You just got the call – an interview at that company where you have applied. You want the job. You know you can do the job, but, are you prepared to tell the company why you’re the one they should hire?

You know yourself, you know your skills and you have excellent references. Now it’s time to sell yourself.

How you present yourself during an interview is the final step before getting hired. It’s important that you make an impressive "first impression". Sure, you could walk into the interviewer’s office wearing the most stylish and expensive fashion for the office, but if your initial behavior is negative, those clothes won’t mean a thing.

Body language is the key. Knowing how to say hello and how to sit properly are important, but even more so are your handshake and your posture. They are paramount to giving that great impression of confidence and intelligence.

Q & A – Time to be Upfront

The interviewer is usually well-prepared with fact-finding questions for the applicant. There will be many hard-hitting inquiries regarding your thoughts on timeliness, work ethics, and behavior in the workplace. You could sit there like a robot and answer with a monotone voice or you could show positive body language and a vocal inflection that shows confidence and knowledge. You must use caution, however, on how "confident" you want to appear. Over-confident behavior is frowned upon, and will not give the interviewer a positive view of your character. Be yourself, but reign in any negative characteristics.

It’s important to gain the confidence of the interviewer, not to make her/him uncomfortable. The questions they may ask might be:

What makes you such a good candidate for this job?

How do you feel about calling in sick frequently?

What can you contribute to this company?

What are your strong/weak points?

Your Body is an Open Book

One of the most important things an interviewer notices right away is body language. You must walk into the interview not only mentally prepared, physically prepared, too.

So, sit up straight, look your interviewer in the eye while answering, and use a calm, assured voice while answering questions. Positive body language will leave the interviewer thinking about your abilities, your maturity and your confidence!

However, bad body language can shut down an interview quickly. Bad body language will leave the interviewer wanting to shout "NEXT!"

Here are some examples of body language that can damage an interview:

Loud speaking and boisterous hand gestures can only make you appear too aggressive, something that most employers shun in the workforce.

Timid behavior, like looking down or slumping your shoulders while answering questions can only lead the interviewer to think of you as having low self-esteem, not a very good indicator of a productive personality.

Not making eye contact, or too much eye contact, can either show deceptiveness or make the interviewer uncomfortable.

Giving the appearance of looking too relaxed, or "at home", in the interviewer’s domain can show a lack of respect, which could possibly make the interviewer feel insulted.

In conclusion - be yourself! You know you can do the job, show your confidence! Just be aware that the person across from that desk is watching you very carefully, searching for negative signs. Give out only positive ones!