The interview is tomorrow!

So you've done your research, have your list of questions prepared. What else do you need to do ahead of time?

• Make sure you have a quiet -and private- place to talk on the telephone- no barking dogs, no cars driving by, no one knocking on the door of your RV right in the middle of the conversation.
• If you are already working somewhere, make sure you have sufficient time set aside for the
  interview.
• Charge your cell phone battery.
• Review your notes and questions ahead of time. Have them printed out in large print so you can see them and check them off as they are answered. Leave space for notes.

Fifteen minutes or so before your scheduled time, be at the location where you plan to take the call. Get all your notes out, water to sip, make a last pit stop and review your notes one last time. Take time to think about working there and get excited! Even though it is a telephone interview, your enthusiasm (or lack of) will show in your voice.

Doing the interview standing up will help increase your energy. Look up, not down. Smile and use your hands. Speak with energy. All that will help convey positive qualities.

Use your prior research and preparation to find out all you need to know during the interview to detemine if this job is a match. And most of all, remember to sell yourself! Jaimie

For more information on interviewing see Jaimie's 2nd edition of Support Your RV Lifestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, see RVBookstore.com.

When do you talk about compensation?

Often in ads for RV workers, it will give you a general idea of compensation and whether or not you work a certain number of hours for your site.

• Work 20 hrs/week for full-hookup site


• Work 15 hrs each per week for site, all other hours paid


• All hours paid, free RV site

If this is enough information for you, postpone discussions about pay until after you have found out about the job and get an offer. Then it's time to sell yourself and ask for more.

If the ad is pretty vague and/or you have a certain amount in mind, you will probably want to get a ballpark idea of compensation so you don't waste yours and the employer's time interviewing for a job that is clearly not a match. In that case, you can ask if you get paid for all hours or how many hours per week you will receive pay. Ask, also, for the salary range. At this point don't get into negotiations. You want the chance to find out more about the duties and to also sell your value. Also, you could end up with less if you name an amount up front; she could be willing to pay more to a good worker.

If you have a lot to offer the employer, you could even get more money. In the Workamper forums recently, a couple said that after they had explained all their skills, the employer offered them a free RV site and more money where the ad required hours for the site. Bill, my late husband, successfully negotiated higher compensation based on our skills for a job we applied to also.

What if the employer asks you the salary you want up front? If you need or expect pay for all hours worked, it's best to confidently reply, "I require a free RV site and pay for all hours worked. However, I'm open to negotiating; it will depend on what the final job looks like." If you are more flexible, use only the last sentence.

So the rule of thumb is: Find out if the employer's compensation is in the ballpark so you don't waste time on something clearly not a match but save actual negotiations until after you have been offered a position and sold yourself. Jaimie

For information on Jaimie Hall's recently revised book, Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road, 2nd ed., see RVBookstore.com.