Job interview master Vj Vijai describes how make the best impression at a technical interview using people skills (versus technical skills). His talk, which happened at O'Reilly's awesome Ignite event, is informative, funny, and short. Vijai also has a web site outlining the principles, linked below. Thanks, Brady!

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Never leave a sour first impression again during any type of interview. When you first meet someone who is influential, make sure you're dressed appropriately for the occasion. Give a handshake that exudes confidence. Speak eloquently and articulate clearly:

Speak clearly and at a moderate pace. Work on varying your voice intonation. You don't want to come off as a monotone bore. Also, speak the language of the person interviewing you. Avoid slang and jargon not associated with the job you're interviewing for. Use proper grammar and vocab[ulary] that reflects a higher education. If people can't understand you, it's hard for them to like you.

It is important to realise that during such events, the first impression can make or break your chances of promotion or appointment. Be yourself, but be a person you'll like too.

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When you apply for a new job, prospective employers often inquire about your greatest weaknesses. If you've never prepared yourself for this question, answering it can be quite difficult. wikiHow suggests that you evaluate your performance and regularly identify your primary strengths and weaknesses. Once you've determined what your weak suits are, explain them clearly, but don't stop there. Follow it with good news about how you are able to overcome your weakness and strengthen yourself. Try to have at least three weaknesses on hand in case you're asked more than once, and always follow up with a strength. Be honest and avoid arrogance; we're human, after all.

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Career advisor Penelope Trunk says that when you're in that job interview and faced with the question "What's your salary range?" don't name a number.

If you request a salary higher than the range for the job, the interviewer will tell you you're high, and you've just lost money. If you request a salary lower than the range, the interviewer will say nothing, and you've just lost money. [...] You want the interviewer to tell you the range for the position, because then you can focus on getting to the high end of that range.

If your interviewer's not forthcoming about what they plan to pay and persists asking you to name a number, Trunk runs down several ways to fend off the question, like focusing on the position's requirements, the current job market, and the employer's budget. If they're going to make you an offer, they'll have to include salary with it.

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If you've ever interviewed someone on camera, in a podcast, or in-person for an article or project and felt that it wasn't your best interview, blogger Tom Clifford suggests questions that will keep the interview interesting and ideas that should keep the conversation going. Some questions you can ask include, "How did you get involved in this business?" or "What do you think your story tells our audience?" Keep your questions brief. Don't interrupt. Listen to your interviewee 100%. If your "hero" says something surprising, follow their lead and ask questions based on the discovery. Ask open-ended questions that keep the person talking. Also, most importantly, if you're meeting with the interviewee in person, create an environment that is comfortable for them and be sure to have a smile on your face.

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The New York Times' Shifting Careers blog posts a good primer on the kinds of interviews that aren't meant to get you a job—at least, not right away. Setting up an "informational interview" with someone in an industry you're looking at is a way of finding out more about a job or career path from an inside perspective. Workplace writer Marci Alboher recommends a number of questions to ask, including:

1. Can you tell me how you got to this position?
2. What do you like most about what you do, and what would you change if you could?
3. How do people break into this field?
4. What are the types of jobs that exist where you work and in the industry in general?

As an important end note, make sure to follow up on any return requests you get from your interviewee, and be sure to keep the whole thing reasonably short.

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Linux.conf.au 2008 has kicked off in Melbourne, and there are a number of sessions which look like they'll make interesting stories for Lifehacker. Tutorial on how to make your own open source DDR mat anyone? :)
I'll be cherry picking the most Lifehacker relevant stuff and posting it here - but if you're interested in Open Source in general, you can read my updates at The Open Source Report.
I'm also very pleased to report that I'll be posting a Lifehacker interview with Linus Torvalds this week as part of my LCA coverage. Permit me a small squee. :)
Ok, I'm off to a session on the OLPC now.

This week I had the opportunity to interview independent journalist-cum-shit stirrer Stephen Mayne - the founder of Crikey, and more recently the Australian social news aggregator Kwoff and the shareholder activist and news website, The Mayne Report.
How did a technophobe manage to create one of Australia's most successful independent online news services, and end up videoblogging on YouTube? It's an interesting story and you'll see it on Lifehacker AU later this week. :)