Getting ready for that all-important job interview? Don’t go into the lion's den unprepared. Check out the tips and techniques listed below to find out which questions to ask your interviewers and how to handle the negotiation process once that job offer comes your way. Successful interviewing is an important lifelong skill, and it can be learned!

Personal branding — the art of communicating what makes you unique — has been around for a long time and can be used in your job search. Everyone has a personal brand, even you, because everyone is unique. But not everyone is good at expressing this differentiation. Those people who are seemingly irreplaceable prosper in any economic situation.

A personal brand is the culmination of your actions; it’s an image that is useful during a job search that marks you as a specific, well-defined package of abilities, talents, and experiences. It is you, outside and inside, in the sense that you’re unique. Personal branding has a lot to do with the emotion people feel when they think about you but is rooted in self-reflection and integrity.

The biggest factor in your transition from one career to the next is money. Although you'd love to just quit your current job and dive headlong into your new career, financial realities keep you from acting rashly. The truth is that you need to continue to make a certain amount of money to survive as you make your move.

Despite the craziness of Craigslist, it’s still a marvelous place to find up-to-the-minute job postings. In fact, if you were to walk into a business and ask the hiring manager about the first place he would post an ad for a new job, without much thought he’d likely say, “Oh, I’ll just drop it on Craigslist to get some résumés in the door.

Once you get that job you are seeking after 50, you need to negotiate the terms. Negotiations are best when both parties work toward an arrangement that’s mutually beneficial. Don’t approach negotiations with a hiring manager as an adversarial relationship. Follow these suggestions instead: Wait. Let the hiring manager offer you an amount, and then take a day or two to consider.

One of the advantages of being a first-time job seeker is that employers most likely won’t ask you for references. This is because they know you haven’t had any previous employment. Nonetheless, some employers may ask you for some references.To paraphrase a popular saying, it’s better to have the references and not need them than to need them and not have them.

Several common job interview questions have been known to trip up even the most prepared job seekers. These job interview questions include: What is your greatest weakness? Why should I hire you? This article shows some ways to respond to these and other common questions.What is your most memorable accomplishment?

Your salary is only a part of your compensation. Many employers offer other ways for you to earn money or to save it. You also can avoid paying taxes on these savings, increasing the money you set aside. This is because when you save money to a pre-tax account, you aren’t paying taxes on that amount of money; instead, you’re using that money you would have paid in taxes for medical, commuter, or childcare expenses.