by M. Sparga

Created on: April 23, 2009   Last Updated: April 24, 2009

To give yourself the best chance possible to secure a job at an interview, you want to convey three things to the prospective employer: 1) you would make a good, valuable employee, 2) the job opening is a good fit for you, and 3) you are interested in and enthusiastic about the position and company.

Professionalism
A major part of presenting yourself as a desirable employee goes beyond just your education, experience, and other points that are already listed on your resume. You want to demonstrate professionalism to the employer in person. You should show up slightly early, looking sharp, and be friendly and confident.

Try to project the kind of persona that the company would want in a representative - after all, no matter what position you're interviewing for, you would be representing that company to outsiders just by being an employee. You should look, act, and speak the part of a true professional, someone who can communicate clearly and interact well with others.

A Good Fit
Even if you present yourself as the type of employee the company should be anxious to hire, that will only get you so far. The employer most likely won't want to offer you a job if they sense that the position isn't a good fit. To make sure they think you're a fitting candidate, play up your past experience that you think is most relevant to the job.

If you have worked in the same or a similar industry, emphasize your familiarity with the market segments, major competitors, and vendors. Or if you have held a similar position, discuss your qualifications and any projects you've worked on that have given you pertinent experience; in other words, highlight the fact that you wouldn't be as costly to train as someone without your experience. If your work history hasn't given you much exposure to the industry or type of position you're interviewing for, then stick with emphasizing how well your skill set would transfer to the new job.

Enthusiastic
Once you've established yourself as a confident, professional worker who would be a good fit for the job, you can help seal the deal by assuring the employer of your interest in the position and company. A great way to do this is to go in knowing the basics about the company (key products / services, names of the top management, major competitors, etc.) and have a list of specific questions for the interviewer. Your questions demonstrate that you want to learn more about your potential workplace, so it doesn't hurt to take a few notes while you're getting your answers.

Finally, mail a prompt, hand-written thank you note to each of your interviewers. Reiterate your enthusiasm about the position, but be brief and concise. There's a fine line between sounding enthusiastic and desperate.

The next step is largely out of your hands. After you have armed yourself with the most strategic, proven techniques for any job interview and survived the experience feeling pretty good about how it went, the decision to extend a job offer lies with the employer. But as long as you went into the interview displaying professionalism, asserting that you would be a good fit for the job, and conveying your enthusiasm, you can rest assured that you have done things well on your end.

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