Job Interview

"The first 60 to 80 seconds are the most important part of a job interview," Mossier, an employment counselor, said.

"This occurs during the small talk before the hard questions begin. If you can probably relate some unique experience that will make the interviewer remember you, it may clinch a job," he said.

"But it must be done without appearing to be contrived. I remember a girl who mentioned that she did macramé. So did the interviewer's wife. Some questions seem harmless enough. Actually, they are tricks designed to bring out your weakness and strengths.

"Tell me about yourself' is almost always asked in the job interview. "It's a trap for ramblers. Someone who fails to organize his thoughts quickly and make himself well expressed is certainly on the shaky ground."

Your answer also provides a glimpse of your character and interests. Mousier recalled an episode about a lawyer being interviewed for trial work with a large firm. "She talked about a skiing medal she had won. It showed she liked to win. So she was given the position."

Another question that usually catches people off guard: "What are your weaknesses?"

"It's a most difficult question," Mousier said. One should always try to present a weakness in a positive light. You might say, "One of my problems is that I'm a perfectionist. It interferes with my personal life because I'm always taking work home."

Perhaps the most dangerous booby trap is the inquiry: "What do you think of your former boss or company?"

"Never bad-mouth anyone," advises Mousier. "If you were fired, try to own it to personality conflicts rather than to some other people. But always stress that the conflicts didn't prevent you from doing your job well."

Be more careful about the presentation of your former boss. It might be noted that "he helped me learn a specific skill" or "he was under a lot of pressures". You might add, "But I would have handled it differently and shown more compassion to the employees."