As we all know, the interview is an important and necessary part of the job search process. If you get the interview, great - that means the recruiter probably thinks you're pretty excellent. But if you make too many wrong moves, you might convince them otherwise, so the interview is often fraught with peril. No need to worry, SWOOSH can help you avoid some of the common pitfalls

In a previous article I discussed a few pointers such as the art of the handshake, staying cool in a chaotic interview environment, and the importance of looking your interviewer in the eye. This time around, I'd like to explore some more key interview skills: mastering body language, answering tough questions, and talking about past jobs -- all in a way that lets your brilliant self shine through.

Body Language
With a marketplace full of skilled, experienced, and educated individuals, deciding who to hire can often come down to who among the best qualified candidates appears to have the attitude best matched to the workplace. Since it's not just what you say in an interview that matters, it's a good idea to be mindful of your body language too. If your arms are folded across your chest, that can be seen as a defensive posture. Standing with your hands in your pockets suggests a lack of confidence. A solution: Bring a pen and pad of paper to the interview (along with your resume, and maybe a printout of the job description). This will give your hands something to do, make you appear more engaged, and also will allow you to take helpful notes during the interview.

Sitting with your legs crossed while shaking one leg or wiggling a foot makes you appear really nervous. A great tactic to use is to mirror your interviewers body language. If they sit very straight and lean forward, adopt a similar posture. If they sit back and slouch, you can relax and lean back a little. Just remember that they already have the job, so it's up to you to be the slightly more professional one. You should always be yourself of course, but by being mindful of the importance of body language, you can cultivate a version of your "self" that's even more likely to get hired.

Show, Don't Tell
Another key skill in interviewing: Show, don't tell. Don't tell your interviewer that you can help their company. Show them how you helped your previous employers. Recruiters generally subscribe to a simple maxim: a candidate's past performance is the best predictor of future performance. Even when answers to questions could be a simple "yes" or "no", they might present a good opportunity to cite relevant work experience. When we ask "Do you handle stressful situations well?" don't just say "yeah, you bet I do!" Give an example of when you had to do that in your last job. Do you have a strong sense of urgency? Give an example of a time you were faced with a tight deadline and how you responded. Do you handle ambiguity well? Give an example of a project where you didn't have all the facts and you proceeded anyway. Before you go in to the interview, re-read the job description. This will give you some clue as to what interview questions to expect.

Tackling Negativity
One of the most difficult things to master in an interview is how to talk about past job experiences that may have been 'less-than-amazing,' previous employers who were slime-balls, or jobs that you really hated (we've all had them). Whatever you do, don't trash a previous employer in the interview! Any negative feelings about a previous employer should be left at home. In my experience as an interviewer, any negativity that comes out tends to happen when I ask someone "why are you leaving your current job". It is totally fine if the real reason you are leaving is because of a crazy micromanaging boss. You just can't tell the interviewer that. Instead, you might consider phrasing that differently, like "leaving for new challenges," "seeking a work environment with more opportunities for task ownership," or if you've had a decent tenure there (say two-plus years), it's ok to simply say you're "looking for a change". (Be prepared if they ask you what you think is going to be different with this job, though!)

If you tell the dirty truth about a negative past job experience, a recruiter will start to think "is this person's boss really a micromanager or do they just require a lot of oversight?" "Is this person hard to get along with and not a team player?" "Is this person just really negative?" Remember, no matter why you left, we're looking for evidence that you know what is and isn't appropriate to say in business situations. Interviewers know there's probably more behind it, but we'll be impressed that you're handling it appropriately and professionally. If we feel like we need more color around why you left, we'll dig for it. Even then, remember to be positive and upbeat. Really, who wants to work with someone who always dwells on the negative?

Be Yourself
Last and most importantly though, the interview is a time for you to be yourself. Your best strategy is to honestly sell your professional self and your abilities to an employer to get a job that is a good fit for you, in a company that is a good fit for you. Misrepresenting yourself and your personality to get a position probably means that the job is not really right for you, and will only cause problems for you down the line.

Interviewing isn't always a cakewalk. But with a few tweaks, you might be able to make a difference and walk away having made a really great impression!

For more interview tips, click here.