If you want the job, make it yours with these winning interview tactics:

Do some research. Even if you don't know any insiders, the availability of information on the web leaves no excuses. Learn what the company does, know its products and services, and be familiar with recent developments in the industry.

Get the scoop on the job and its requirements before the interview. Human resources is your ally here. Have them send you a complete profile.

Develop a sales presentation. Define your top five selling points for the job in your mind.

Be concise. Practice selling your strong points in 60 seconds. Reworded, your 60-second sell makes a good summary to wrap up the interview. In fact, 60-second answers to most questions in the interview keeps you from babbling or being too curt.

Show and tell. Give examples of your ability. Use a spreadsheet or a project outline to give visual proof if you can with your type of job. There is nothing wrong with taking a list of topics with you on paper to look at - at a glance.

Practice answers to the tough questions you know will come:
Why are you /or did you leave your last job?
What are your weaknesses?

Lead by example. Share how you can do it.

Ask questions. It helps build rapport.

Ask for clarification instead of taking a stab at an imagined question.

Smile and work up some enthusiasm. You can't sell yourself with a poker face and a monotone.

Get a business card from the interviewer. Thanks for the memories. Write a letter within two days to thank the interviewer and to reiterate your key qualifications for the position.

By: Carol Leonetti Dannhauser, Recruiter

Tricks of the Trade:
Recruiters agree that checking references is essential, even if it means calling the director of a day camp or the manager of a Dunkin' Donuts store for feedback. So tell the truth on your resumes.

10 Things to Leave Off Your Résumé
By Rachel Zupek, CareerBuilder.com writer

Everybody knows that in most situations, less is more -- your accessories, eating habits and especially your résumé.

Job seekers do themselves a disservice when they send out résumés with too much information. Employers don't have the time or the patience to sift through irrelevant information like your hobbies, interests or how many grandchildren you have. Just stick to the basics and you're good to go.

Here are 10 things to leave off your résumé and why:

1. Your picture
Why to leave it off: Unless a job posting specifically asks for your picture (very few jobs will), don't include it just for fun. Not only are your looks irrelevant to your potential as an employee, but you're putting employers in a bad spot. If they have a picture of you and choose not to hire you, it's possible that you could come back with a discrimination lawsuit. In most cases, they'll throw your résumé away without looking at it, to avoid the issue altogether.

2. Interest and hobbies
Why to leave them off: Unless your interests and hobbies have something to do with the job you're applying for, there's no reason to include them. If you want to show how your passion for art would be asset to a graphic design position, that's one thing. But telling employer that you love to skydive on an actuary application is another. In general, make any applicable connections between your hobbies and the job in your cover letter. Better yet, save them for the interview when you're asked what you like to do outside of work.

3. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors
Why to leave them off: Most employers assume that if you're OK with sending out a résumé littered with typos and mistakes, you'll have the same lack of concern for the work you do as an employee at their company. While spell check picks up most errors, it can miss something major (did you work the late night shift? Or did you forget to include the "f" between "i" and "t"?), so have several eyes look over your résumé before sending it out to employers.

4. Personal attributes
Why to leave them off: Similar to sending in a picture with your résumé, your height, weight, age, race or religion are all unimportant to an employer. Though it's illegal for employers to discriminate against applicants because of any of these factors, some will do so, regardless. Keep everything on your résumé pertinent to the job, and you'll be fine.

5. References
Why to leave them off: Many job seekers still include references on their résumé or they include a line that says, "References available upon request." This tactic is not as effective as it used to be. Jack Harsh, adjunct professor at the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, says that when he receives a résumé with references attached, he gives them virtually no weight. "They seldom are specific to the role my company seeks and are not meaningful in considering qualifications or traits of successful candidates," he says. Wait to broach the topic of references until you're asked for them.

6. Minute details
Why to leave them off: Hiring managers don't need to know the details of every task you've ever done in every job you've ever had. It's just too much information, and most of the time, half of that information isn't relevant. Employers want to be able to see at first glance that you're a great candidate, so pick out those details that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying and omit the rest.

7. False information
Why to leave it off: Plain and simple, no one wants to hire a liar. Don't say that you have a master's degree if you've only earned your bachelor's; don't say you're presently employed at a company if you've recently been fired; don't list your salary history as 20 percent higher than it was. Everything you tell an employer can be verified, so play it safe and be honest.

8. Flair
Why to leave it off: No one wants to look at a résumé on fluorescent paper, covered in crazy fonts and symbols. Similarly, links to personal Web sites, your photo-sharing site, or strange e-mail addresses can also be left off. Employers are less likely to respond to likes2party@email.com than just DMiller@email.com.

9. Negativity
Why to leave it off: Never put anything negative on your résumé. Don't include your reasons for leaving. If you left the position due to a layoff or you were fired, for example, bring it up only if asked. Never write anything bad about a previous employer. Don't explain gaps on your résumé by stating that you were in prison for 10 years for killing your husband. Keep your résumé all positive, all the time.

10. A selfish objective
Why to leave it off: Employers are trying to determine whether you're a good fit for their organizations, so everything on your résumé should point to your experience. Employers would rather see a summary of qualifications that displays your accomplishments and background than a generic objective statement like "To gain experience in..."

An example of how to make your resume sound better.

If you didn't have the luxury of doing the kind of fabulous - but unpaid - internships that look spectacular when printed on ivory bond paper, don't fret.

The trick is to spin your gigs so you stand out from the zillions of others who are in the same boat to find a job.

For instance, if you waited tables for a huge chain, frame it in national terms by saying you got to see the inside of a fast-growing franchise or watched the effects of a new marketing campaign on customer volume.

Any additional responsibilities you took on - even if only occasionally - are worth their own bullet points.

Dealing with the district or regional manager of your retail chain to discuss HR issues, training new employees at a tee-shirt shiop, making the schedules at the smoothie shack, or working weekends to help your boss with the accounting books at the video store are all proof that you weren't just standard entry-level material - you did your time, but you also sponged up some extra skills.

Tried and True Tips - from Jennifer Kushell, author of Secrets of the Young and Successful.

These steps should be second nature in any job search.

#1. Network. Let people know you're looking, and always carry a stack of cards - either your business ones or some you have made up - to hand out.

#2. Do your reading. Stay up-to-date on trade newspapers and magazines and visit industry association and corporate Web sites so you'll be able to speak more intelligently about the biz during interviews.

#3. Build our skills. Sign up for computer classes and/or training workshops, or even offer to valunteer to gain more exposure to necessary know-how.

5 Ways You Could Be Ruining Your Résumé Without Realizing It
By Robert Half International

Signs are emerging that the job market is picking up, but landing a new position can still be a challenge. The last thing you want to do is sabotage your employment search, and, since your résumé is typically the first impression that hiring managers have of you, it's also the first place where you can potentially ruin your chances.

According to a survey conducted by Robert Half International, executives spend more than six minutes, on average, screening each résumé they receive -- which means every word counts in this critical document.

Of course, no job seeker is going to shoot himself or herself in the foot on purpose. But you might be harming yourself without realizing it. Here are five common mistakes that put you at risk of losing the job opportunity:

1. You don't proofread
Three out of four executives interviewed said just one or two typos in a résumé would remove applicants from consideration for a job. Since your word processing program has a spell-check function, you may think there's no need to review your résumé for typos and grammatical errors. Unfortunately, spell-checkers don't catch words that may be spelled correctly but used incorrectly: For example, if your most recent position was as a corporate blogger, your software may not raise the red flag if you mistakenly list yourself as a "logger." In addition to reading through the résumé yourself, you should also have someone else review it to catch any errors that you may have overlooked.

2. You ignore potential red flags
When reviewing your résumé, imagine that it belongs to someone else. After reading through it, would you have questions about the information provided or be concerned by a lack of details? If you have these thoughts, rest assured potential employers will, too. For instance, one of the biggest red flags is a gap in employment that goes unexplained. Rather than make a hiring manager wonder why you were away from the workplace for an extended period of time, use your cover letter to address why you weren't working and how you continued to advance your career through volunteer opportunities, professional development courses or other means.

3. You exaggerate your qualifications
Some people will do whatever they can to stand out, which includes fudging the details about a job title, the amount of time spent with an employer or a professional accomplishment. If you think that a hiring manager won't try to confirm your qualifications, think again. If you are caught making up information, you not only will lose out on the opportunity at that company but also may permanently harm your reputation. Even a small fib can prove harmful. For instance, if you're working toward a degree that you plan to complete by the summer, don't say you already have the credential.

4. You don't explain yourself
The best résumés use specific language so hiring managers can clearly understand your qualifications and accomplishments. If you say you are "knowledgeable" about HTML, an employer will not know if you use it every day to code Web pages or if you simply know that the acronym stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. Instead of using a vague term, you should explain how you've used your knowledge of HTML for certain projects or to aid your employer, how long you've been using it and if you possess any relevant certifications. Along the same lines, be specific when listing periods of employment, including the month and year for start and end dates instead of just the year.

5. You're too wordy
Sometimes it's difficult to determine what information belongs in your résumé and what can be safely left out. After all, the temptation is to describe any qualification that might remotely tip the scales in your favor. But you might not want to list every accomplishment, skill or project you've worked on. Hiring managers appreciate brevity, so cull the information you include, focusing on the aspects of your work history that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying. If you've had a long career, for instance, you may include fewer details about jobs you held early on that don't relate to your current career path. Omit hobbies, personal facts and other fluff, too.

Robert Half International Inc. is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with a global network of more than 360 offices worldwide. For more information about our professional services, please visit www.roberthalf.com.