Walk in as if you already have the job. That will make you appear more confident, and at home. Beware of giving a presentation. It can be viewed as presumptuous and as though you're not a good listener.

Don't try and figure out what you think the interviewer wants to here--you don't know. The best you can do is answer honestly. If your honest answers aren't what they wanted, then that wasn't the right job for you.

There are lots of tips, but here's one I rarely hear given: Do your homework so that you have a good sense of what the job actually IS before you go in. Know what the company does and have as focused a sense as you can of what the role for which you're interviewing will be expected to do. This will help you answer questions in a more productive way.

Do your homework beforehand. It automatically puts the interviewer on your side when they feel like you've done your homework. Also, listen to the question, and concisely answer only the question asked.

First, be passionate about the job that you're interviewing for. Then make sure you're confident and let that passion shine!

Be very aware of the role they want you to fill. The advice that you should "aim high" is great, but often times it just seems you see the position as a pit stop; if the job's not a pit stop structurally speaking (i.e. an Analyst role, when Associate is right around the corner), then you're not right for the job.

Decide why you specifically want to work for the company you are interviewing with and find a way to get that across during the interview. I have interviewed so many people that come across sounding like they want to work for ANY company. I love when I interview someone that wants to work for MY company.

Best advice I can give is be prepared! So many job seekers just put their interview outfit and head out the door without learning much if any about the company they may be spending 40+ hours a week at. Do your homework! Check out the work environment, financial fitness of the company, new projects, products or deals they are currently working on, what charity work they are involved with and more. Be curious!

Practice your answers before you go into the interview so you already have answers for the hard and not so hard questions most often asked.

PPP - Proper, Prior, Preparation for best results!

If you haven't been on a job interview for a while, the chances are your first one or two won't go as great as you would like them to be. But don't feel bad. The more you interviews you go to, the more comfortable you'll get. Very soon, you'll knock one out of the park.

Once you have an interview scheduled its time to get to work. Your resume got you in the door and secured the meeting. Now you have to stand out and show how the company you can move the needle in a positive direction and add value in your new role.

So sit down and develop an outline of your plan of attack for the job. Establish what your 3, 6, 12 month needs are and how you plan to accomplish those tasks. Whatever position you are interviewing for, if you think about your potential new role and the needs of the company, establishing an outline that breaks out 3, 6, 12 month needs will be easy to do. This will show you understand the company, your role, and show you know how to add value to their bottom line.

Now in the interview you can walk in confidently and plan to talk about the business plan / outline you wrote. Instead of focusing on your resume you will be able to show the company that you understand their needs and company already and will be able to hit the ground running. Your resume is the past that secured the meeting, focus during the meeting on what you will accomplish and how it all benefits the company during the interview and I assure you, that you will start to see offers come in.

Get the interview, then write a business plan for the position and bring it to the meeting and you will be set.

The most important thing I found, is to appear as a positive, optimistic, ball of clay that someone can shape into the person they need for the job.

Having an attitude like they owe you the job, or being desperate can equally kill an interview.

I have two closing questions I like to ask: "Based on what you know about me so far, what is your biggest hesitation about hiring me?" I ask this so that I get one last chance to overcome any hidden concern they may have. I had a case once where I was de-emphasizing a part of my background that they actually really wanted. I never want to miss a job because I didn't communicate something well.

Then I follow up with my final question: "Based on what you know about me so far, what makes you the most enthusiastic about me in this position?" I ask this to force them to say out loud my biggest strength. I want this to be the last thing in their mind when I leave, and again, I might be surprised by the answer.

Be yourself. Don't try to impress the person with stuff you don't know. It will all catch up to you. For the most part, what you DO know is pretty impressive already.

Research research research. Know as much as possible about the company and the people you will be interviewing with. The more you know, the more self-confident you are.

Also be prepared to explain how you return the company a significant multiple of your compensation.

Do your homework! Be sincere and be prepared. People will not appreciate it if you don't seem sincere, relatable or confident (or if you seem over-confident). Also ask good questions that show that you've given the job position some thought.

It is critical that you know your focus. Your focus (goal, objective, ideal job and environment - all of that) is the foundation of everything: interviewing, your resume and negotiating.

Some quick tips: Greet people with a firm handshake and a warm smile. Be professional and confident but not cocky. Do research on the company and the position ahead of time. Know your resume; have solid examples of your experience and why it is relevant to the position you are interviewing for. Even if you realize half-way through an interview that you are not interested in the job, do not let it show. Always put your best foot forward. Look at the interviewer when you are answering questions and listen intently as the interviewer is speaking. Have extra copies of your resume with you. Turn off your cell phone and put away all PDAs. Dress professionally. Ask questions and ask about next steps at the conclusion of the interview.

In my recent quest and especially with the curent economic situation we face. I think the most important thing is to make your self standout from the competition and be Memorable. It is essential to do your homework beforehand and think about how your experiences will help to solve the potential employer's current problems.

Prepare infinitely and practise positive mental visualization while travelling to the interview. Mentally rehearse how you are going to close the sale (ABC=always be closing). Before being invited into the interview room, prepare your mind for the image of the interview going well. Athletes do this. Wayne Gretzky always knew where the puck was on the ice....

My advice is to watch the self talk because whatever is going on in your head will be reflected in your body language and will be picked up by the interviewer. So, be ready, be strong and go for it!

Be concise. If the question is really open ended give a straight forward response and ask the interviewer if that answers their question. Don't ramble through a bunch of random tangents.

Also, keep the name dropping under control.

Be authentic -- with yourself and with the potential employer

What future outcome does the job represent to you? Take a moment to connect with different ways of achieving it. The job is just one path to that future. See that outcome -- beyond the job -- and make sure to connect with it with in a very focused way. It need not take more than 10 minutes to do this.

This way you will access your own power. You will be able to express yourself more freely. You will find it easier to give the interview your absolute best, and yet not be attached to the outcome. When you feel empowered, it is easier to be authentic.

Engage your whole self

If you can, do something beforehand that nurtures you physically. You want to bring about a relaxed, but "open-focused" state of mind. Exercise is good for the brain as it encourages the flow of oxygen to it.

Have the "entre/intra-preneurial" mindset

Have the intention that when you walk out, the people in the room will have genuinely benefitted in some way from meeting you, no matter what the outcome. This could be as simple as their experience of you as a person with a great attitude.

See if you can help them with something there and then, by asking what their current challenges are. You will need to be genuinely curious about what their real needs are, in order that you can do something useful for them. [Seek first to understand before being understood -- Steven Covey]

Really put yourselves in their shoes and start thinking about their potential needs before the interview so that during the interview you can then fine-tune what you actually offer them.

It could be to think about which networks they should connect with or what they might develop more or how they could improve the way they are operating. (These are just random examples) Play to your strengths and find out where you can already be a solution.

Prepare ahead by sitting down and writing out 3-5 CAR stories - these are examples of real-life situations at work that you've managed well. The CAR is the formula used to format your stories so that you are clear, concise, and pointing out the actual results you can achieve so that the interviewers know what you have to offer.

C - challenge, A - action you took, R - results you achieved

Study these stories and relate them back to specific competencies (like strong conflict resolution skills) and you'll be ready to respond to the behavioral-based type questions that are the "in-thing" these days.

Ask good questions; they are the basis for a good dialogue. If you engage in a genuine dialogue about the role, the responsibilities etc... you can connect well with the interviewer.

On the day of the interview, Google the company and any important competition so you're up to date. Don't just use regular Google but also Google news and Google blogs.

For many people, the thought of attending an interview can be debilitating - so youre not alone. Here are four simple (yet powerful) steps to help you go from fearful to fearless in your next interview.

Step One: Probe

The first and most important step, and which is often overlooked. Miss this step and you could jeopardise your candidacy. Research the position and the company to pinpoint exactly what they are looking for in terms of skills, qualifications, experience and strengths.

Step Two: Preparation

Its important to confirm you have the experience and skills the organisation seeks by providing specific examples that demonstrate your strengths in action. Use the C.A.R. principle:

C = challenge

Provide brief information about the challenge (situation or project) to allow the interviewer to understand the context in which you were working.

A = action

Pinpoint your actions to overcome the challenge to verify your strengths and expertise.

R = result

Qualify the outcome and impact your actions (strengths) had on the challenge to confirm the value and professionalism you offer the organisation.

[Note: See our video on how to tackle a behavioral interview here: http://tinyurl.com/bajecg ]

Step Three: Practice

As the saying goes practice makes perfect. Rehearse your responses out loud in front of a mirror or a friend/family member, or your career coach.

Step Four: Picture

Top athletes use visualisation in their fitness regime to enhance their performance levels and so can you in preparation for your upcoming interviews.

Picture yourself building rapport with the interviewer; being calm and in control when providing relevant examples to the questions; and hearing the interviewer confirm youre exactly what theyre looking for.

Remember, what you concentrate on, expands. So make sure that what you concentrate on is positive and helpful, and continues to build your interviewing skills.

Don't get caught up with the interviewers reaction to your answers, and don't lose your edge if you get tripped up by some questions. I can't tell you how many clients we have who throw the book at people by asking them incredibly detailed questions in the interview. They don't expect the person to get all of them right. They just as interested to see how you work through a difficult situation. Stay focused, stay upbeat. Express your ability to grow and pick things up and don't get down if you think you get a question wrong. Successful interviewing doesn't happen when you try and read minds in the meeting.