FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Syracuse, NY, August 3, 2009

Contact: Adrienne Walkowiak, Publicist

Adrienne@360JobInterview.com

603/659-9345

Answering the Tough Interview Questions
The Right Answers Can Lead to a Job,
The Wrong Answers Will Get You Nowhere

Syracuse, NY, August 3, 2009 – As unemployment continues to soar due to the economic downturn, an unprecedented number of people are searching for jobs across all sectors.  Increased competition for every available position means that the most successful job seekers must learn how to stand out from the crowd.

360JobInterview.com can help.  360JobInterview.com is a revolutionary new live web-based service that helps job seekers improve their interviewing skills, beef up their resume, gain confidence and secure new jobs.  The company features over 300 skilled HR coaches – across 55+ industries – who know from firsthand experience what recruiters are looking for during the interview process.

These days if a job seeker is lucky enough to land an interview, they have to nail it. When interviewers ask tough questions, 360JobInterview.com’s HR coaches offer the following tips for the most successful answers:

• Tell me about yourself.  Focus on professional accomplishments, positions held and how you’ve contributed to the success of your teams.  Now is not the time to talk about your family, hobbies, etc.
  
  
• Why did you leave your last company? In today’s economy, there’s no shame in saying that you were downsized due to the recession.  But stay positive, don’t talk negatively about your former company or colleagues and don’t speculate about what went wrong.  Talk optimistically about your future and how you can contribute to this new company.
  
  
• What kind of salary are you looking for?  Try to avoid giving a specific number or range and don’t mention what you were earning at your previous position.  During today’s tough economic times, many job seekers are taking pay cuts or less prestigious positions in order to secure a job.
  
  
• What is your biggest accomplishment?    Now is not the time to talk about your championship baseball trophy, your chili recipe that made it to the state finals or any other personal achievement.   Instead, highlight an award or accomplishment from your professional career, for example:  “As a result of my program to streamline office communications and cut my department’s costs by 15%, I was promoted, becoming the youngest Vice President in my company’s history.”
  
  
• What’s your biggest weakness?  State something that you can “spin” into a positive attribute, such as, “Well, I’m a bit of a perfectionist, but my attention to detail leads to the highest-quality work. In fact, throughout my career, my clients and colleagues have praised me for consistently delivering extraordinary results.”
  
  
• Why should we hire you vs. the hundreds of other candidates vying for this job?  Now’s the time to sing your own praises and spotlight the unique attributes you would bring to the position.  It’s a great idea to add statistics whenever possible (“in my previous position at the Acme Company, I increased sales by 70% while reducing costs by 40%, leading to the highest profit margin in the company’s history.”)  It’s smart to talk about how you can skillfully and effectively handle all of the responsibilities of the position – and then some.  If you seem genuinely enthusiastic about going the extra mile, you’ll stand out as being pro-active and a team player – which are great strengths to highlight in this tough job market.

“There’s a tremendous amount of pressure on today’s job seekers, who worry about saying the ‘right’ thing in an interview, and worry that one ‘wrong’ answer could cost them the job.  Our skilled team of HR coaches provides valuable insights about what really resonates with recruiters,” explained Dan Fedrizzi, co-founder of 360JobInterview.com.

“Layoffs are impacting people at all job levels, from entry level to CEO.  Some people have never been through the interviewing process before, while others have recently been laid off after working at the same company for a decade or more.  They may not remember how to navigate the interviewing process or how to handle the challenging questions that regularly come up in an interview.  Whatever the situation, we’re here to help,” said Jeff Garber, co-founder of 360JobInterview.com.

“Our coaches have a variety of tried-and-true tips that are extremely effective in acing interviews and securing new jobs,” Garber continued.”

360JobInterview.com is an innovative, unique new service where over 300 experienced HR professionals provide full feedback about participants’ interview skills and resumes through live, one-on-one real-time coaching sessions using Skype technologies.

The company features over 300 seasoned HR coaches across 55+ industries, including sales, marketing, green jobs, accounting, technology and more, who provide a full “360” assessment of job seekers’ resumes and interviewing skills.

“One of the things that sets us apart is that our HR coaches have held leadership positions at top companies, including Time Warner, Dell Computer, American Express and more, and have recently been laid off themselves. They bring a unique perspective – real world experience combined with ‘been-there-myself’ compassion – to the table,” Fedrizzi continued.

360JobInterview.com is unique because it:

• Is the only service that provides 24/7 real-time audio/video one-on-one interviews using partnered technology.
• Utilizes Skype’s audio and video technologies, allowing coaches to fully assess each candidate and provide 360 feedback through live, one-on-one interviews.
• Offers coaches with extensive experience in more than 55 job categories, including accounting, green jobs, sales, technology and web development.
• Is tailored for people at all job levels, from entry-level to senior management.
• Includes personalized, detailed critique, with tips to improve interviewing skills and resume writing, so our clients can stand out from the competition.
• Includes a coaching team of seasoned HR professionals who have recruited, interviewed and hired people for top companies, and know first-hand what recruiters look for during the interview process.
• Provides support beyond the initial session, as coaches help clients practice for multiple rounds of interviews, update their resume and adjust their approach, as needed.
• Is evolving to meet the needs of our clients, adding new services and features – including our new career planning service –based on their feedback.

360JobInterview.com offers a variety of services that are affordable and obtainable for job seekers. Learn more at www.360JobInterview.com or by contacting Jeff Garber at jgarber@360JobInterview.com.