What Color Is Your Parachute 2018 by Richard N. Bolles copy

something like, “You came across as just too cocky and arrogant during
the interview.” You will almost always be left in the dark as to what it is
you’re doing wrong.
If you feel daring, there is a strategy you can try. If you’ve been
interviewed by a whole bunch of employers, whoever was the friendliest
of them all may want to help you. I said may.
You can always try phoning, reminding them of who you are, and then
asking the following question—deliberately kept generalized, vague,
unrelated to just that place, and above all, future-directed. Something like:
“I’d appreciate some advice. I’ve been on several interviews at several
different places now. From what you’ve seen, is there something about me
in an interview, that you think might be causing me not to get hired at
those places? If so, I’d really appreciate your giving me some pointers so I
can do better in my future hiring-interviews.”
Most of the time they’ll duck. Their legal advisor, if they have one, will
certainly advise against it. First of all, they’re afraid of lawsuits. Second,
they don’t know how you will use what they might have to say. (Said an
old military veteran to me one day, “I used to think it was my duty to tell
everyone the truth. Now I only give it to those who can use it.”)
But occasionally you will run into a compassionate and kind employer
who is willing to risk giving you the truth, because they think you will use
it wisely. If so, thank them from the bottom of your heart, no matter how
painful their feedback is. Such advice, seriously heeded, can bring about
just the changes in your interviewing strategy that you most need, in order
to win during interviews in the future.
In the absence of any such help from employers who interviewed you,
you might want to get a good business friend of yours to role-play a mock
hiring-interview with you, in case they immediately see something
glaringly wrong with how you’re “coming across.”
When all else fails, I would recommend you go to a career coach who
charges by the hour, and put yourself in their tender knowledgeable hands.
Role-play an interview with them, and take their advice seriously (you’ve
just paid for it, after all).
In interviewing, as elsewhere in your job-hunt, the secret is to find out
anything that is within your control, even if it’s only 2%; and change it!
And if you do get the job, make one resolution to yourself right there, on
the spot: plan to keep track of your accomplishments at this new job, on a