Job seekers win with feedback: Learn from your interview mistakes

William Olson has switched employers seven times in 25 years, usually because a search firm pursued him. His success stems in part from his refusal to cooperate unless the recruiter promises to give him frank feedback about his performance during interviews.

He became a regional manager at Guinness Brewing North America, for example, after a recruiter recommended he tone down his aggressive manner. He rose to the top post there five years later. "With good feedback, you can adapt during the recruitment process," says Olson, now president and chief executive officer of MRINetwork, a Philadelphia search firm.

That's one way to solve a persistent problem. Most job seekers never recognize the shortcomings that kept them from a job - and so go on to repeat them. The fix: Persuade key players that you will all benefit from an honest reaction.

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