sees it as the employee’s responsibility to work out how best to approach his boss and to sell new ideas. A part of the problem is that the workplace culture often does not encourage such openness from employees, but the employees themselves assist in this by not devising ways to be heard. They do not see it as their responsibility to assist the company to greater efficiency and productivity.

If these attitudes can be changed, the company will benefit from an untapped source of informed and practical ideas for improvement. And that has to be good for everyone involved.

You can read more of Robert Flower’s ideas at Signonsandiego dot com.