Unfortunately, even if you do that it still might not be enough to get an interview. Therefore, you must also use all of your contacts and connections to help you secure the interview.

However, once you have landed a job interview closing the deal and securing yourself the job goes way beyond just answering the interview questions correctly. Securing your dream job depends upon the way you present yourself during the interview...your body language, your mannerisms, your dress etc.

Many people do not spend much time preparing for the interview. And, those that do prepare for the interview usually focus solely on how to answer the interview questions. While that is important there is much more to it if you want to truly secure yourself the position.

To truly land yourself your dream job you should think of it as a three-step job interview process...

1. Getting the Interview

If you want to get a call for an interview then your resume should stand out from the others. Include relevant information and highlight headings. In the beginning, include your career objective that describes your skills and qualities along with what you are looking for in the job. Make sure your resume, and particularly your resume's objective, are very specific. In other words, you want to create a job-specific resume. A one-size-fits-all resume is NOT going to get you the job.

Also, print your resume on high quality paper and do not overcrowd it...make sure there is enough "white space" so your resume is easy to read.

2. Acing the Interview

Once you have gotten a call for the interview you should start preparing for it right away. While preparing for the interview, remember the key things mentioned below.

a. Be self confident during the interview and tell yourself you are the one for the job.

b. Remember, you are a salesman and the product is YOU!

c. Your first impression is the last one, so dress appropriately (it is always better to over dress than under dress) and watch out for any bad speaking habits you might have (too many hand gestures, biting nails, cracking knuckles etc.)

d. From the beginning of the interview be yourself and speak about your skills that specifically match the job you are interviewing for.

e. Do not lie. This will come back to haunt you later.

f. Take your time to answer the questions...think about what you are going to say before you say it.

g. Ask questions during the interview. However, do not ask unrelated questions...that may turn out to be an interview killer.

3. Following up on the Interview

At the end of the interview you should ask when you should expect to hear from them about the position. The very next day you should send a hand-written thank you note on professionally monogrammed paper to each person on the interview committee. Mention something specific from the interview in your thank you note so your interview stands out from the others. Wait a couple of days and then send an email...follow that up with a phone call etc. When the competition is tough it is often times the person who follows through that gets the job.

With so much competition out there getting a job these days can be tough. The people who get the jobs are the ones who think of it as a three step interview process...getting the interview, acing the interview, and following up on the interview.