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The interview is one of the most critical components of the entire job search process.  You can really set yourself apart by acing the interview process.

Many job search guides advise you to memorize a specific list of standard interview questions and answers, but recruiters are onto this.  They know when someone is repeating answers they read in a book, and it makes you lose some credibility in their eyes.

The best way to ace an interview is to practice making up your own answers to common interview questions, and to prepare yourself for the fact that the interviewer may actually ask some questions that you don’t expect.

Many qualified interviewers will specifically throw in some oddball questions in an effort to weed out those candidates who have been taught to respond like trained seals.  They tend to want to hire someone who breaks the mold – someone who thinks outside the box - someone who can think on their feet, someone who can THINK! 

Creative, free-willed individuals tend to be better employees, especially if the job requires any kind of real creative thinking and initiative.  Be original, be passionate, be relevant and most of all, be sincere.

If your job skills, apptitude, and experience match up well for the job you're applying for then just be you.  Beyond that, the key to a great interview performance is in your preparation.  Learn as much as you can about the company before you go in for the interview. 

A lot of people just apply for every possible position in every possible company, and they fail to research each company before they go.  When a company hires someone, they ideally want someone who is really passionate about the field, the position, and the company. 

Employers want to hire someone they feel will really be around for a long time.  Turnover can be a major problem at many companies, so hiring long-term employees is always a priority.

You will have a much better chance to get the job if you learn some of the following things:

• The company’s financial history and goals
• How you fit into the company specifically
• The nature of their business, including appropriate terminology for the industry

Finding a great job is the goal and the better prepared you are, the better the chance you will hear, “You’re hired!”