Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good But . . .
Review: "Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed" covers numerous aspects of competitive interviews where there is a known vacancy. An excellent discussion on discrimination. Includes sections on preparation, types of interviews, typical questions and helpful answers, relaxing yourself, dress, use of silence, negotiating salary, and making the final decision.

From Annotated Bibliography Learning A Living; A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding A Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Dyslexia

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good But . . .
Review: Generally good advice but some odd strays from mainstream advice that I don't agree with. For example, it argues against thank you letters after an interview - says that they are an irritant to interviewer. Personally, I have been involved with hiring plenty of people and a well written thank you never hurts and can make a difference in a close call.

Rating:
Summary: Good but needs updating (for new college grads)
Review: I am a recent college grad and I bought this book to help me sharpen my interview skills. I found that only half of the book is actually relevant for people in my position. It is a great book if you are appling for a job where you are replacing someone or you are applying for a job in 1979. A lot of interviewers on campus used different interviewing techniques that this book does not prepare you for. Interviewers now ask more reaction questions (such as what would you do in this and that situation) instead of questions like what are 3 words that describe yourself which the book covers ( I have never been asked that question). So in conclusion, if you get this book, skim it and find relevant parts and also go to campus interview seminars.

Rating:
Summary: I doubled my salary with this book
Review: Sure, this is written for the corporate crowd (more specifically, from a lawyer's perspective), but it is full of useful information.

Using the guidance in this book, I navigated my way through a two-part, three-person interview that got me the job I needed to get my feet on the ground and start running!

I refer to this book any time I have an interview. It covers face-to-face interviews, phone interviews, and eating-lunch interviews. It covers negotiations, how and when to bring up salary, when and why to send Thank You notes, etc.

How much do I love this book? Well, I love my job, and I love to sell used books through amazon.com, but I will NEVER get rid of this book.

I don't care if you're interviewing for a job assembling door handles for Toyota at $7/hour ... if you want the upper hand, read this book.

The list of questions to expect from your interviewers ... and, more importantly, the list of questions to ask your interviewers is invaluable. (One question in particular has always been met with: "Wow. That's a good question. Let me think about that." Hey, anytime your interviewer says that, you have the upper hand. (If you want to know which question I'm talking about ... feel free to email me.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best interview books I've read
Review: This book goes beyond the typical question/answer book, it helps you understand what interviewers are going through, what they are looking for and then how you can help them see that you are the best person for the job. You also learn about body language and what signals you are giving and how you are being perceived. This book will help you understand how to get to know people better in everyday life, which is not only good for developing friendships but goes a long way in an interview process.

Rating:
Summary: MUST read for anyone serious about a job interview.
Review: This book has lots of good advice from a professional interviewer. Helps you greatly to relax (thus the title and greatest nemisis for most of us). But that's just the beginning, has a tremendous amount of helpfull information in a very readable format. Also lots of sample questions and how to handle them. Can help in interviewing from either side of the table.

Rating:
Summary: This book is an invaluable and timeless gem
Review: This book is terrific! I've read most of the books on interviewing and none compares with Sweaty Palms.

I especially liked the many stories of famous people, like Jackie Robinson and Captain of Industry Tex Thornton, and how they handled their interviews when they were young and unknown, interviews that changed their lives. The book abounds with these stories, which are fascinating.

Each chapter deals with a separate aspect of the interview. The appendices contain several hundred questions which might be thrown at you in an interview. If you're prepared for these, it's unlikely you'll be stumped by something different. The book prepares you for the interview process and bolsters your confidence so you feel like you're ready for anything. It allows you to go into an interview ready to control it, rather than as a meek victim.

Perhaps the best aspect of the book is that it's chock-full of common sense advice about things like thank you letters, eye contact, and the like. Other books I've read give easy answers that sound right, but aren't really true in practice. Sweaty Palms was written by a real life interviewer who tells what really happens and how real interviewers react to these things. This is advice you can take to the bank, not some idea that sounds good, but isn't really true in practice. The advice on eye contact and thank you letters, which is completely different from what is found in other books on the subject, is worth the price of the book alone.

This is a book I can recommend to anyone to read, whether they're job-hunting or not.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for job applicants and students
Review: This book was apparently the first book ever written on the job interview. It's been updated, but it's full of unchanging principles that can help everyone.

One of the best things about the book is that it abounds in common sense advice. It tells you how things really are. It advises you how to prepare youself for an interview and how to control the interview once you're in it.

As good, it tells you things that bolster your confidence in yourself and in your ability to engage in the interview. It explains how the interview is a two way street, how you should be interviewing them as well as them interviewing you.

I could go on and on, but better you buy the book yourself. You won't regret it!

Rating:
Summary: An excellent guide to the interview process
Review: This is an excellent book. The author has done a great job in pulling together the elements which spell success in the quest for employment. I recommend it.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "The Accelerated Job Search" [e-mail]