Anyway,  as I was saying, we’ve all had embarrassing moments. For some people, it unfortunately happened in the worst place possible: the interview.

If you’re sick of recounting your embarrassing interview moment in exchange for nothing more than a bunch of laughs from your friends and family, now you can tell it for a good reason: You might be able to win an 8-GB iPod Nano with built-in video camera.

BriteTab, a resume writing service, just launched InterviewFollies.com, a site that encourages users to post their embarrassing or funny job interview moment that they may have experienced, seen or heard about. Just by sharing your story, you’ll have the chance to win an iPod Nano with built-in video camera. Plus, you can promote your story however you want — through your Facebook page, Twitter account or your personal blog.

Visitors to the site will be able to vote for their favorite stories; the person behind the story that received the most votes win. There is a winner every two weeks for six weeks, which means you can submit your story up to three times for a chance to win.

From all of the things I’ve heard from hiring managers, I have about 100 stories I could enter in this contest. But, I’ll leave it you guys.

Before you share your embarrassing interview moment on InterviewFollies, share with us here. You won’t win an iPod Nano, but maybe if you’re story is funny enough, we can use it an upcoming article.

In the meantime, here is some reading on interviewing to keep you busy:

The Worst Interview Faux Pas
7 Ways to Wreck Your Interview
10 Signs Your Interview Went Well
You Said What?!

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But I digress … I’m here to talk about one book in particular. While I would love to tell you (again) about CareerBuilder’s job search handbook “Career Building,” I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you about this particular gem I found called “101 Toughest Interview Questions … and Answers That Win the Job!” by Daniel Porot and Frances Bolles Haynes. It’s not your typical dry interview book. This book is compact and comes in a flashcard-like format and arms you with the answers that interviewers really want to hear.

The book is divided into four sections which address employers’ main concerns when hiring a new employee – 1) Can you do the job? 2) Who are you? 3) Will you fit in at the company? 4) What will you cost us? — and supply potential interview questions that will answer those matters.

Porot and Haynes cover questions from the most standard (”What are your greatest achievements?” and “Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?”) to the most challenging (”So?” and “Have you approached any other organizations?” and “Would you like to sit in my chair one day?”) and give suggestions and fill-in-the blank options of how you might answer each.

For example, the authors give five sample answers that you can adapt to your situation and personality to the question, “Why do you think you have the potential for this job?”

• I know my potential, and I can tell you that I plan to enrich the company in two areas. (Mention two areas in which you are 100 percent sure you can add value.)
• I can answer that positively for two reasons. (Mention two examples or facts as proof.)
• My three strongest qualifications for this job are ______, ______ and ______.
• Based on the information you have shared with me today, I can say that I have the potential as well as the enthusiasm and persistence that you would expect from someone working for your company.
• I have encountered situations and challenges in my previous jobs that are similar to those involved with this position and I have a successful track record. (Elaborate on one.)

But I don’t think you should read this book before your interview. I think you should read it before you even apply to jobs. “Why?” you ask? If you review all the questions as a job search exercise, the information you discover and the answers you craft can be used in your cover letters and help you discover holes in your resume. All that in a purse- or backpack-friendly size.

There is one question that I take issue with: “What is your favorite Web site and why?” This wordsmith and bibliophile whould have liked the question to read: “What is your favorite book and/or Web site and why?” (Hint to anyone who ever interviews for a job with me.) Otherwise, as Chelsea Handler would say, I give this book … my blessing.

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Anyway, while sifting through Tweets this afternoon, I came across a link to a great blog posted on BrightMove, a provider of Software-as-a-Service applicant tracking and talent management solutions.

Nanci Lamborn, the blog’s author, wrote about an applicant who effectively ruined his chances of getting hired, despite his impressive qualifications. It touched on some things we’ve talked about recently, like employers getting back to you, the “resume black hole” and the things employers consider before deciding to go forward with an interview.

Lamborn talks about how she was sorting through hundreds of applications and sending out a quick reply that basically said, “We got your resume; don’t call us, we’ll call you.” (Much more professionally, obviously.) She assumed this was better than hearing nothing at all, but it seemed that one applicant did not agree.

The subject line of his e-mail was one word, which I can’t republish in its entirety, but I’ll give you hint: “BS!” Lamborn paraphrases his e-mail nicely:

“Please allow me to paraphrase the flipper’s dissertation (my editorial commentary in italics for your amusement): I know your position isn’t real (then why did you email me?). You posted it to cover your arse. And schmucks like me trying to support a family waste allllll this time and energy responding to the job, only to get a BS reply like this (so writing this reply isn’t wasteful?). Why don’t you have the decency to call and tell me if I’m seriously a candidate or not? (Maybe since I’m not Superman I cannot effectively screen 528 resumes in 36 hours?) I am sorry for being so unprofessional (Oh, um, thanks?), but I am perfect for this job (Sure you are! Why ever did I not see it before?). I keep getting responses like this, and you high and mighty HR jerk offs deserve a piece of my mind. (…crickets… I got nothin’…). You better hope this Karma doesn’t catch up with you (Why, did he apply too?). Best Regards, Mr. Nicely Wonderful, Managing Partner. (Managing Partner of what, Psychotic Inc?). There was more, quite a bit of it. But his point is made.”

The worst part is, Lamborn notes that this person was actually pretty qualified for the position, but due to his less-than-appropriate bedside manner, she decided against moving forward with his candidacy.

The way some people behave in their job search never ceases to amaze me. Read Lamborn’s full blog here to learn a few lessons and see how she responded to the situation.

What would you have done?

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Sylvia’s experience with the younger members of the work force haven’t been all great, so she expressed some hesitancy at losing out on a job to a recent graduate. While we here at The Work Buzz don’t think anyone’s automatically a better or worse job candidate because of their age (or any other demographic trait, for that matter), we do think it’s worth addressing a conversation that’s been going on for decades and has heated up more in the last few years. If two candidates are pitted against each other, one being young (by professional standards) and the other being significantly older, who’s going to get the job?

The thing is, no one knows, and it’s not as cut and dried as age. First off, you should know your legal rights in terms of age discrimination, as explained on the government’s EEOC site. So rather than try to say that you, specifically, can always get hired in any situation, here are ways you can stress the attributes of your age without having to actually talk about your age. Why? Well, because no employer wants to hear “I know I look old, but…” or “I might have baby fat, but…” Instead, phrase it all in terms of experience.

You’re an older work (however you want to define “older):

• You’ve already  made the mistakes
  When you discuss weaknesses or learning experiences, you can refer to mistakes you made earlier in your career. Everyone makes rookie mistakes, and hopefully you learned from it so that you can point to a time when you didn’t know your limits and now you do.
• You’ve been around the cubicle (for lack of a better metaphor)
  If you’ve been in the work force for 10, 20, or 30 years, you’ve probably held different positions. Maybe you changed industries, employers, or roles. That experience informs the decisions you make today. The skills you’ve acquired have come from hands-on experience, which is something school alone can’t teach you.

You’re a younger work:

• You know the current trends
  On average, younger workers (especially those straight out of college) are familiar with today’s technology and new industry trends that are just now making waves. For many employers, that’s a huge asset because their current employees might be more focused on what’s previously worked and not think as much about what’s coming up.
• You’re willing to take risks
  No employer wants to hire a liability, but if you’re still trying to establish yourself in the professional world (aka you don’t have a ton of credibility to lose at this stage), you’re more likely to try new ideas. Unconventional ones that might not appeal to others could be a boost for you.

The goal isn’t to attack the other applicants but rather to show why you are a positive addition to the team. And remember, your focus needs to be on what you bring to the company. Employers want good workers regardless of age or gender. No one will hire the whiny crybaby who spends the whole interview complaining about the rest of the job seekers.

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Well…Everybody has to start somewhere. Remember that, because you can easily feel defeated or frustrated when you’re trying to enter a new industry. There will be some bumps, but pretty much everyone in that industry was a novice at one point.

However, you’re about to graduate with a hospitality degree, which tells employers that you have an education and can commit to a task. (That is important, by the way. So many people are working in jobs unrelated to their degrees and you wonder how they did it. Because many employers are less concerned with what you studied and are more concerned with the fact that you decided to get a degree and completed it.) You probably learned quite a bit of customer service and interpersonal communication skills during your studies. You  might not have learned specific marketing terms and industry jargon, but you know how to relate to people, and those are skills you need to play up. That goes for people with degrees in education, English, and communications.

Plus, you’ve already done something right: You joined a college club. That’s a smart way to make contacts, get insight on what’s happening in the field and show that you’re serious about branching out. It’s easy to say you want to go into marketing with no experience to prove it. A college group shows that you’re willing to sacrifice your personal time for this switch. Plus, you have a role in the group, which shows initiative and leadership skills. That’s a smart move for someone wanting to go into marketing.

As to specifically approaching a company, you should act as confidently as if you did have 4 years of marketing behind you. Apply for internships just like everyone else is–you don’t have to take a special route or feel like you’re an outsider. Don’t be cocky, and acknowledge your different background, but don’t be intimidated. If your cover letter or interview consists of you apologize for your lack of a marketing degree, you’re basically giving the employer a list of reasons not to hire you.

• In your cover letter and in your interview, refer to your background. In the cover letter, you can say that you studied hospitality and certain skills or experiences there made you realize you would be a good fit for marketing. Mention what you learned in the marketing group. Then move on to your skills and assets. Acknowledge, but don’t dwell.
• In an interview, follow the same pattern. Though, it’s possible that the interviewer will bring the subject up before you do. It’s a perfect chance to say, “I know I’m a different kind of candidate, but I’ve got the skills.”

Plus, remember that you’re asking for an internship, not a senior-level position. They realize you’re trying to get your foot in the door and you’re probably not going to cost them much money (if anything at all, depending if it’s paid), so they understand there’s a relatively low risk in working with you. After all, how many college interns started out with a completely different major? How many interns don’t end up working in that field? At this stage in your career, employers know that you’re not signing on to stay with the company until retirement. They want someone who can fulfill the job duties (or go beyond them) and be an asset to the team. If there’s a chance for you to stay on, great for both of you.

You’ve taken all the right steps so far. A strong, qualified intern is a benefit for any employer, and that’s what they’ll be looking for.

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The first issue I’d check is whether or not there were any regulations preventing you from taking the performance evaluation from your previous company. In many companies, there’s no problem because the document is about you and belongs to you. It’s not as if you’re giving away confidential information–but you never know what company policies are, so just be careful about that. If the evaluation has “DO NOT REMOVE FROM HUMAN RESOURCES FILES” stamped across it, then don’t. When in doubt, check with the company first.

If you were asked to bring the review, you certainly can. If you weren’t asked to, I’d make sure it was relevant before tossing it on the table and saying, “Read ‘em and weep!”

Bringing a performance review has its pros and cons, and if I were you, I’d consider each carefully before bringing it:

The good:

• If it’s a glowing review, you can’t help but want to show it off when you need to woo an interviewer.
• Even if there’s one “needs to improve” mention on the review but everything else is great, you’re basically saying that you’re not ashamed to discuss your flaws. Plus, you can use it to illustrate you have improved in that area.
• If you’re up against several candidates, performance reviews could be a way to get an edge over everyone else.

The bad:

• You’ve just shown a potential employer what a past employer said about you, and it might not be 100 percent great.  Not that anyone thinks you’re perfect, but why hand the interviewer a reason not to hire you?
• You could potentially be setting yourself up to be held to this standard if you get hired. So this particularly fantastic review says you were amazing and surpassed all goals one year. Great, but in this new job, things might be different, and if you’re not delivering the same results, you could look bad.
• You have to wonder about the motives behind an employer who wants to see the review. What does he or she gain from asking you to supply this information that couldn’t be obtained from checking references? If you feel like something’s fishy,  it might be.

Obviously we can’t tell you what to do because you have to live with your decision. Remember, this request isn’t a standard part of every interview, but it is popping up here and there. Perhaps it’s the start of a trend or maybe it’s something that a few employers are trying out and it won’t be around for much longer.

If you lose the job, will you regret not handing over the reviews? Or will you be happier that you didn’t do something that made you uncomfortable? Your gut reaction to the request is probably the best guide.

Readers, have you had this happen to you? Did you bring the reviews or did you opt not to?

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It’s a valid frustration and one that we’re all familiar with. It’s understandable that employers are swamped with applications, especially because they’re getting up to 75 resumes for a single position. Job seekers get that they can’t always respond to every single applicant…but to never so much as e-mail or call someone back after an interview?

Our sister blog, The Hiring Site, decided to help us out with this question by asking their audience of employers to give us the low-down on why this might happen. Last week, we got an answer that was worthy of telling you, as it was filled with sound advice.

HRPro gave this response:

“Job searchers, please understand that hiring managers and HR professionals are receiving 10times the amount of resumes than they would have a year or two ago. Their time is spread thin and it is difficult to respond to each resume or application. Don’t expect to hear from every company that you’ve applied. The position may have filled and the manager has moved on.

If you interview for a job, though, a good hiring manager will always follow up. Additionally, be mindful of several things.

1. First, don’t apply for a job for which you clearly are not qualified.
2. Second, prepare for your interview. If you know nothing about the company you are interviewing with, it’s an immediate red flag to the hiring manager.
3. Finally, if a hiring manager indicates that she will contact you in two weeks and you have not heard from her, you should follow up with her. It may be that the process is taking longer than she expected. Remember, two years ago, job seekers were particular about the jobs they would accept. Today, managers are trying to find the “perfect” candidate rather than settling on a candidate.”

So there you have it. What do you think, job seekers?

Also, read this article by Anthony Balderrama to gain some more insight on the topic.

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Companies often outsource background checks to a third party who checks your criminal records and sometimes credit history. They also do the employment verification, too, but they use the references you put down most of the time. Make sure you have someone to list for each of those companies–preferably someone you reported to, but at the very least someone who can verify your dates of employment, job title, and duties.

Based on personal experience, I’ve had a company doing the background check call me if I accidentally put down the wrong number and they couldn’t reach the person. (Don’t panic–they’re not going to hold it against you; just give them the correct number.) My references also told me what they asked, and every time it was just to verify the information I’d given them. The employment verification process if important to verify that you’re honest and suited for the job, but they’re not trying to catch you in a lie. As long as your criminal history and credit history check out, you’re probably in good shape.

Also, you can explain your situation to the hiring manager beforehand so they understand what’s going on. If you’re honest about the situation, there won’t be any confusion or doubts raised about your credibility. You’re probably going to have at least one interview before you get to the point in the process where they call references. When you’re discussing your experience and qualifications for the current job, you can reference the fact that X Company went out of business, unfortunately. Then when it comes to references, you can circle back and say, “Although the company no longer exists, I have some contacts to answer any questions you have.”

And, as Rachel mentioned last week, do not buy fake references.

Have you had a different experience with this topic? If so, let us know how you handled it!

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• People forget that one of the worst parts of a job loss is the loss of social interaction.
  Layoffs test true friendships
• Another interesting look at the personal side of losing a job (and its salary).
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• Even lawyers get the blues.
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Nevertheless, the news waits for no one.

• Because some people really like a good challenge.
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• If you’re fortunate enough to have a 401(k), here’s something to think about.
  About Your 401(k)
• Although this isn’t a shock, it’s still a bummer to read.
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