This week I am discussing what it takes to win.

Welcome back to the second part of my series on competing in all segments of the job market! In the first portion, I covered how to identify six-figure positions in the highly-competitive published job market by exploring the five segments of the job market. Today, I’m covering the 3 segments of the unpublished or hidden job market.

As I’ve said before, an HR manager does much more than simply vetting applicants -- they have a direct input on the hiring process, working closely with departmental hiring managers and CEOs or presidents. Thus, it’s important to follow these interview tips even in a preliminary meeting with an HR manager -- your performance there can directly affect your ability to get the job. Here are my interview tips to help you ace your interview with an HR manager.

Last week I shared the first two interview questions that you will undoubtedly encounter in some form during the hiring process. As a former hiring manager with 18+ years of experience in the business world and an executive career search consultant, I am familiar with the hiring process and have noticed that interview questions can be summed up by five key questions that you must be prepared to answer.

Discussing money can be awkward, especially when it comes to compensation negotiation with a potential employer. I am frequently asked questions about when and how to approach compensation discussions during interviews. Some job seekers even wonder how much control they have when it comes to compensation negotiation.

A lot of times when job seekers are getting ready for their initial interview with HR, they try to read their mind. Of course, this ability would be nice in this situation, but I think you’ll find guessing to be a waste of time.