It's like being an actor. It's all in the presentation. Confidence, body language, articulation, mode of dress, and personal hygiene all play a factor in job hunting. What you know and your certificates come second. A bad first impression by a perspective employer will taint the rest of the interview. Respect yourself, cause it shows if you do or don't. I want some one that does.
Look over your resume'. How it speaks of you is as important as the content itself. If you over use the letter "I" it sounds like you're beating your own drum too loudly.
Check for meandering in how it's presented. Keep to the point. Put in the good stuff, leave out the rest. If I want to know something else, I'll ask you about it.
And the part that says you'll be an asset to the company has to be oh so carefully worded. If you're fresh out of a school I know you have no real world experience and will have to be trained to do it my way. That's a given. Instead I'd like to see something like, "Your company is a leader in the IT industry and I'd like to share my skills and knowledge in this field as a part of your team."
Phone calls are a serious no no. I hate that. Grinds on me just as bad as a bad customer.
Check yourself. Check your resume'. Drive out and speak to HR or the hiring agent in person. Shows initiative. Even if the company isn't doing any hiring at the time, they'll remember a well dressed, well presented person with a resume' that's easy to read and to the point.
Confident but not cocky. Clean and well dressed but not GQ. Articulate but not the king's English. Interviews are tricky. You have to be a chameleon. Able to read the situation and change to meet it.
