By Andrew Zimba

The job market is becoming increasingly competitive. Polishing your interview skills and showcasing your talents are ever more crucial in landing a job. Recruiters interview people all day, day in and day out. Here are some simple, but essential tips, for effectively marketing yourself and standing out from the crowd.

The following points I learned or developed while at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. Using these easy strategies, I secured a paid summer internship with a multinational corporation and have positioned myself well for when I graduate.

Recruiters want to find the person who will be the best fit for their company. Doing pre-interview research about the firm will show the recruiter that you have a strong grasp of the company's internal workings and business challenges. The research period can be as short as thirty minutes. The best place for a quick search is the company's website. Start by reading the company overview and history. Then read the company's mission or ethics statement. Pull out the key corporate values. (These are usually in bold type; cooperation, trust, innovation, for example). Companies also like to include information on recent successes or newly-adopted programs. Pay attention to these as well.

You want to tailor your answers to the specific job. If you are applying for a marketing position, focus on your marketing experience. If you do not have directly relevant experience for the position, speak about your general leadership talents. Current business culture stresses project work in a team setting. General competencies that impress recruiters are leadership abilities, self-motivation, project development and innovation, experience with group work, and conflict resolution.

Recruiters generally ask about previous job history and behavioral-based questions. Behavioral-based questions are usually along the lines of "Tell me about a time when you led a group of people. What did you learn from the activity?" or "Tell me about a time when you had a problem with a co-worker. How did you solve it?" Remember: to recruiters, past performance is often seen as an indicator of future success.

When formulating your answers, use the S.T.A.R. method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Fully develop your answers without being too wordy. Paint the picture for the recruiter. The most important portion of this method is your personal action and the result. It is crucial to focus the answer on your participation and how you created change. Develop four or five different scenarios based on various values. Linking these answers to the values of the researched company is key.

Dress in professional attire. Arrive fifteen minutes early. Bring a professional-looking portfolio to the interview. Bring an extra resume or two as a courtesy. The recruiter may already have your resume, but having additional resumes just in case, is a plus. Some people prepare questions based on company research on a piece of paper. If it is easier for you to stay poised during the interview, then write them down and bring them to the interview. I always committed the company values, newly-developed programs, and questions to memory. Doing this gives the impression that you have taken the time to learn these facts and are serious about the job.

When you meet the recruiter: give a firm handshake, smile, and engage in small talk. Recruiters want to see that you are personable and friendly. Any simple topic is fine. I usually talk about the weather.

When you sit down in the office, get comfortable and rest your hands. Try to avoid excessive movements, fidgeting, and nervous gestures. This is not to say "be a statue." Just be at ease and relax.

Throughout the interview stay positive, poised, and focused. With every answer you give you show how your talents are ideal for the job, how you hold the corporation's values as your own, and how you understand the business needs of the company. Towards the end, recruiters will generally ask if you have any questions. Try to direct questions to things from the company research. For example, you are applying for a human resources position at a recently expanding company. Ask what roles human resources will be playing in the expansion and is the human resources department changing as the company expands. What are the new challenges and upcoming opportunities associated with the expansion? Reference issues and ask questions as if you going to join the company; show the recruiter that you belong.

A great way to close an interview is to say that the particular company is your top choice and that you really want to work there. Build up to this through your previous answers by showing passion for the job. At the end, thank the recruiter for the opportunity and give a firm hand-shake.

A day or two later, send a thank you email, or better yet, a hand-written note. Follow these tips and you will put yourself in a great position to land the job of your choice. I used these tips and did just that.

-- Andrew Zimba is a May 2006, Master of Arts Candidate in Human Resources and Industrial Relations at the Carlson School of Management. Andrew can be reached at azimba@csom.umn.edu.