People always want to help and work with people who they like and trust.  Someone’s likeability is much more important than the way he dresses or how smart he is.  Everyone just wants to be around “people like them” who they can relate to and have a conversation with.  Be likeable and you’ll be just fine.

The Bottom Line:  Regardless of what activities you are involved with in school and what career you get into after you gradate, you will be around people for the rest of your life.  The better your people skills are, the better relationships that you will be able to build with others.

It is important to note that no one of these individual tips will make or break your chances of securing the right opportunity.  However, following all of them will separate you from your competition and give you a significant advantage.

Make sure to show up 10 minutes early for the interview and then make a great first impression.  You will be well dressed and look sharp; if you are unsure about the dress code, then be safe and overdress.  Be enthusiastic and confident from the start.  Have a friendly demeanor with the receptionist; ask her how her day is going and professionally ask for the person you are meeting with.  Do not sit down while you are waiting in the lobby; instead, stand tall, be confident and be ready to impress them.  I promise none of the other people you are competing with for the opportunity will do this.  When that person arrives, give him or her a firm handshake and say that it is a pleasure to meet.  Let them know you have been looking forward to this opportunity.

Once the interview gets rolling, intelligently answer each question asked of you.  Be brief and to the point.  Don’t hesitate when answering.  Simply be honest, confident and brief with your response.  They will appreciate this strong communication.  Your answers should also be well stated; for instance, “I will” sounds a million times better than “I think I can.”  Go into this interview knowing you are the best candidate for the position and that you will be extremely successful if given the opportunity.  Don’t be arrogant; just be confident in your abilities and skill set.

Throughout the interview, maintain a high level of enthusiasm.  Market yourself effectively by bringing up past experiences that exemplify why you have the necessary skills or personality for the opportunity.  Show the interviewer how valuable you will be to the company and what you bring to the table (such as selling lots of product, coming up with great marketing ideas or transitioning into a leadership role).

Make sure you are being yourself during the interview.  Be comfortable and honest, there is no sense in pretending to be someone that you aren’t.  Earn the opportunity based on the type of person you are, not on who you think the interviewer is looking for.  If this truly is the best opportunity for you, then the interviewer will appreciate you for your personality.  Ask every question you can possibly think of and remember you are interviewing the company just as much as the company is interviewing you.  Virtually every other person they interview will be nervous, trying to act like someone they aren’t and feel uncomfortable.  Keep in mind that you are there to determine if you want to be part of this organization, not to pretend to be someone else.  Taking this approach will give you a unique attitude and a great deal of confidence.

In regards to your resume, the biggest thing you must keep in mind is that every one of your past experiences needs to translate into a reason why you will be perfect for the opportunity for which you are interviewing.  Explain how your past community involvement, leadership positions, internships and work experience will allow you to excel in this position.  You need to be able to intelligently explain why serving as president of your fraternity developed your leadership traits, and gave you a high level of confidence, great organizational skills, and the perseverance to be successful in difficult situations.  Be able to explain how volunteering in the community while being a full time student gave you the ability to balance a variety of responsibilities while being successful at each of them.  Make sure that each of your past experiences is a huge part of who you are and who you will be.  Be proud of your past successes and find reasons why each of those experiences will factor into your future successes.

Keep in mind that those who interview you may meet with 5-10 different people each day.  You need to separate yourself from the others and impress the person interviewing you.  Being prepared with detailed questions about the opportunity, organization and industry will make your discussion a lot more interesting than the conversations had with other interviewees.