I thought of something else that I might put in this thread...I like this thread as its educational and so I thought I might put some more material in it for all.
Whenever you present yourself to a "decision maker" that person is going to ask themselves the following questions:
1. Do I want this person sitting and working closely with me in the same room 8 hours a day? Do I want this person sitting and working closely with my staff 8 hours a day? Do I want them working with my clients 8 hours a day?
2. Will this person contribute positively to my performance thereby increasing my salary/bonus and prevent myself from getting fired? Will this person cause me any troubles or problems?
The two most important aspects of hiring is finding a team player and someone who is going to contribute to the performance (versus hurting the performance). Every day there are people who walk into an office somewhere and simply sit at the desks talking and joking, but not really contributing to the performance. There are also those who contribute to the performance, but do not get along well with others in and out of the workplace.
When presenting yourself, you should act like the person at the other side of the table is your friend. When entering the room, shake hands, look the guy in the eye and smile. Keep the tone positive. Look for a reason to compliment the interviewer and the workplace. For example, the guy has a picture of his kid graduating from college on his desk. Ask about the picture and where he went to school. "Wow! NYU is a nice school." The first 60 seconds of meeting you should say something positive about the place and find a way to compliment the interviewer in an indirect manner. After the interview is over, do not just walk out, but find a way to engage the interviewer in an informal casual conversation. You are demonstrating that you are a personable person who will lift up other people's spirits and raise the morale.
Next, create an impression that, although you are this charasmatic positive minded individual, you also have a good work ethic and will find a way to contribute everyday. Arrive 5-10 minutes early to the interview. Dont arrive any earlier and dont arrive on-time or a few minutes late. Always arrive slightly early so the interviewer can simply step out into the hall and be ready for you. As long as you are within 1000 feet of the interview building, all personal activity such as cell phone usage should cease. You should act as if someone is actively watching you and they will judge you based on those observations. If you drive an older beat up car, then that should be parked as far away from the building as you can get away with and out of the line of site of any windows. Walk into, through and out of the building with a quick confident step and a positive energy. Before the interview, do some light running, pushups and situps so you can be sure that you are alert. Experienced interviewers will detect fatigue or a lack of energy.
During the interview, try to elaborate that your main focus is on the team and exceeding the goals. Even if you did not play a competitive sport in college or high school, just say you did and that you enjoy winning versus just achieving a certain mark. For example, playing baseball in college made you appreciate the aspect of competition and winning was a feeling that you enjoy. If you are caught up with your own work and see others struggling, then the answer is that you help them out in order to further the goals of the team. "One team one dream"
Whatever is said or done during the interview, take note and remember. If you say or do something during the interview, then that will be expected while you are employed with the organization. If you say you are a team player, then you better be a team player.
I remember hiring quite a few people who did and said one thing during the interview and then did something completely different when they started working. In a way, I felt as if they lied to me and said what they had to say to get the job. Then, everytime I dealt with that person again, it really clouded my thoughts. They said that they help other employees out during the interview when they completed their work, but the reality is they sat on the computer surfing the internet and watched their co-workers struggle.
Finally, loyalty and respect is a key trait of desirable employees. If you are hired, then will you run to "HR" or the upper management when you disagree with how things are being run? Do you talk about other employees or the boss behind their backs? Are you going to walk in each day scowling at other people without the benefit of a hello or good morning?
A good way to look at things is to imagine you are the "decision maker" who hires people at a certain workplace. You have been burned before with other employees and so are suspect of everyone who walks through the door for the interview. If you were this person, what would you look for as desirable and undesirable traits?
If you are really looking for a good steady job where there never seems to be lay-offs, then go into nursing. You can get a degree at a 2-3 year community college and start making 70k a year. I have never known of a nurse to go through a recession or out of work. They always get 5-6 weeks of vacation and incredible benefits. Some nurses make six figures. Although the profession is a lot of work, you will never find yourself out of a job or worrying about the economy and whats in store for you.
this impaired logic explains your predicament... in your 50s and still living off of your family... OUCH !