Job Hunting

Prepare yourself to answer the tough questions like "Where do you want to be in 5 years?" Stand in front of a mirror and practice some sort of answer. Even if you do not have the foggiest idea of what you want in 5 years, come up with some sort of confident 30 second speech. Something like this: "I have a wide variety of interest currently. I will do my best to support your team's efforts here. In four years I can reevaluate." 

Q. Should you work with a job placement counselor (called a Head Hunter)? 

A. The best source of a job for you may be a referral from someone who already works with a company.   Companies fill jobs from referrals. That is why most jobs are never advertised. Why?  Because it's cheaper! So make a list of people you know who work somewhere interesting.  Then call them.  Make a huge effort. If you do work with a placement agency, you should never pay a fee for that.  The employer pays for the services of the head hunters.

Q. How can I impress the interviewer?

A. Research the company.  Read through their web site.  You want to find a good match for yourself with their corporate culture.  Be yourself but look the part of the job for which you are interviewing. Try to make sure that the actual day to day work is what you what to do.  If you are a "people" person, you may like sales.  If you are a techie, you may want to deal only with machines not people.