In today’s post, I’ll reveal the two remaining primary themes to acing job interviews and other pitches. Using these, you’ll communicate aspects of your personality that will make you look like an incredible addition to a team or company.

But before we get there, a few quick things:

First we’ve heard from more first-time responders than ever with great thank you messages. So you guys seem to really be getting a lot out of this series. And that gives me an idea for something to share next. But more on that subject later.

Second thing is, when you land a job or a project or a big break from this series, we want to know. Success stories are what inspire us to send these emails.

Third thing, let’s do a super-fast recap…

Job interviews and pitching something are the same as dating: to get the desired result, you have to be different from everybody else.

You now know the following:

1. Speak less than the interviewer
2. Limit your responses to 60 seconds.

And you also know that you need to communicate that you’re deeply committed to your continued growth and professional development. However, this alone is not be enough to truly impress the interviewer.

RULE NUMBER THREE, PART I

The first theme that’s necessary for you to demonstrate is very important: That you understand the company, and the industry that you’re interviewing for.

It is absolutely CRITICAL to research the company before walking into the meeting. Even if it’s just 30 minutes online.

By being aware of their mission statement, core values, and general structure, you’ll be able to show that you’re in alignment with their goals and beliefs. You’ll be able to identify how you can bring value to the company, and where you can fit within their ranks.

You’d be surprised by how few people actually walk into an interview prepared and aware of the company. By showing an easy familiarity with it, you will instantly earn points.

Extra Credit: Always do a Google News search on the company just in case there are any current developments you need to be aware of.

Sneaky Tactic: If you know who will be interviewing you, look them up. Find their Facebook and Twitter profile. Don’t let them know you’ve done this (that might come off as creepy), but it’s a good way to get aligned and find commonalities.

In general, they’ll see you as someone who isn’t just browsing around, but who’s actually serious about this particular job or project.

RULE NUMBER THREE, PART II

And this brings us to the next theme: You want the job badly.

This is not The Game, where you’re playing hard to get.

The interview is where you need to show you’re excited to have the opportunity to work for your prospective employers. You want to show that you have that drive to succeed and contribute, not because you want a job, but because you want THIS job. Badly. And for very specific reasons.

With the previous theme, you showed them that you understand the company and how valuable of an asset you could be to them. And now it’s time to show what working for them means to you. You can use the same research that you’ve used before, and refer to their history, successes, or reputation.

For example, you might say “I really want to work here, because I’m passionate about this industry and you are the most respected company in the industry.” What the interviewer will hear is “I’m a champion, and I want to align myself with a champion company.” And according to our source, candidates are often chosen over others because they demonstrated a much stronger desire. So, don’t be afraid to show how excited and motivated you are!

In fact, even if someone has a stronger resume and experience, someone with a better attitude, more enthusiasm, who’s willing to learn, and who’s willing to do what it takes to get the job done will win out almost every time.

Now that we’ve given you all the primary themes, you should know exactly what you need to communicate about yourself to really kill the interview. But one key element is still missing…

In the next and final post in our interview series, I’ll reveal the very last rule you’ll need to successfully pass every interview. With it, you’ll be able to seamlessly integrate everything that you’ve learned so far into one simple and incredibly effective technique. This one is Neil’s personal favorite. And by using it you’ll have a definitive advantage over every other professional in your field of expertise: the ability to kill the interview.