Look, the economy is in shambles and it’s just flat out hard to land a job these days. With increased competition for fewer jobs, it’s critically important that you play your cards right and set yourself apart during your interview.

I’ve gone through more interviews than I would like but having gone through so many, I now know what works and what doesn’t. Here are my top 5 interview dos and don’ts. I hope these will help you on your quest for that job you’ve always wanted!

My top 5 dos:

1-Overdress, just do it. I don’t care what industry you’re interviewing for. Wear some nice shoes, slacks and a tie. Get a professional haircut and make sure there’s nothing in your teeth. Sounds bad but appearance is everything for interviews.

2-Get there early. I learned a lesson the hard way for this one. It was for one of my favorite companies and I was late to my interview. Being late set the tone for the interview. Let me just say this, they were not happy one bit.

3-Ask pointed questions about the company. Make it evident that you researched the company and know a little history. This will impress the interviewer and will set you apart from the herd.

4-Focus on your accomplishments for past employers, not tasks. They don’t care about your paperwork duties. They care about how you created a more efficient filing system for paperwork. Catch my drift on this?

5-Your resume is only a snippet of your life. Don’t be shy, share more information with the interviewer. They’re eager to know more about you. It’s your time to shine, feel free to brag a little bit. But don’t get cocky. Stay cool headed and humble.

My top 5 don’ts:

1-In my opinion, the worst thing you can do is talk about possible pay. This is a red flag for the interviewer. It tells them you only care about the money. This is a conversation you should save for when you get an offer. Only then, should you negotiate your salary.

2-Don’t lie on your resume. You’d be very surprised at the resources companies have these days. Please don’t get caught for lying about your GPA, all companies have to do is call up your school and find out. Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy.

3-When asked about your faults, NEVER say that you don’t have any. No one is perfect and they don’t expect you to be. Be honest about what you’re improving on and turn it into a positive.

4-Don’t bring up old bosses in your interview. Good or bad experience, don’t bring them up. Talk about your experiences, not your bosses.

5-Don’t have your cell phone ringer on! This is another one that happened to me. Not only is it embarrassing but it ruins a potential industry contact. Forever, they will think that you are irresponsible and not prepared. If this does happen to you, forget ever working for the company you’re interviewing for.

Well folks, there you have it. Those are the most important Dos and Don’ts for interviews. There are many more good and bad things one could do during an interview, but I thought these were the most important. Comment below if you have any additional tips.

Now go ace that interview!

(This is a guest post by Grace Ruskin over at Debt Consolidation Care!)

In the world of personal finance, “get rich slowly” is the financial battlecry for most financial bloggers. For those of us who are avid visitors of personal finance blogs, we spend a lot of energy on a wide array of wealth amassing strategies. Too often, we see people ignoring the concept of saving money and making money as they think that it’s something out of their control. With the present financial conditions, credit card debt is a disease and it is very important to eliminate credit card debt in order to be successful in your wealth building endeavor. Here are some effective wealth building options that can help you amass wealth and pay off your financial obligations.

1. Keep and grow your income: The first things that need to be focused on is keeping and growing your income level. Obviously, with the high rate of unemployment in the US, keeping stability in your gross monthly income is the most important factor. If you’re keen on improving your financial condition, you have to concentrate on taking a less than ideal job and maintain a proportion in your monthly income. You can even look for creating additional income opportunities besides your main job.

1. Slash off expenses: Your budget must clearly outline the areas in which you’re spending money. You must keep track of every single penny that is going out of your pocket. If you see that you’re unable to meet your 10% commitment with your current expenses, try starting off with your budget. Find out any small expenses that can be slashed off from your budget. It can be as small as eating out, extra cable packages, expensive trips or anything else. Put that saved money into your savings account so that you may be able to save religiously. Budgeting practices must be done practically and creatively so that every step helps you learn something new.

1. Start your investment strategy: Once you have amassed a decent amount of savings, it’s high time that you start making your money work for you. Start your bit of research on investments that can offer you an additional growth in your income. Consider getting in tough with an investment expert or a financial advisor who may discuss the plan for your investments, in case you’re not familiar with the investment market. Your financial goal must be to diversify your investment portfolio by spreading your money in different financial instruments to minimize your risk and maximize the returns.

1. Be aggressive with your retirement savings: If you’re just “getting by” now, chances are high that your retirement years will be spent in extreme difficulty. Thus, it is important for you to save rigorously so that your golden years are not marred by the debt disaster. Ideally, this is the best time for you to start contributing to the 401(k) account and amass wealth for the near future. You may withdraw money from this account whenever you need post retirement. Maximize your savings by making use of the financial vehicles like the life insurance policy and 401 (k) accounts.

1. Try purchasing your own property: You might get surprised by reading this option but owning your own house can be a major aspect of your financial stability. Get a mortgage loan that you can reasonably afford and make sure you start paying back the loan in regular monthly payments. Make sure the total housing costs does not exceed 33% of your income. The sooner you own your property, the more financially better off you can be.

Learning to build wealth by boosting your income resources and spending less is a great stuff to learn. Don’t ever lose sight of the fact that your income is your biggest and the most valuable asset. Thus, maintain it, maximize it and let it work for you so that you can use it to eliminate credit card debt. Start building wealth and get desirable results in your financial situation.

(The following is a guest post by Rob Bennett at Passion Saving. He is known for thinking outside the box on certain financial issues. I asked him to explain his stance on passive investing, so here it is!)

I invite you to take a look at a recent research paper that I believe in days to come will be changing the history of our understanding of how stock investing works. The paper was prepared by Wade Pfau, Associate Professor of Economics at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, Japan. The paper can be downloaded here.

The background is that, while many investing experts have asserted in recent years that market timing does not work, there has never been a study showing this to be the case. The idea that timing doesn’t work is rooted in a misunderstanding of research showing that short-term timing doesn’t work. There is a good bit of research showing that, if you change your stock allocation with the thought of seeing benefits for doing so within a year or two, the odds are high that you are going to be disappointed. On seeing such research, many analysts jumped to the conclusion that no form of market timing works.

The reality is that there is much research showing that long-term market timing (changing your stock allocation in response to big price swings with the understanding that you may not see benefits for doing so for as long as 10 years) always works and in fact is required for long-term investing success. See, for example, Pfau’s preliminary research on this point.

Pfau’s most recent paper examines the one study that really did conclude that long-term timing does not work. The new paper states that: “Valuation-based market timing demonstrates greater potential to improve risk-adjusted returns for conservative long-term investors than given credit by Fisher and Statman (2006). On a risk-adjusted basis, market-timing strategies provide comparable returns as a 100 percent stocks buy-and-hold strategy but with substantially less risk. Meanwhile, market timing provides comparable risks and the same average asset allocation as a 50/50 fixed allocation strategy, but with much higher returns.”

Oopsi!

What if everything you thought you knew about stock investing turned out to be wrong?

Here are some elements of the conventional investing wisdom that need to be changed as we develop a consensus that long-term market timing always works.

1) All asset allocation advice rooted in the Buy-and-Hold Model needs to be revisited. If going with lower stock allocations at times of super-high stock prices (like those experienced from 1996 through 2008) causes greater risk while not increasing returns, there is no reason to encourage investors to take on that added risk. In cases where added risk brings on no increase in return, investors would be better off not taking on the added risk;

2) All retirement planning advice rooted in the Buy-and-Hold Model needs to be revisited. Retirement planners have been telling us for years that the safe withdrawal rate (SWR) is 4 percent regardless of the valuation level that applies on the day the retirement begins. If returns are greater at times of low valuations, the SWR is obviously higher than 4 percent at such times. It is also obviously lower than 4 percent at times of high valuations (meaning that millions of retirees are likely to suffer failed retirements in days to come because of the failure of the SWR studies to take valuations into consideration in their calculations);

3) All risk management advice rooted in the Buy-and-Hold Model needs to be revisited. The Buy-and-Hold Model teaches that we must accept risk to realistically expect good returns. But Pfau’s research shows that there are times (times of high stock valuations) when super-safe asset classes reliably offer better returns than stocks. Perhaps it is not a willingness to take on risk that permits an investor to earn good returns but a willingness to take valuations into consideration when setting his stock allocation; and

4) Our understanding of what caused the economic crisis needs to be revisited. The stock market was overpriced by $12 trillion in January 2000. Vanguard Founder John Bogle has described Reversion to the Mean as an “Iron Law” of stock investing. It appears that all that we are seeing with the economic crisis is one more instance in which the Iron Law came to asset itself. The loss of the $12 trillion left all middle-class investors far poorer than they expected to be at this stage of their lives, the fears they experienced over having fallen so far behind in their efforts to finance their retirements has made them reluctant to spend, and their reluctance to spend has caused thousands of businesses to collapse and millions of workers to lose their jobs.

The idea of rooting investment advice in academic research was a true breakthrough, in my assessment. But there are responsibilities that come with rooting investing advice in research. We all need to be careful not to get too carried away with tentative findings and to remain open to new findings generated by new research looking at new questions.

We don’t know all there is to know about stock investing today. We need to adopt a more humble stance in all publicly voiced claims. Getting it wrong can cause horrible problems for millions of investors and indeed for our entire economic and political systems.

We’re gradually learning the realities of stock investing through research. That’s good. Let’s not ruin a good thing by failing to note at all times that we don’t know it all yet, that we are all still in the learning stage of this wonderful process of discovery of the realities of stock investing.

I’m writing this article for all the college graduates out there. 2010 was quite possibly the worst time to graduate from college. The tech, retail, pharmaceutical, financial and construction markets were slammed and dried up. There was a real sense of depression during those times. If was as-if not a single person was going to land a job. It was not a fun time to say the last haha.

I remember feeling the pressure and anxiety about finding a job after college. But let me tell you, don’t lose hope! It’s all about perseverance. I remember the people who still don’t have jobs six months after graduating. They were also some of the most passive people I know. While these passive friends were sitting on their butts, the ambitious friends around me were landing multiple job offers. How does that work?

It comes down to how much effort and how hard you try. Early on, I received some golden job-hunting tips from family members and professors, here they are!

It’s never too early to start looking. I remember senior year and looking for a job. I didn’t wait until my senior year to start looking for jobs. I started my career search 6 months prior to graduating. Did this add stress to my study life? Probably. But, was it worth the job I have now? MOST DEFINITELY! It is never too early to start looking for a job. Go to every job fair you can find and land as many interviews as possible. The sooner you start, the greater exposure you will have with companies. Also, the sooner you start, the less competition you have.

When denied, try again. Look, you WILL get denied. Don’t look at it as a failure because it never is. Even if you don’t land a job after interviewing, you now have a life-long industry contact. Keep in touch with every interviewer and ALWAYS ask for their business cards. This is a growing experience. Remember, what matters in life is what you do when you’re down. Do you stay down or get back up? I interviewed with over a dozen companies before landing my current job. Where would I be if I gave up after the first dead-end interview? Keep striving for that job, you will eventually get it.

Network, network and network some more. Networking is the quickest way to landing a job during a recession. I have my own take on successful networking. I don’t see anything wrong with asking a potential employer out to lunch and just getting to know each other. Developing relationships is key here. If you don’t do this, you’re just another number to them. You need to make an effort to network with “relationship development” in mind. I still call past employers and industry contacts just to say hello. It’s always good to catch up. This way, it’s hard for them to forget your name. it’s all about making a lasting impression.

Don’t be fake in your interviews. Being yourself in interviews is quite possibly the most important thing you can do to land a job. The worst thing you can do is fake your personality and suck up to the interviewer. These guys are trained to smell this from a mile away, just don’t do it. My friends used to ask me how I could be so relaxed in interviews? My explanation was that I treated the interviewer as a friend. When I did that, I was much more relaxed and even cracked jokes during my interviews. From my experience, this worked well. They know if you’re relaxed. Also, being relaxed shows them your level of confidence.

Focus on thriving companies during a recession, not all are hurting. This is all about doing your research. Google the companies you’re interviewing with. Look at their balance sheets. Ask employees of the company how they’re doing. The most you ask around, the better understanding of the company’s financial status you’ll get. I remember interviewing for commercial construction contractors in 2010. They were hit hard and jobs were dried up. I had to think outside of the box and ask myself, “where is the money?” That’s when I switched gears and started interviewing with heavy civil (bridges/roads) contractors. With the billions of stimulus money coming from the federal government, a job in the infrastructure industry was a good choice. I still work for the same contractor today and we’re having a record year during one of the worst recessions in U.S history. The key was research, and it paid off!

Be willing to move. I don’t have compassion for people who are not willing to move. If there is a job in another state, and it requires you to move, do it! Moving away from what you know as comfortable can be a growing experience. You will meet new people, make new friends, and will prepare you for when you have to move again. I moved away from everything in Seattle and relocated down to San Diego for my job. I can safely say it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If you are someone who is struggling with the idea of moving, feel free to email me with questions or doubts you might be having. I’d love to share my story with you!

It is critical to have a job during the recession, even if it’s a hit to your pride. When this economy picks up again, the last thing a potential employer will want to see is that you’ve been sitting at home for the last couple years. Get out there and do something!

I’m sure most of you know by now that Japan has been hit hard by an earthquake and tsunami. This truly is a crisis that needs all the countries of the world to unite and help out. My prayer goes out to the families affected by this crisis. I thought it would be appropriate to name some charities that are active in helping out the victims in Japan. Here are ten foundations that have a long standing reputation. You can be assured that your money is going to a good cause with any of the following charities.

American Red Cross: Your gift to the American Red Cross will support our disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific. On those rare occasions when donations exceed American Red Cross expenses for a specific disaster, contributions are used to prepare for and serve victims of other disasters.

World Vision: World Vision plans to distribute relief supplies to meet the daily needs of quake and tsunami survivors. We will also focus our efforts on responding to the emotional needs of children, who are the most impacted after such a traumatic event.

The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army in Japan immediately dispersed teams following the disaster to the most severely affected areas where they are distributing basic necessities to survivors. These teams will also assess the damage to discern the next steps in their relief efforts.

Global Giving: This project will disburse funds to organizations providing relief and emergency services to victims of the earthquake and tsunami. GlobalGiving is working with International Medical Corps, Save the Children, and other organizations on the ground.

Save the Children: Save the Children is mobilizing its global resources to respond to the needs of children and families affected by the earthquake and its aftermath, and an international emergency team has been dispatched to assist staff in Japan.

Convoy of Hope: Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Response team is in contact with partners in Japan and identifying areas in the greatest need of assistance. You can donate by texting TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10 toward the relief efforts.

AmeriCares: AmeriCares is asking for donations so they can provide medicine and medical supplies to victims of the disaster.

MercyCorps: Mercy Corps is accepting donations to help survivors of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami through their longstanding partner, Peace Winds Japan. Donations will go to meeting the immediate and longer-term needs of the survivors. You can text MERCY to 25283 to donate $10.

Direct Relief International: Direct Relief International is reaching out to medical teams and emergency responders to offer assistance.

International Medical Corps: International Medical Corps is sending medical supplies and relief teams to Japan. Help by donating $10 by texting MED to 80888.

SEND JAPAN SOME LOVE, BOTH PRAYER AND MONEY IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY.