opportunity school

The Handshake: It's your first encounter with the interviewer. She holds out her hand and receives a limp, damp hand in return -- not a very good beginning. Your handshake should be firm -- not bone-crushing -- and your hand should be dry and warm.

Be Concise Interviewees rambling on is one of the most common blunders Fogarty sees. "You really have to listen to the question, and answer the question, and answer it concisely," he says. "

Do You Have the Skills to Do the Job? According to Karsh, the employer must first determine whether you have the necessary hard skills for the position, e.g., the programming knowledge for a database administration job or the writing chops to be a newspaper reporter. "By really probing into what the candidate has done in the past, an interviewer can tap into hard skills."

What If Your Interview Is Tomorrow? by Doug HardyMonster Staff Writer

Don't underestimate the power of a first impression. People make assumptions about you based upon your appearance at your first meeting.

"The rule of thumb is that you dress one or two levels higher than the job that you're going for," explains Kate Wendleton, president and founder of the Five O'Clock Club,

"If you're applying for a technical position, you won't need a suit," says Carole Martin, a former Monster contributor and author of Boost Your Interview IQ. "A collared shirt and khakis or slacks would work. Same goes for women -- sweater or blouse and slacks or a skirt."

Assemble Your Qualifications Regularly How can you best present yourself in the interview, appropriately expressing the attributes and skills that will get you the job? First you need to identify them.

Preparing your stories is one of the most beneficial exercises you can do to become focused before your interview. If you say you're good at something, prove it with a story. You should be able to back up anything you say on your resume or in an interview with a story or an example of how you soared in a sticky situation.

Your success stories should include the situation, the action you took and the result. Here is an example if you were interviewing for a sales position: The Situation: I had a customer who did not want to hear about the features of my merchandise because of a prior interaction with my company. The Action: I listened to her story and made sure I heard her complaint. I then explained how I would have handled the situation differently and how I can offer her better service. I showed her some facts that changed her mind about dealing with the company again. The Result: She not only bought the merchandise, but also complimented how I handled her account. She is now one of my best customers.

Sanford says job candidates often get too comfortable just at the wrong moment -- when they're getting signals the job is theirs. "What ends up happening is the candidate will start to move from ‘I'm on my best behavior' to thinking ‘the job is mine,' and they stop being deferential," he says. Deference is essential throughout the interview process. Don't act like the interviewer is your best buddy -- he's not.