An absolutely disastrous job interview is never a good thing, right? Well, “Mason Mochran” completely blows his own interview and you can win prizes by watching him fail. Thankfully it’s a mock interview with 360JobInterview.com coach Maria White, a high-powered human resources consultant for Lehman Brothers and the aerospace industry, and WalletPop’s Jason Cochran as the interviewee.

Maria asks some standard interview trap questions. Mason answers them slightly nervously, repeatedly vocalizing “um” and not maintaining steady eye-contact. While the interview was conducted over the Internet via Skype, it mimics what, for some, is a typical interview experience.

The mock interview brings into question: How do you come across in an interview? Can you summarize your life experience, skills, career goals and education clearly—and under pressure? Do you know how to position yourself to set yourself apart from all the other candidates? That’s where we bring in the experts … over 300 of them, in fact. There are 300+ interview Coaches from 55+ fields that will give you personalized interview coaching ’round the clock to prepare you to go into your next interview ready to get noticed and get hired!

WalletPop is giving away Skype prizes for just watching their interviewee, “Mason Mochran,” completely flop. In addition to providing some great tips Mason learned post-interview from Maria, they’re also giving out a Skype-certified wireless headset and a Skype Unlimited World subscription plan voucher. All you have to do is watch, read, and comment over on WalletPop. Good luck to all, and we look forward to seeing you live and on cam for your own job interview coaching session.

If you’re job hunting, chances are you have been scouring every reputable publication, in print as well as online, for valuable, potentially employment-earning tips, tricks, and tactics to put to good use if you’re one of the lucky few to score an interview. In this economy and given the widespread job loss across the country, if you’re given the chance to knock the socks off of a potential employer, you know very well that you may not have many other chances. So with a ‘time is of the essence’ attitude, you’ve most likely been searching for any and all information you can get your hands on in order to convince your interviewer that you’re just the person they’ve been looking for.

While business experts have been forth-coming with their abundant resources and lessons from the trade, it is very easy to take all of the information being supplied to you and apply it a little too vigorously. Being prepared for an interview is certainly a step in the direction of employment; it’s very important to know what kind of questions you will be asked and how you will be expected to answer. However, being prepared is something very different from being an automaton, which could happen if you are focusing too much on the grocery list of tips you picked up the night before on your latest Google search for ‘how to get the job.’

Through the time I have spent filling out job applications and sending out resumes I have come to know one thing about my self in the workforce—If I get the chance to be interviewed for a position I am seeking, I know I will land that job. That is the way it has been since I was asked in for my first job interview that led me to my first job right out of high school and the outcome has never been anything different. I don’t have any in-depth analysis of why this is or any knowledge of the underbelly of the business world; the only thing that I kept in mind during an interview is the fact that this company is interviewing me, not quizzing me on what I had learned while preparing for this moment.

The fondest interview memory I have is from the second job I have ever had; when I was interviewing for a position at a book store. I have been a constant reader all of my life. I have always seen books as a reward; either they were pumping me full of knowledge and intellect or they were providing new and exciting lives for me to live in for a little while, so naturally one of my first jobs was working at a book store. While I knew a great deal about the company, as well as what that company expected of me as an employee, and what that interviewer was expecting from me during the interview, I never lost who I was during the interview process. I was courteous, respectful, answered the questions I was asked exactly as I was supposed to, and was do my best to wow the pants off of the person who was conducting the interview by asking follow-up questions to the duties and responsibilities that were being outlined for me..and then I was asked about who my favorite authors were, and that is when I shined through and through. I never tucked who I was away for the event and as I listed the authors I so frequently read, admire, and cherish, that is the moment I knew I landed the job since right after we finished talking about our favorite authors, my second interview was conducted right there on the spot and the next day I received a call letting me know that the job was mine.

The key to any person-to-person exchange, whether a job interview, business contact, or acquaintance is to unapologetically be yourself. You can read as many interview preparation articles you can absorb in one sitting but the part of the interviewer that is going to stand out for the person conducting the interview is when you show them what kind of person you are and how valuable you would be to their company.

We’re giving away 10 professionally designed resumes!

What’s the Catch?

Just tell us about your current employment situation in 500 words or less. E-mail submissions to office@360jobinterview.com

What are the Details on the Prizes?

10 lucky job hunters will receive a killer resume tailored to you, along with a 1hr coaching session to teach you how to really sell it!

How is a Winner Selected?

We’re looking for those job seekers and career builders that are determined individuals and can add a little creativity in sharing their own story.

When Does the Contest End?

Contest ends Friday, July 10th, 2009. [updated]

Applicants must be of 18 years or older and able to provide proof of US citizenship.  By participating in the Contest, where allowed by law, participants agree that the Company may disclose personal information obtained from participants in the Contest to third parties and use such information for marketing and other purposes.

One of the strongest complaints about candidates for a job during a job interview is their lack of knowledge about the company. It amazes me that so many recruiters complain that the person being interviewed does not understand the business. A great way to be prepared is to utilize the 360 advantage by receiving one-on-one personalized job interview coaching.

I remember preparing my son, who is now a Vice President in a major financial firm, for one of his first interviews. We went into so much detail in this preparation to make sure that he understood the business the firm and the key issues. When he had the actual interview, he did so well that the firm decided to hire him for a more desirable position.

Preparation goes beyond just looking at the basic financials of the firm. It involves really understanding the key issues that the firm is challenged with. They expect you to carry on a knowledgeable conversation about the industry. They want you to be able to render an opinion about the issues. Most people are not able to do so, because they do inadequate preparation.

What are some of the sources of information? Clearly, there is plenty of public information, especially about large firms. Anything written by the company will be biased somewhat, but there are other objective sources. Read industry and news reports to round out some of the information.

Another useful tool is social networking. You should be able to find people who currently and who worked formerly at the firm through Linked In. If you do a ‘search by company’ you will get information on current and past employees of the firm. This is especially useful if the firm is private or little known in the general pubic. When you find these people ask your contacts to pass along a request to these individuals for you to have an informational interview.

By going out of your way to learn more about the industry and speak to people who are currently or formerly with the company, the recruiter will conclude that you are very interested in working for company and went out of your way and when beyond the usual approaches to research the company.

In my next entry, I will discuss what questions you should ask on an interview.