I determined that my first post-college job should be away from the West Coast in Chicago and scrambled to get a leg up on the natives. A then-friend recommended a 'consultant,' someone who decided she could rip-off anxious job-seekers by being a style advisor. She got my check so it worked, but her advice belonged in the era of Mad Men. Some of the highlights:

'Wear a skirt. It doesn't matter what you wear after you get the job but wear a skirt for the interview. I know, I know, these days it's common for women to wear pants but you're more likely to get hired with a skirt.'

'Let me see you with your hair down. Definitely do the interview with your hair down. It softens the face. You can do what you like after you get the job but leave the hair down for the interview.'

'Go back outside and walk in...ok, let me show you how to enter the room. Hold your bag firmly and swing your other arm. You want to look dynamic for the interview.'

The whole 90 minutes of time I bought went like this. I can appreciate her focus - getthejobgetthejobgetthejob which was as advertised - and the importance of body language. What I didn't appreciate was how completely she bowed to the stupid idea that appearance is everything (although it is important, unfairly if maybe unconsciously weighted). How about ways to overcome stereotypes? How about not presenting a false first image? I think she didn't quite realize the difference between engineers and other professionals. Ever hear that one joke about the engineer and the bicycle? Two engineers were walking when one asked, "Where did you get that bike?" "Yesterday a beautiful woman rode up to me on this bike, threw it to the ground, took off all her clothes, and said 'Take what you want.'" "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit." My interviews were with engineers who commented more on my GPA than anything else and hardly looked at me other than the initial eye contact.

She recommended I read this book before the scheduled appointment. I should've taken the book suggestion and said 'thanks, no need for a session with you!' It's mainly 'common' sense. Some parts, like the thank you notes, are not always true and have been contradicted by most interviewers I've known (workmates, not someone interviewing me). At the current rate of unemployment, it's good to have more knowledge and sometimes a little thing can give you just the edge necessary to beat out 200 other hopefuls. Reading this book may shoot some points into your mind that will stick and be useful in that crucial interview window when your mind feels blank and all you can think about are the past-due bills, groceries, kids, etc. Just take it, and any other advice you receive, with a shaker of salt. ( )

Originally written in 1977, but updated frequently until 2005, Anthony Medley's quite thick and thorough book promises sound advice and attention to detail. What separates Medley from the rest of the crowd, as he immediately explains in his preface, is that he has had extensive experience actually interviewing and screening (for research and position hiring) and he actually backs up most of his opinions with scholarly research. For example, you might have been told that you should write a thank you note after an interview. Medley first comments that such a letter can be an added burden or irritant to an already over-burdened interviewer, but also includes a study which concluded that even among professional recruiters a follow-up letter will not help you if they have not otherwise decided that you will be offered the job. Indeed, the book's topics range from important (yet often understated) details like this to broader questions of keeping the interviewers attention and how to demonstrate enthusiasm. I would highly recommended this book at once because it is informative and engaging, and because it entices one to realize exactly how complicated the art of being interviewed is and one's potential to do it well.