Today was my son’s very first job interview. Actually you have to admire him, he hasn’t even officially graduated from high school yet (will June 4th). However, when the ad appeared in the local newspaper for video game testers you bet he (okay we) were all over it. What a great opportunity – and since he’s been playing video and PC games since the age of 3, 15 years of experience should count for quite a bit.

However, he has more going for him then just gaming. His communication skills – both oral and written – far outstrip many individuals two or three times his age (not bragging, just fact).

Okay Diane… So where’s this all leading? Well, while he was not at all nervous heading into, driving to, arriving at, or standing up and walking down the hall – nor was he nervous returning – very few people can be as calm as he displayed when it comes to that all-important interview.

So I went scouting and found typical interview questions and the best responses. If you’re getting ready or praying for that all important call, brushing up a bit on your interviewee skills is never a bad idea.

I might mention that the company he interviewed with, for summer jobs only, is a major game player (no pun intended) in its industry – Petroglyph. While he was lucky and already familiar with many of their products and/or games they have played a large part in creating, not everyone is so lucky. You may be shooting in the dark for “any old company” (especially in today’s economy).

So the following is critical…..

With the internet at your fingertips, take the time to see if the job you’re going to interview with has their own website. You can often gleam tons of very useful information – ahead of time – and form questions that you can ask when they get to that all important interview section called, “Okay so now it’s your turn, do you have any questions about us?”

No need to just sit there and shake your head. Have a small arsenal of questions ready (you may not have to nor need to cover them all), but the very fact that you’ve taken the time to research them means you are just that more meticulous then the person coming in next.

Commenting is a way to self promote, even if you are responding to the above. Take a few seconds and please leave your feedback! (Another smart move on your part!)

Related articles

• Awards night at the Game Developers Conference (venturebeat.com)
• 6 Key Steps in Job Interview Prep (usnews.com)

This morning sitting in my inbox was a link to a money making program that I just had to post about… Get Paid to Draw.

Now being a stick figure person myself, at first I was thinking, “Well this won’t do me any good!” But, curious, I headed on over to the page to see what it’s all about.

A one-time fee of less than $35 might be your ticket to starting out the New Year pulling in some cash.

o  Submit your images for cash
o  Learn the ins and outs of animation & illustration
o  Sell your drawings online
o  Make money from your digital photos
o  Discover freelance opportunities and much more!

Above, I admitted I’m no artist, but I will tell you the digital photos portion caught my eye!

Here’s just a tiny bit more (an overview really) of what you’ll find by clicking here:

o A Jump Start Setup – they swear requires no experience – to begin a new career working entirely online.

o Step by Step Videos – to help you get started making “thousands on the Internet by drawing pictures.”

o Company Directory Database – where to go to get reviewed by the “best directories in the world.” Also includes submission companies you sign up with for “great free money making opportunities.”

o The Get Paid to Draw eBook – sort of self explanatory.

o Strategies – learn “all the secrets” top artists and designers use to make (what they claim) hundreds of dollars an hour and up.

o Tools and Resources – material to get your make money drawing business up and running apparently.

There’s a ton more, including lots of bonuses.

So if you ever thought of trying to pull in cash online via art, photography, and more, this system might be just what you need!

We often talk about writing for a living online, but here’s an almost no brainer and potentially your newest source of revenue for 2009!

Happy New Year!

Living in Las Vegas, snow is a rare commodity. It gets cold, and snow up on Mt. Charleston, but generally it’s once in a blue moon for it to snow in the Valley and stick. However, as I type we are getting flurries. Who knows, we might be making snowmen in a little bit (they did on the other side of the valley day before yesterday).

And… in my continuing odd post for the day, I read something interesting in the Las Vegas Review Journal. A commentary written by Gail Collins, a columnist for The New York Times.

I’m not going to replicate the entire article, but the section that caught my eye about dogs:

“Folks at the University of Vienna conducted a test in which dogs were asked to shake hands over and over and over again. If you have any experience with dogs, you will not be surprised to hear that they were absolutely delighted. And they didn’t care about being paid! The opportunity to perform the same trick endlessly with a stranger in a white coat was reward enough.

Then the researchers brought in new dogs that were given a piece of bread as a reward for every handshake. The uncompensated dogs watched, lost their innate love of mindless repetition and grew sullen.

“They get so mad that they look at you and just don’t give you the paw anymore,” said Friederike Range, one of the scientists.

So OK. Dogs are secretly obsessed with fairness. (And bread. Who knew?)”

Strangely enough, as I read that portion it reminds me of so many individuals I’ve “met” online. They work their little buns off for nothing, yet some “bigger dog” comes along, steals all the thunder, and gets all the bread.

This might sound familiar to anyone who’s joined an affiliate program, promoted it with real heart, and gotten squat (or peanuts) for their efforts. While the “big dog” made tons of money from your efforts.

But there is hope… and a way around this… Start your own thing!

However, you must be picky! By that we mean, so specifically “niche” picky that you’ve taken a big old umbrella of a website (or blog) down to its finest points.

“Health” is not a niche, it is an umbrella. However, “colon cleansing” is a specific niche under the umbrella of Health.

“Home business” is not a niche. However, joining a specific home business (or starting your own service or product oriented website narrowed to a single product or service) IS a niche.

This particular blog you are reading right now is NOT a niche. It is an umbrella, encompassing all sorts of niche-like features to internet marketing and social media – from monetizing blogs, to social bookmarking, to freelance writing… and so much more (hang out a while and read the archives there’s tons of help and direction in this here blog!).

Get the idea?

Another valuable thing to keep in mind is choosing something you are passionate about. If you sign up for something that just sounds like a money maker, with no real understanding of what it is or how to run it, what’s the point? You’ll merely be out the money it took to join (and maybe maintain) because you lack passion.

So snow, dogs, umbrellas, niche markets, passion… and that wraps up today’s post

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We love comments! So please do!

If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know that we talk off and on about the huge potential income stream you have at your fingertips… you and what you know.

With the state of the economy at the moment, or even if it wasn’t so scary, you always have the means of making a living online for yourself. This resource depends on no man (or woman) but yourself. It’s you, your keyboard, your thoughts, your knowledge, your willingness to be your own boss and work for yourself.

Let me digress for just a moment to remind you about some of the reasons why I’m revisiting this money making idea for you (trust me it’s worth the reminder): (more…)