Job Searching: 3 Keys to a Successful Job Search

#1 - BE PREPARED: Research the company ahead of time and don't wait for the last minute to cram a bunch of facts into your brain. Bring extra copies of printed resumes with you, regardless if you have already sent previous copies. Take time to rehearse your responses and remember to breathe. Usually the interviewers (more often the hiring managers) are just as nervous as you are.

#2 - BE PURPOSEFUL: Make a plan for your job search. Be methodical and practical about the companies you want to work for. Don't apply for a job that you are not qualified for or willing to accept if offered. You are wasting your time and the employer's time. Without fail, that stuff comes back to bite you.

#3 - BE PROFESSIONAL: Dress appropriately and watch the perfume/cologne. You don't want an interviewer explaining how they were overtaken by fumes when you walk in the door. Keep your answers relevant to the job and not what you did last weekend. Revisit all your social media sites to make sure the photos where you might be prominently displayed with an adult beverage are removed. Use handwritten thank you notes after each and every interview. Yeah, I know you are thinking, "really?" Really! It makes a huge difference in determining who really wants to be there versus who is there just to collect a check.