When the interviewer asks you to tell him or her about yourself, simply finish this sentence: “I’m kind of like a…”, then pick a specific image of an object, person or animal that represents you and explain why. For instance, you could say, “I’m kind of like a band leader—I coordinate all the musicians and make sure everyone is playing at their very best” or “I’m kind of like a pit bull—I’m loyal, steadfast and work till I get the job done.” “Creating a vivid image engages the interviewer’s senses and emotions, which makes you automatically more memorable than a job applicant who just talks about facts and figures,” says Nicholas Boothman, author of Convince Them In 90 Second or Less.
[photo: StephPowell]
Have a standout resume, but tend to get tongue-tied in the interview? Get free question-and-answer practice at 
Want to land a job? Start a new business? Find romance? You can boost your luck in finding these and more by simply introducing yourself to new folks at pot luck dinners, P.T.A. meetings, St. Patty’s Day parties and other social events. Ten years of luck studies prove that the luckiest folks around are those who know lots of people, says psychologist Richard Wiseman, Ph.D., author of The Luck Factor. The reason? Word of mouth is by far the best way to find out about great opportunities you would have otherwise missed, he explains.
In a recent 
Many of us think of a temp job as a last resort, yet University of Florida researchers found they’re often just the opposite. Their recent study shows that 
If you’re hunting for a job, chances are you’re going to be asked to do a preliminary phone interview at some point. “More employers are using this method to help them whittle down their choice of candidates to invite to an in-person interview,” says Marci Alboher, career expert for the Yahoo.com blog Working the New Economy. But it’s not just your job skills they’re interested in learning about. “They also want to get a sense of your personality, communication skills and ability to focus on a task.” Luckily, showing them over the phone is easy, says Alboher. Start by… 
“Your cover letter is the first thing most employers read and sparks their interest in knowing more about you,” says Louise Kursmark, co-author of 15-Minute Cover Letter: Write an Effective Cover Letter Right Now. Here are her four easy tips to writing a cover letter that gets you noticed: 
Think it’s flubbing a question or looking too nervous? Nope! Believe it or not, the majority of hiring managers surveyed by 
About three out of four hiring managers head to social networking websites—such as LinkedIn and Facebook—to check out potential job candidates before deciding to call them in for an interview. To up your chances of getting that important call, post a photo on your web page that shows you smiling and relaxed. This kind of pose makes people perceive you as warm and friendly, according to a new study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. And that’s key since friendliness is a trait most employers look for.
On the phone with a potential client? Employer? Hot date? You already know that smiling is one of the quickest ways to make a good impression in person. Now researchers from the U.K.’s University of Portsmouth have discovered this simple-yet-powerful method works during phone calls, too. Even though the person you’re speaking with can’t see your pearly whites, their brain picks up on the subtle voice changes that occur when you grin, enabling them to know when you’re smiling.
If you haven’t updated it in at least six months, you sure do. Industry buzz words, technology and jargon change all the time—and including the current lingo makes you seem more plugged in and appealing to recruiters, according to 