MiddletownJournal.com

DALE: Once a year we like to look back and assemble some of the advice that readers have told us has been especially helpful. It's a good way to wave goodbye to — or maybe I should say, wave off — 2008, a lousy year for most careers.

J.T.: True, but here's hoping that 2009 will be your best year ever, and Dale and I will be standing by to help.

— On being nervous about an interview: Going into an interview, it's hard not to obsess about the topics you do NOT want to talk about. When you're headed to the appointment, if worries sneak into your consciousness, take immediate action to flush them out: Start recalling your favorite boss, best co-worker and biggest successes. That way, you walk into the interview smiling and confident.

— The pre-interview interview: Many hiring managers now Google potential employees to learn more about them. You've probably heard about people cleaning up their MySpace and Facebook accounts so employers don't draw unwanted conclusions. Nowadays, however, job seekers are taking it a step further by creating search results that provide professional credibility. They do this via blogging or by offering well-articulated commentary via posting on a blog. If you list your real name, employers will find links to your remarks and look to see how you choose to write in the public forum as a good indicator of how you'll act within their organization.

— On veteran employees listing their years of experience: If you make it clear that you have "more than 30 years" of experience, you might cause some hiring managers to hesitate. No, I'm not talking about mere age discrimination, although we know it exists. Rather, think about the "perfect" level of experience. Picture a learning curve: During the first few years of your career, it would rise sharply; then, after five or 10 years, it would rise slowly. But what happens next? Many employees become inflexible or lose interest in keeping up, and that's when the learning curve turns negative. This means that it's possible to have too much experience. So, you might write "5-plus years" for each area of expertise. You make the point without reaching a number that some managers might find worrisome.

— On figuring out what to wear to an interview: With four generations in the workplace, "appropriate" dress can be tricky. So, try this: A day or two before you go in for an interview, park outside the office at lunchtime or after work and see how people dress and act. Then remember this: You aren't dressing to look your best; you're dressing to make potential co-workers comfortable around you. You're not trying to impress but to engage, to let potential colleagues know from your appearance and your attitude that you're there to help.

— On trying to learn why you didn't get the job offer: The question to ask the hiring manager is, "Can you tell me what I could do to make myself more employable?" That's a great question, because it's a conversation starter. (The more commonly asked question, "Why didn't you pick me?" is a conversation killer — the company can't or won't answer it.) When you ask for advice on being employable, you have the chance to learn something useful, and it may create an ally who'll know of other job possibilities.

— On handling stupid questions in interviews: Never let on that you find a question fatuous. Play along, but meanwhile, try to get a real conversation going by asking questions. My favorite is "What kind of people do best around here?" Ask that, and the interviewer may never get around to the stupid questions.

— On the unending job search: These days, with the average job tenure at just two years, staying in touch with former co-workers and managers is a must. If we aren't careful, the world of work gets smaller the longer we work. Going forward, create a file or database of contacts. And then, at least once a year, go through and reach out to those you haven't spoken to. We all need this kind of professional relationship maintenance, because you just never know when you or the job market will make a change.

Jeanine "J.T." Tanner O'Donnell is a professional development specialist and founder of jtodonnell.com. Dale Dauten's latest book is (Great) Employees Only: How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success.