Every candidate has a nervous internal voice whispering this incantation before interviews. Whether seasoned or recently graduated, male or female, confident or terrified, we all hope potential employers will like us, even to the point of wanting a secret formula for developing rapport and achieving the elusive "fit."
Why should an interviewer like you more than similarly credentialed competitors? Establishing that you're fit for a job is subjective...

Hiring managers want to know right away how a candidate will affect the employer’s bottom line. When they review resumes, they look for the answer to the question, "What can you do for me?"
"In reviewing the resumes of senior-level managers, we look for people who drive the process through the end," says John Sands, executive director of human resources for operations at Esteem Lauder in Melville, N.Y.
Like many hiring managers.....

   Jeffrey Weiner, a human resources director, keeps a scrapbook on a nearby shelf to keep him humble. It's filled with more than 400 "no thank you" responses he received from employers during his last job hunt. During his search, he e-mailed more than 50 resumes a week to employers. "E-mail made the process so easy. It was the quickest way to contact companies," says Mr. Weiner. After six months, he eventually found a good fit at Alpha Technologies, a Piscataway, N.J., information-technology....

 Mike Weldon, a project manager with 10 years’ experience in telecommunications, was interviewing for a job as project director with a large cellular communications company in the Midwest. He felt confident and prepared for his meeting with Dan Crane, senior vice president of the engineering division, who immediately asked some tough questions.
Dan: I reviewed your resume and found your background impressive... 

   Employees are out of work for some time during a typical year, presenting a favorable employment history can pose a challenge for many resume writers. While frequent downsizings and job hopping have become more commonplace, nontraditional and inconsequential employment dates still signal red flags for most hiring managers and can harm your candidacy. Some of the most troublesome situations include recent employment outside your career, several short-term jobs...

 Once you've created a brilliant cover-letter and resume package, the next step to securing a new position is impressing interviewers. Meeting with hiring managers is stressful, but you can improve your chances of scoring well by avoiding common, yet costly, interview mistakes. Surprisingly, many job hunters persist in sabotaging interviews. These candidates spend hours on their resume but only a few minutes practicing for interviews. No matter how outstanding your professional experience...