Career Builder

You can always depend on young children to tell you exactly what they think, or precisely how they feel on any given topic. Want to know if your breath smells bad, if you should wear a different tie or if you really look fat in that outfit? Find a  5-year-old. He will give you an uncensored, honest answer.

Needless to say, we expect more from adults. Especially adults who are interviewing for a job.

For the second year in a row, we asked hiring managers everywhere to tell us the craziest thing they've ever heard in an interview. Keep reading for 37 hilarious (and true) statements from the job candidates:

1. "I interviewed a gentleman who looked great on paper but said two things during t....

One of the many unfortunate effects of the Great Recession was felt by longtime professionals who found themselves looking for a job for the first time in decades. These skilled and experienced workers discovered that the job market was significantly different than it was 20 years ago, or in some cases, even just five years ago.

A shift in public demand can create new jobs or cause others to fade away. Technology also plays a significant role in the evolution of career opportunities, as some of today's jobs (think Internet security) couldn't have existed 40 years ago. The job industry has a natural give and take that permanently removes certain jobs and creates other. For instance, within the manufacturing....

Given the layoffs and unemployment woes that consistently make headlines, it may seem hard to believe that some industries are experiencing worker shortages. Yet despite a national unemployment rate that hovers near double digits, there are industries that are in need of well-trained, qualified employees.

According to CareerBuilder's 2010 Mid-Year Job Forecast:

· Twenty-two percent of employers reported that despite an abundant labor pool, they still have positions for which they can't find qualified candidates.

· Forty-eight percent of human resources managers reported that there was an area of their organization in which they lacked qualified workers.

· Health-care employers were th....

Job loss, rejection and inexperience can significantly undercut your confidence in the job search. This is problematic for many reasons. First, employers and recruiters can tell the difference between candidates who possess confidence and those who don't. If you're one of those who don't, employers are likely to wonder why they should have confidence in you when you don't seem to have any in yourself.

Confidence also plays a role in the way you job hunt and how successful you are in your endeavors. Odds are, if you lack confidence you're probably not:

• Networking enough
• Communicating your value in  résumés, cover letters and interviews
• Setting yours....

With unemployment rates hovering at a staggering national level of 9.5 percent, it is clear we are in the middle of a long and difficult period of joblessness even though there are longer-term impending labor shortages in key industries like health-care and education.

As the baby-boomer generation ages and hits retirement, they will need increasing levels of health-care. Even as current local budget shortfalls force funding cuts for teachers, long-term demographic shifts ensure that there will be a continuing need for educators -- including at the post-secondary, doctoral level.

These are trends that are beginning to manifest nationwide. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health-care jobs are expected to grow by as much as 55 percent between 2006 and 2016, adding approximately 3 million new health-care jobs to the economy. The education sector is undergoing a similar shift where the field is on pace to increase by almost 11 percent, adding nearly 1.5 million jo....

You don't want just a nibble or an interview -- you want an actual job offer! Get your foot in the door and kick it wide open with these expert tips:

1. Be a great match on paper

"Getting the job offer is often a function of the quality of match between you and the job requirements. That's why your résumé needs to have key words and achievements that are relevant to the specific job," says Catherine Jewell, author of "New Résumé New Career: Get the Job You Want with the Skills and Experience You Already Have."

Scrutinize the job ad for tips on what might be most important to the employer. Ditch the generic résumé in favor of a document tailored to the position at hand, and conside....

"I know right away when a candidate doesn't know the current news about our company," states Chris Brabec, director of leadership talent acquisition for Western Union. "If you don't know the CEO is retiring, or if a company made a big acquisition recently, that's not a good sign. If a candidate can't tell me what the company does (or thinks Western Union still does telegrams), that's another sign she hasn't done her homework."

In a job market where applicants frequently cast a wide net with the hope that anybody will respond, job seekers sometimes cut corners by not thoroughly checking out....

A.      Downsizing

B.      Layoffs

C.      Mergers

D.      Outsourcing

E.       All of the Above

In the morning paper and on the evening news, these buzzwords have become synonymous with the "Great Recession," a time of chronically high unemployment with no end in sight.  

Businesses continue to scale back, leery of increasing taxes, regulations and mandates that have them hamstrung.  Making matters worse is that the unemployment rate, typically a lagging indicator of recovery, is likely to deteriorate before it improves.

It is often said ....

After months of seeking out jobs, hundreds of revisions to your résumé and going to every networking event you can, you've finally landed an interview. After brief small talk about how bad the traffic was or how slow the elevators are, the interviewer switches gears and begins her formal line of questioning.

"I see you currently work for our main competitor. What makes our company a more appealing choice for you?"

It's not a difficult question to answer. But suddenly you're tongue-tied and your answer comes out as: "Well, actually, it's like, um, you know."

What happened? This scenario is all too familiar to many job seekers. In stressful situations such as speaking in front of a group or in....

Does your application secretly have the words "overqualified," "desperate" and "likely to be bored stiff within a month" written all over it? If you are aiming too low in your job search, chances are employers will read between the lines and notice -- and move on to someone else.

There are two primary reasons why people aim low, says Duncan Mathison, co-author of "Unlock the Hidden Job Market: Six Steps to a Successful Search When Times Are Tough":

1. They want to increase the number of opportunities. (More lower-level positions are available than higher-level ones.)

2. They think it will raise their odds of being hired. (They believe they will appear more qualified compared to other appli....

What were they thinking? Whenever I talk to human-resources professionals or  recruiters, I always ask them to tell me the worst question they were ever asked in a job interview. How could any applicant actually believe questions like these are in his interests?

Unfortunately, job seekers continue to ask dumb questions every day. These questions demonstrate poor judgment and effectively ensure their rejection.

It's hard to generalize about such stunningly bad interview questions, but they all are "me" questions. These are questions that appear to put your needs before those of the employer. The best interview questions focus on what the applicant can do for the company, not what the company can do fo....

While some employment opportunities state in black and white what wage an applicant can expect if hired, other positions are grayer in terms of salary. Talking about money with a potential employer might feel a bit awkward, but coming to terms that leave both sides content is crucial. Below, experts offer suggestions on how to prepare for salary negotiations.

Timing

Not wanting to look like they are only in it for the money, job seekers often hesitate to break the ice on the issue of salary. Is it OK for a candidate to bring up the topic?

"I get asked this question by friends all the time, and the honest answer is that it depends entirely on the position," says Paul Peterson, national ta....

That the job market has been tough for the past two years is no secret. Job seekers suddenly struggled to find work and find industries that offered some security. Many of these people became job seekers after their companies began laying off workers, not because they wanted to change jobs.

As a result, education became the best option for many job seekers who wanted to improve their résumés and gain a competitive edge in their hunts. Although earning a degree is an excellent move for several reasons, it's not the best choice for everyone. For one thing, education is expensive. If your problem is that you need to get a job in order to pay bills, school might not be your answer. Earning a degree is also tim....

Most of us can pinpoint some form of mediocrity in our lives. For example, I am mediocre in that: I do my own laundry, but I rarely separate my lights and darks. I like to run, but never more than three miles at a time. I watch the History Channel, but only to make up for the brain cells I've lost while over-indulging in reality TV. I know that I am mediocre in these areas because I have blue socks that used to be white, I run four days a week but haven't lost a pound, and I probably know more about the Kardashians than I do about the Kennedys.

If you have been at your job search for a while now, and: A. Haven't gotten an interview, B. Haven't gotten a second interview or C. Can't seem to close the deal a....

When we refer to something as being "common sense," we usually mean that it is something we think everyone should know. Oftentimes, though, it turns out that what may seem like common sense to one person, isn't always so to someone else. For example: Veterinarians spend their days around animals, so they might consider it common knowledge that cats sleep about 18 hours per day; hence the reason your vet seems so amused when you bring Muffin in for a checkup, concerned about her inability to stay awake.

Similarly, because human resources professionals constantly screen and interview candidates, what may seem like a common sense interview tip to them, might not have crossed a job seeker's mind. Following ar....

In today's challenging economy, you have more career opportunities than you might think. Modernize your dream career into a higher paying, more job opening niche or related occupation. Don't be afraid to get nosey and take the time to look around or invest in developing a specialized skill inside your chosen field. Use every opportunity to network and promote yourself.

· Everywhere you go, ask questions like, "What do you do during your workday?" "What's fun, not fun?" "Any opening in your company?"

· Be a temp. Ask for short-term assignments so you can taste different jobs and learn about opportunities.

· Join career specific organizations and get your friends on b....

In today's challenging economy, you have more career opportunities than you might think.  Modernize your dream career into a higher paying, more job opening niche or related occupation. Don't be afraid to get nosey and take the time to look around or invest in developing a specialized skill inside your chosen field. Use every opportunity to network and promote yourself.

· Everywhere you go, ask questions like, "What do you do during your workday?" "What's fun, not fun?" "Any opening in your company?"

· Be a temp. Ask for short-term assignments so you can taste different jobs and learn about opportunities.

· Join career specific organizations and get your friends on board. 

Dreams come t....

Consider how many times you've heard yourself or someone you know say something such as, "I really love my job, but I wish I made a lot more money" or "I make a ton of money, but I'd give it all up for a job I actually liked."

Sound familiar? That's because many people in the world of work are still struggling to achieve it all: financial abundance and meaningful work. When searching for jobs and defining their career goals, people often underestimate the value of both high pay and enjoyable work activities. This misstep prompts many to sacrifice one for the other, which may lead them into jobs they'll someday dream about quitting.

"They truth is people can have a job they love and make a lot ....

It's become much harder than it used to be for young people to launch a career after college. Many graduate without essential work-ready skills or a clear understanding of which jobs suit them best. Even those who do often flounder in the job market because they don't know how to market themselves to employers or stand out from more experienced candidates.

As a result, many parents feel pressured to get more involved in their child's career planning. And while this is certainly an important step for them to take, career counselor Barbara Cooke warns parents that there are constructive and destructive ways they can do this.

"The term 'helicopter parent' has been ....

"Rejections are not unlike breakups," says Marian Schembari of New York City. "I remember one time I was rejected from the perfect job and spent the day in bed like a love-struck teenager eating ice cream and watching movies. Maybe not the most productive way to spend my time, but it definitely made me feel better!"

Anyone who has ever suffered through long-term unemployment can identify with Schembari's scenario, and such comforting may be just what is needed before sending out another application. But what happens when your desire to persevere needs an extra boost?

Before reaching for another scoop of Ben & Jerry's, check out these ....