When searching for a job, it becomes easy to view each hiring manager as the enemy. After all, they are the gatekeeper, the one who is keeping you from attaining your dream job (or in this economy, any job). Yet, it’s important to remember that they are in very much the same position as you – just in reverse. You have certain skills, training and expertise you wish to put to work for the benefit of a particular company. And they have been charged with finding someone who possesses the requisite skills, training an expertise that will drive the business and generate greater profits. Making the two come together in a mutually pleasing conclusion is simply a meeting of the minds.

The first thing you absolutely must understand is that the hiring manager is under a great deal of pressure to deliver just the right person for the job. Unless you are interviewing with an extremely small company, chances are you won’t find yourself sitting down with the CEO. That means the person interviewing you has to answer to someone. They aren’t about to jeopardize their job by taking a chance on an under-qualified or otherwise questionable candidate. As a result, they are going to ask the tough questions, make you prove yourself, and then perform the proper due diligence to verify that you are just as great as you say you are.

In nearly every instance, you come into an interview as a complete unknown. Your job is to make the interview feel comfortable and confident about hiring you. They are not trying to be the bad guy – or gal – they are simply seeking to assure themselves that you will be able to perform in the job in question. At the same time, their hiring decision must be one that leaves them feels safe and secure in their own career. Again, that’s why they are not about to take a chance on an unproven individual.

That’s not to suggest you must be absolutely perfect and possess a flawless job record to boot. Hiring managers understand that no one is perfect. Everyone has weaknesses and shortcomings. For that reason, you will find yourself answering questions about weaknesses, shortcomings, and difficult situations you encountered. For you, the trick lies in turning a negative into a positive. Maybe you were once assigned to manage the account of a company whose industry was a complete mystery to you. That may have been a shortcoming, but you can still win the hiring manager over if you share a gripping account of how you dove in, thoroughly researched not only the company, but its industry and key competitors, and then helped them achieve great things.

Finally, remember that the hiring manager is looking for a solution to specific pain points the company is currently facing. Once you are in the interview environment, pay close attention to what they say and ask a few probing questions of your own. Seek to uncover those pain points and then convince the hiring manager that you are the remedy, the one person that can relieve all that ails them.

It’s no secret companies have taken to the Net when conducting due diligence on a potential new employee. From LinkedIn to Facebook to simple Google searches encompassing every single appearance on the Web, nothing is sacred. That includes every embarrassing photo, as well as every Tweet and message board comment you’ve ever posted. Some hiring managers have even been known to review candidates’ Amazon.com wish lists. If that doesn’t concern you, either you’ve lived the life of Mother Teresa or you are completely oblivious to the potential damage you’ve done to your career.

If you’re getting a little hot around the collar, relax. I’m not trying to pass judgment on your Internet activities. The goal here is to help you overcome any online transgressions or ill-advised postings so that potential employers won’t get a negative impression of you based on what they find on the Web. The goal is to craft an online identity that reflects positively upon you as a professional.

A good starting point is to ask yourself what a potential employer would find if they were to Google your name. If you have a common name, this question may be complicated by the fact that they are likely to uncover the digital trail of many individuals in addition to you. However, they can narrow their search by filtering by location, previous jobs, etc. If you honestly don’t know how you come across on the Web, try Googling yourself. Chances are you’ve done it already, but it’s always a good idea to keep close tabs on your online presence.

If you find “digital dirt” – that is, information, comments, or images you would rather a potential employee not see – there is often nothing you can do to scrub your online reputation. In some instances, you can delete content, but for the most part, the best approach to seek to smother the dirt with positive, professional content. You should immediately start creating new and content presenting yourself as a capable professional. If you have published journal articles, add links to those sites to your LinkedIn and Facebook pages. Tweet your insights into trends and news stories that are relevant to your industry. You must be patient, however, because it can take time to achieve the desired balance.

You can further enhance your online reputation by posting a professional photo of yourself on every one of your profiles. That means a headshot taken by an actual professional photographer, not a snapshot taken by your cousin during that wild weekend in Miami. Seek to feature anything that points to involvement in community activities or that demonstrates stellar communication skills. By all means, seek to delete any previous comments that could be interpreted as critical of a former employer. Nothing turns off a potential employer faster than the possibility of hiring someone who is likely to damage their reputation.

For decades, job seekers have been instructed to focus on the same things: drafting a professional cover letter, listening closely and giving satisfactory responses to interviewers’ questions, and then following up appropriately. However, the new realities of the job market are requiring applicants to take a different approach to their job search.

These days, it’s all about knowing your value, identifying the employer’s pain points, telling a story, and showing relevance. As a result, there is an all-new list of must-have skills for job seekers:

1. Identify Pain Points – In the past, applicants could get by simply focusing on the requirements listed in the “help wanted” ad. That approach won’t cut the mustard these days. You need to dig deep and discover what kind of business pain is behind the job opening. This can be accomplished by reading the job posting and researching the employer. Their pain could be growth-related or consolidation-related. They could be losing customers to competitors who provide cheaper prices. Their industry could simply be experiencing a shortage of talent. Whatever the cause of the pain, it’s up to you to identify it and use that information to make your case for why they should hire you.

2. Tell a Story – Rambling off characteristics like “strong work ethic” doesn’t mean much in today’s overcrowded job market. Hundreds of well-qualified individuals are likely to apply for any opening. Chances are they will all claim to possess the same desirable characteristics. Rather than building your responses around catch phrases, tell a story. Seek to explain what kind of results you produce on the job. Keep it brief, but make it powerful.

3. Be Personable — Not long ago, applicants were taught to talk in business speak, using phrases like “bottom-line orientation” and “results-oriented professional.” Unfortunately, such phrases mean little to today’s hiring managers. Aim to use a human voice instead of tired, worn-out corporate speak. Don’t be afraid to begin sentences with “I.” Be proud to speak in the first person as you take credit where credit is due.

4. Nix the One-Size-Fits-All Resume – Most job seekers make the mistake of using one resume for every position. This approach does nothing to help the hiring manager envision how you will fit into their organization. Take steps to highlight accomplishments that are relevant to the position in question. Don’t be afraid to revise your resume as often as necessary.

5. Know Your Value – Earlier this year, television news personality Mika Brzezinski published a book titled “Knowing Your Value.” While her tome was geared towards the historically underpaid female sex, there’s much to be said for the concept of knowing your value, no matter what gender, race, or orientation you may be. Before you begin a job search, undertake some research to discover your fair market value. Go in with a specific salary range in your head. Even in a tough economy, your skills and experiences have a specific value, so don’t allow yourself to get low-balled. If a potential employer isn’t willing to pay what you are worth, take your talents elsewhere.

Addressing a group of graduating students in the spring of 2001, George W. Bush uttered the now infamous comment, “To all the C students, I say, ‘You, too, can be President of the United States.’” Bush supporters got a big chuckle out of the remark, as they felt it demonstrated the man’s sense of humor. For those detractors already convinced the former Texas Governor was a few brain cells short, the comment served as further evidence that the wrong presidential candidate was occupying the White House.

Regardless of which side of the political fence you reside, Bush’s comment opens the door to an important conversation: Should a person’s GPA really matter when they are applying for a job? Is it truly an accurate predictor of what kind of employee they will be?

Naturally, it depends who you ask. According to a CareerBuilder survey, just half of employers have a specific GPA requirement. Of those that do, 25 percent received a GPA of 3.0 or higher, while 12 percent required higher than a 3.5. Just 1 percent was looking for a perfect 4.0.

Some fields prize a high GPA more than others. These include accounting, nursing, and highly technical fields like engineering and computer science, where a mastery of the body of knowledge is necessary. Large companies which are likely to receive thousands of applications for each opening may look to GPAs to help them weed out less-desirable candidates.

Where you are in your career also matters. A recent graduate may be judged by their GPA simply because they don’t have much else for the employer to review. However, an experienced professional is far more likely to be judged on their experiences and accomplishments than a two- or three-decade-old GPA.

Increasingly, employers are looking to factors other than GPA when reviewing applicants. They are more interested in a potential employee’s relevant professional experience (including internships), portfolio, presentation skills, and writing skills. Time management is also a key indicator, as is how the employee learns, their ability to give and receive feedback, and their ability to apply theory to real-life situations.

Regardless of whether your GPA was stellar or lackluster, don’t leave it off an application if an employer asks for it. Such an omission will only lead them to assume the worst and you may find yourself eliminated from the running unnecessarily. Never inflate your GPA, although you can fudge things a bit by listing your Major GPA, rather than your overall GPA, as long as you designate it as such.

More often than not, job seekers go into an interview with a certain degree of fear. Do I look presentable? Will I answer the questions right? Do I have what it takes to get hired? What many candidates don’t realize is the interviewer has their own set of fears.

Truth be told, hiring is a scary business. The hiring manager is essentially bringing an unknown into the company. If they have done their proper due diligence and conducted a thorough interview, they can be fairly confident they have hired the right person for the job. But recruiting is a major responsibility and one which cannot be taken lightly.

As a job seeker, you can help alleviate some of the interviewer’s fears AND possibly nab yourself the job at the same time. It all comes down to understanding their fears and knowing how to respond. Read on for some advice on mitigating interviewers’ most common fears:

#1 Getting the Process Completed Promptly – When searching for a job, it often seems like it takes forever between submitting your resume and getting called for an interview. For the hiring manager, however, it usually feels like the process is dragging on and on. From determining their needs to writing the job description to posting ads, wading through resumes, and conducting interviews, the process of hiring a new employee is remarkably time-consuming. As the old adage goes, “time is money” and the pressure is on to get the position filled PRONTO! You can help the hiring manager feel less stressed by making it easy to reach you. Include multiple options, such as home, cell, or email, on your resume. And be sure to respond promptly to their communications. Answer emails and return voice mails as quickly as possible.

#2 Sharp Learning Curves – Training a new person takes time. In the meantime, there is a loss in productivity as the work team struggles to pick up the slack. Managers are understandably concerned about losing valuable employees who may be uncomfortable taking on extra work until a new employee can be found. This stresses them out even more, something they do not need when they are in the throes of selecting a new employee. Help the hiring manager by explaining that you are a fast learner. Share some stories from your past jobs that demonstrate this fact. Drop hints throughout the interview that will give them the impression you would be up to speed in record time.

#3 Hiring the Wrong Fit – Every organization has its own culture. It falls to the hiring manager to bring people onboard who are a good fit for the existing culture. Hiring someone who doesn’t mesh with the team can upset a delicate balance and put great stress on the manager. You can practically eliminate that concern simply by making sure you fit at least 75 percent of the job requirements. During the interview, share some stories that demonstrate how your experience matches up with those requirements. 

#4 Hiring the Overqualified – In today’s economy, many organizations have found themselves faced with the question of whether to hire someone who is obviously overqualified for the position. The concern is that the new employee will quickly grow bored or disillusioned. At the same time, an overqualified employee may never truly give up their job search, only hanging on until “something better comes along.” They can also upset team dynamics because the new employee may very well be qualified to manage their colleagues – or even their supervisors. Be sure to honestly evaluate your qualifications. If you are obviously overqualified, mitigate the interviewer’s concerns by toning down your resume. During the interview, inform the manager of your career goals and tell them why you are interested in the position.

So the holidays are here and you’ve managed to snag a seasonal job. Congratulations! But don’t automatically assume you’ll be sent packing once the band has finished playing “Auld Lang Syne.” While seasonal gigs typically last only a few weeks, you could parlay your yuletide employment into a permanent position – if you play your cards right.

Here are a few tips that may help you make the transition from seasonal to year-round:

 1-     Be Punctual – It may seem like the most obvious advice in the world, but it can’t be stressed enough. Show up to your seasonal job on time every time. In fact, be early whenever you can. You never know when a holiday rush might strike or another employee may simply not show up.Holiday workers can be flighty, but you demonstrate yourself to be reliable, you will stand out as the kind of employee the company would benefit from hanging onto for the long haul.

2-     Be Flexible – Perhaps the most valued attribute of a seasonal employee is their willingness to roll with the flow. Make yourself available as much as you can. Day shifts, night shifts, be open to them all. And if your boss calls up, asking you to swap hours with another employee – or take on an extra shift, be sure to accept. There’s nothing more desirable than an agreeable employee.

3-     Be Cheerful – Depending on your outlook, working during the holidays is either a dream come true or Hell on earth. Some people thrive on the holiday cheer and end up being a pleasure to work with. Others grumble their way through every minute and make the whole experience miserable for co-workers and customers alike. Remember all the good things about the season, including the fact that you have a job, and let that good cheer come through in your attitude. Smile and strive to please everyone you come in contact with.

4-     Be Ambitious – Working holiday shifts can be exhausting. Sometimes, it’s all you can do to finish your shift, then go home and collapse. While you are still on the job, however, be sure to always go the extra mile. Look for ways you can help the business run smoother. Volunteer to mop the slushy, snowy floor. Offer to assist customers with packages. Politely tell your boss the sidewalk needs a little salt – and then ask if he would like you to take care of it. 

Seasonal employment is a great way to earn some extra money during the holidays, but it can also be a means of getting your foot in the door. If your goal is to turn a seasonal job into a permanent position, aim high and always give your best. Put in extra hours, be flexible, be friendly, and go the extra mile. Make yourself invaluable and you just may find yourself being asked to stay on after the holidays.

Many job-seekers mistakenly believe there is nothing to be gained by pounding the pavement between Thanksgiving and New Year’s – unless you’re looking for a seasonal job as a shopping mall Santa, that is. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth as the holidays actually represent one of the best job-seeking seasons of the year. Job-seekers who drop out of the race during the holidays are doing themselves a huge disservice.

Many organizations actively engage in December interviews for jobs that won’t start until after the ball drops inTimes Square. With fall trade shows behind them, decision-makers are more easily accessible. For many of them, December is the time to prepare for the coming year. Key personnel and payroll decisions must be made before year’s end, and hiring managers are keen to get a jumpstart on meeting the goals they have set for the new year.

Recruiters and hiring managers frequently complain that it’s next to impossible to reach candidates during this pivotal time period. Distracted by holiday shopping, parties, and the uncontrollable desire to deck the halls, otherwise desirable candidates are simply not responsive. If you can avoid falling into that trap, you will have less competition and a greater chance of enjoying your holidays, knowing a new job awaits you.

Here are a few simple tips for ensuring that your holiday job search is as merry as can be:

*  Send holiday cards to well-connected friends, as well as to hiring managers who have recently interviewed you. Include your business card. Make sure the card is not geared toward any one particular religion. If the recipient happens to be Jewish or African-American, don’t try to be culturally sensitive by sending a Hanukkah orKwanzacard. A simple “Happy Holidays” greeting will do.

* Use holiday get-togethers for networking. Attend as many events as you can and keep in mind that anyone – friend, relative, or stranger – could inadvertently lead you to your next job. Play it cool and have a good time, but be prepared to tell everyone you meet about your job search.

* Use the end-year time period to make informational interview requests. Many businesses naturally slow down during the holiday period, so it’s a good time to connect and learn more about potential future employers. They may not be in a position to offer you a job at the moment, but your interest and initiative will probably put you near the top of the list for any future openings.  

* If you can’t land your dream job, consider part-time seasonal work. Retailers and shipping companies are especially desperate for holiday help, so open yourself up to work you might not otherwise do. Don the Santa hat, wrap presents for harried shoppers, or give your muscles a work-out unloading a truck full of last minute gifts. The extra money will come in handy and prospective employers will see you have the gumption to tackle new challenges. You may even meet someone who holds the key to your new job.

In today’s economy, it may seem unfathomable to turn down a job offer, but there are times when an offer just isn’t right and it’s best to move on to greener pastures. You may be hot commodity fielding several offers at once. Or you may simply find that the salary, benefits, or working hours are just not to your liking. Either way, the goal should be to politely decline the offer, while protecting your reputation and your relationship with the company in question. Whatever you do, don’t burn any bridges. After all, you never know when you may end up applying for a position with them again or dealing with them as a potential client in the future.

Here are some tips for maintaining proper etiquette while declining a job offer:

Be Timely – As soon as you have made your decision, it’s best to share the news with the individual making the offer. Don’t wait for them to contact you. Informing them as soon as possible not only gives them the opportunity to hire one of the other candidates who applied for the job, it also casts you in a positive light, which will keep you in their good graces should you end up working with them in some capacity in the future. 

Put it in Writing – You may initially find yourself turning down an offer over the phone, but it’s always best to follow up with a formal letter. Be sure to address the letter to the person making the offer – never simply “Human Resources” or “To Whom It May Concern.” Thank him or her for their time and consideration and then provide a brief explanation of why you will not be accepting the offer. End the letter on a positive note because chances are you will run into them again sometime in your career, particularly if you intend to stay in the same industry.

Be Honest – Don’t make up excuses. Your decision is based on the fact that you feel another organization would be a better fit for your interests and goals, so simply state that as a fact. Even if you don’t currently have another offer on the table, it still holds true that another company would be better for you both personally and professionally.

Maintain Your Confidence – In making your decision, you have put your best interests first. That’s nothing to be ashamed of, so don’t apologize for the message you have to convey. That doesn’t mean you have to be gruff or rude, simply that you should avoid sounding like you feel guilty about turning down the offer. Be prepared to stand your ground if the hiring manager tries to get you to change your mind and never use phrases like “maybe in the future,” as doing so undermines your decision and makes you appear indecisive.

Keep it Positive – Even if you’ve found yourself completely turned off by the recruiter, the hiring manager, or the entire organization, you must endeavor to stay on the high road. They may be the most unprofessional and overbearing person you’ve ever met and their workforce may consist of equally obnoxious people, but you must resist the temptation to tell them exactly what you think of them and their company. Tell them you enjoyed learning about the company and do your best to sound appreciative

When Father Guido Sarducci (aka Don Novello) posed this question of former Beatle Paul McCartney in 1980, it was a moment of comedic genius. The Saturday Night Live regular had set up the question as if he were about to ask the one thing everyone wanted to know in the years leading up to John Lennon’s assassination: When are the Beatles going to get back together? Then he posed the animal question instead. Too funny. 

McCartney’s answer (“Koala Bear”) came easily. After all, creativity is his business – and chances are he had been tipped off to the question beforehand. But for the average Joe (or Jane), such a question can really throw them for a loop, especially when it comes in the middle of a job interview. That’s exactly why savvy hiring managers are increasingly incorporating non-traditional, even oddball, questions into interviews – to catch candidates off-guard.

 Here are a few examples of actual questions posed in job interviews: 

• If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would play you?
• If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would you choose?
• What was your best MacGyver moment?
• If you were a salad, what kind of dressing would you have?
• If you were a superhero, what would your superpowers be? 

Granted, not all non-traditional interview questions are so odd or comical, but they all have one thing in common – they are designed to elicit facets of your personality that would not otherwise be evident in a traditional interview.  Because they are intended to catch you offguard, it is never possible to prepare for them. And that’s the idea. The interviewer wants to see how you think on your feet. However, you can prepare yourself mentally to give it your best shot. 

The good thing about these types of questions is there’s no “right answer,” so technically you can’t be wrong. If you find yourself faced with an unusual question, don’t let it rattle you. Simply take a deep breath and take a few moments to prepare your response. You may even wish to tell the interviewer, “That’s an interesting question. Let me give it some thought.” That way, they won’t think you are just biding your time when you sit there silently. 

If it helps, imagine how you would answer the same question if it had been posed by a friend. Such an approach may help relax you and let an answer come to you naturally. Just remember to leave the expletives for the TGIFriday’s, however.

 Whatever you do, be sure to provide some kind of thoughtful answer and then back it up. If your superpowers would be the ability to mentally dismantle a lawnmower or your choice of dinner guest would be legendary serial killer Ted Bundy, be prepared to explain why. All the while, remain poised and confident. No matter how wacky your response, it’s to your advantage to demonstrate that you are a sincere, thoughtful person who takes their questions – no matter how off-the-wall – seriously.

Landing a coveted job begins with getting yourself noticed. While most of us would like to think our qualifications are enough to impress a hiring manager, the truth is you probably need to do something extra to make your resume stand out from the pack.

In today’s economy, job seekers are increasingly adopting a somewhat wacky approach to make their resume the one that gets noticed. According to a recent survey by Robert Half International, executives have seen more than their share of unusual job-hunting tactics. One candidate offered a money-back guarantee if he didn’t perform as expected. Another handed out personalized coffee cups, while yet another sent a cake designed to look like a business card bearing his picture. One cheeky individual even mailed a shoe along with his resume in an attempt to get his “foot in the door.” Another candidate went so far as to stage a sit-in in the company lobby and demand a meeting with a director. The Dallas Morning News told the story of a woman who spent $1,200 to rent a billboard in the hopes of getting potential employers to take note of her.

These days, hiring managers have seen it all. The question is whether such tactics are creative and appealing or tacky and unprofessional. It really depends on the industry and the individual employer. While differentiating yourself from the competition is always a good thing, you need to realize that you are walking a fine line between getting people’s attention and getting people annoyed. While some hiring managers view out-of-the-box strategies as creative and admirable, others may consider them gimmicky or, in some cases, even a little creepy.

Here are some simple guidelines to ensure that your creative job search tactics don’t cross the line or smack of desperation.

• Steer Clear of Lavish Gifts: A simple coffee mug bearing your business card or headshot is one thing. A pair of Ferragamo shoes is another. When applying for a job, gift giving is never appropriate. Even if your intentions are pure and good, giving a gift to the person who has the power to hire you is considered a bribe. So avoid the temptation to send flowers or wine or a home-baked pie. It won’t get you the job and more likely than not, it will get you barred from future employment with the company.

• Don’t Become a Stalker: When you are desperate for work, it’s easy to inadvertently cross the line from job seeker to stalker. While continually showing up at someone’s office is bad enough, some hiring managers have actually reported being followed home or approached in restaurants or hotel swimming pools by all-too-eager job seekers. The hard and fast rule is DON’T DO IT. EVER.

• Be Relevant: If you are applying for a job in an oncologist’s office, don’t show up for your interview wearing a clown suit (unless you are applying to entertain ailing children, that is). Maybe that example is a little extreme, but you get the idea. If you’re seeking to get hired for a position with an advertising agency that’s known for its fun-loving atmosphere, that may be a good time to flex your creative muscle and do something off the wall. If the job you desire is with an uber-conservative financial services company, you may want to think again.

Whether you decide to break out of the mold and take a creative approach to your job search is up to you. Just remember that such tactics will only get you so far. It’s still up to you to impress your potential new boss in the interview and then each and every day on the job.