Very good advice! As the old saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression.

I love it! I control the interview. I'm qualified, up beat, energetic, looking great, and very professional. In other words; I'm confident.

Thank you,

Ramona Gooch

Great post, Lisa! The only things I can add to that are as follows: (1) Know your audience. Do some research so that you know the mission of the company, their philosophies, hiring practices, charity inclinations, etc. You want to try to match the company with your beliefs and philosophies if possible. (2) Dress the part. Unless the HR manager says otherwise, dress to impress. If you don't have a business suit, slacks or skirt, dress shoes and a nice shirt (no tank tops or low cut tops and no mini-skirts please, ladies!) A professional look is key. Guys: If you have long hair, put it in a neat pony tail. Ladies, hair needs to be neat and not in your face. Also, no overpowering perfume or cologne! (Yes, too much Axe or other scent can choke someone out of the room!) (3) Be a active rather than passive listener. Oddly enough this requires body language. Lean slightly towards the interviewer when she/he is talking. Make eye contact (not creepy, relaxed and casual). Repeat or summarize what the interviewer has told you and ask relevant questions (e.g. what is the day to day office dress, do I need to.....(fill in the blank), etc.) (4) Smile or at least manage a confident, relaxed, pleasant expression. (5) Find some common ground/interests (e.g. I'm a parent. I have one child who is autistic and another with Type 1 diabetes. In a recent interview, when asked about my family, we got onto the subject of the road we took when my daughter was diagnosed over 12 years ago. I found that my interviewer had a child that was going through the same thing. Sometimes that works for you. In other interviews, if sports come up, that can work either way.) Last, be truthful and explain deficits in your resume or how you've overcome difficult situations (if asked about it). For example, I normally only put experience relevant to the job I'm applying for. Reason: If I put all of my work experience on my resume, it would be about 7 pages long. Employers don't have the time to muttle through all of that. Because of this, I try to keep my resume down to 2 pages maximum. Making your resume easier and quicker to read can be a plus! Hope this helps!

This so true. When the agency that hired me were doing my reference check the individuals that they called advised me that they liked me ( I made them laugh doing my interview). I didn't even have do the second interview. Now my approach may not work for all employers but yes your first impression is everything

Well stated, Lisa.

I tend to have my own 'style', I guess. At least that's what I've been told.

Personally, I've never worried much about what other 'competition' may have interviewed before me, or may interview. I'm not there to worry about that. I'm there to find out the challenges the company needs to meet or overcome by hiring for the position, let them know whether or not I can actually help them, and discuss whether my style will work for their company 'culture'.

Therefore, I'm evaluating the company (via the Hiring Manager) at least as much as they're evaluating me.

Well enough of that crap.

Always remember you NEVER get a second chance to make a great First Impression! Conform to the industry norms; you can show-off your individuality later!!

Hello this is Fredo my cell 9518344932

These are great examples. What challenges me most with interviews is the fear of not being able to stand out enough to get an offer especially when it's a job I'm really interested in getting. I'm surrendering too much control.

It's amazing how it the small actions on our part can cause a reaction