Do you view networking in a negative light?

If so, this article will help you see things differently. We've all heard that in this day and age, the best way to find a new job is by networking. In a nutshell: “It’s not about what you need, it’s about what you can contribute.” So go find the people who can benefit from your talents.

Seven Interview Questions That Kill Careers

Here are some common interview questions that could be asked in a wide variety of fields. Some are open ended enough that people commonly trip themselves up or say the wrong thing. This article guides the types of answers you should give.

You Can Do Everything Right and Still Not Get the Job

The title sounds discouraging but this article is intended to be encouraging. Interviewers are only human, and are therefore subjective. Do your very best to prepare for your interview, give it your all, and then let whatever happens, happen. This way you can't beat yourself up after the fact, saying things would have been different if only I had done [fill in the blank].

Tips for Video Job Interviews

Companies are doing more video interviewing as a time/cost-saving measure and it actually is a different animal than an in-person interview. There's the old advice of wear your full suit (vs. just the top part of your suit over pajama pants, incase they ask you to stand up). Here's what else you should know.

Power vs. Influence: Interview with Bing Gordon of Kleiner Perkins

Here's a great interview with the former chief creative officer at Electronic Arts, now a VC, on leadership and why he prefers influence over power. I found it interesting on its own merits, and it's also related to job hunting in that if you're good at influencing people, you will stand out and convince anyone to hire you.

Some tips from Forbes.com for moms looking to go back to work

This article is a couple of years old, but the advice is still relevant, such as...

A good way to get yourself back into working is by volunteering or looking for part-time or project work. You get the benefits of networking, as well as bolstering your resume with recent experience.

"Before you reach out to anyone, have a brief elevator pitch ready--a 30-second spiel that sums up what kind of work you're looking for and what your experience is. End the pitch by asking, Do you know of anyone I should talk to? Never ask if they have a job to offer themselves. People will know what you want, and if they feel comfortable telling you about an opening they know of, they will."

Before you begin your job search in earnest, make sure you have the support you need, such as childcare incase you are invited to interview.

Never apologize for having taken time away from your career to raise children. If asked about it, answer succinctly and move on.

Get together with others who are in the same situation and practice interviewing.

Read the full article here.

How to get people to act on your emails

This list was originally intended for work emails, but these tips would work just as well when you're making contact with people for informational interviews and job leads. In addition to being clear about what you're asking for, use questions in the right places to maximize the chances of people responding to you.

From my own experience as an email marketer, people will decide whether or not to open your message based on your subject line, so choose your words well.