Imagine you’ve been on the job market for about six months. You are paying your mortgage on your credit cards at this point. Your unemployment benefits are about to run out and your job prospects remain dismal, no matter what you seem to do.

Finally, you land a killer opportunity, pass the phone screen and show up to an interview with a hiring manager. Just as you think you’re about to close the deal, she spins her computer screen around and asks you to login to your Facebook account.

What do you do?

This is common enough that it now has a name:  shoulder surfing.  According to Lori Andrews, a law professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law specializing in Internet privacy, this practice is “coercion if you need a job”. Not to mention the violation in Facebook’s privacy policy, albeit unenforceable.

Facebook’s official statement is that shoulder surfing “undermines the privacy expectations and the security of both the user and the user’s friends” and “potentially exposes the employer who seeks this access to unanticipated legal liability.”

The ruling, made by the FTC in May, 2011, was that companies can use social media information as part of a background check but this information must be available from public databases. In other words, strictly speaking, it could be illegal for companies to use private social media information against you without your consent. (I say could be because I am not a lawyer, I just pay attention.)

However, there are some cases wherein this type of deep probing could be deemed appropriate; for example law enforcement or defense. In this case, it would be easy for the employer to defend their request to access private data as it pertains directly to the candidate’s qualification to perform the job.

But when Justin Bassett, a statistician based in New York, was asked for his Facebook password he refused. And so should you. Many states are already in the process of introducing legislation against this practice, and if you live in Illinois and or Maryland, such legislation already exists.

It’s important not to focus on job titles when you are conducting your job search.  There are often many different titles for the exact same job and level of responsibility.  Also, don’t be afraid to apply for a job with a new or different title.  Some of the fastest growing fields like environmental, green, energy or IT positions have their own set of job titles.  Many of these new positions could utilize your past experience, education and talents.

Focus on the description of the job and the credentials required by each position.  If a job sounds interesting and you have the credentials listed, apply without hesitation.  Many of these growing fields offer quick advancement potential and additional responsibilities once you have proven yourself. 

Quite often, if you have the credentials needed, jobs are created around your talents and abilities.  That is why it is so important to NOT reject possible interviews because of a job title.   Nothing happens until you get yourself in front of hiring authorities.  It is not uncommon for hiring authorities to refer job seekers to other hiring authorities or departments within their own company.

Your job as a job seeker is to interview as much and as often as possible.  If you get in front of enough hiring authorities, you will eventually find a job and job offer that fits you perfectly!

You don’t have to like everyone you work with. And your co-workers don’t have to like you. While it’s great to have friends on the job, this doesn’t always happen. In fact, it’s almost inevitable there will be some people you don’t like or find difficult to get along with and conflicts may arise. Here are some pointers on how to deal with these situations effectively:

1. Always be polite and treat everyone with respect. (You can always disagree, but you needn’t be disagreeable.)

2. If a conflict arises, focus on fixing the problem, not assigning blame.

3. Restrict your comments to what is or is not being done.

4. Think of possible solutions before discussing the problem.

5. Resist name-calling and criticism.

6. Focus on facts, not feelings.

7. When it comes to customers, remember they may not always be right, but you must always do what’s right.

8. No matter how inconsiderate a customer or fellow employee may be, do not talk about it with other employees or customers.

9. Realize there may not be a solution; you may have to agree to disagree.

10. Consider conflict as an opportunity to learn something about yourself. Someone else may push your buttons, but that person did not install them.

Your secret weapons during a conversation or interview are the questions you ask to reveal the priorities of the person you are addressing.  Many times an informal conversation is utilized to screen candidates in or out of the interview process.  When you ask questions to determine what is most important to the person, they have an opportunity to focus on their needs and wants, which often makes them like you more.  The end result is that you get screened in!

If you are not asked if you have any questions, it is always wise to let the person know you have questions.  You don’t want to shoot from the hip when asking questions.  Write down questions in advance that will reveal what is most important to each person in the interviewing process.

It is also acceptable to pull out a list of questions that you have pre-written.  This shows preparation on your part and often impresses the interviewer.   You ask your questions, listen carefully to the answer and then position yourself as the person who can solve their problems.  This is also the time where you can bring up accomplishments or facts about yourself that never came up during the interview process.  Questions can make the difference of you getting screened in or out!