Congratulations! Your resume has surpassed the hundreds of applications that a company receives every day. Now it’s time to seal the deal and let them know why YOU are the right fit for this job. So what can you really do to help stand out from the crowd?

Do your homework.

Yes, I am serious – do your homework. The homework doesn’t just end because you have graduated. Companies appreciate candidates more that have done some diligent research and not just someone who scanned the home page for five minutes. Besides researching the company, research the individuals you will be interviewing with.

Ask meaningful questions.

Use all of the information that you gained from the homework you did to generate meaningful questions that will help you gain useful insight in the interview. If you don’t ask smart questions, you will come off as uninterested or, even worse, unprepared. Some of the best questions to ask:

• What kind of candidate has done well in this role?
• What kind of candidate has done poorly in this role?
• How does this position fit into the company’s long-term plans?
• What do you like about working at this company?
• How did you end up in your current position?

What can you offer the company?

Use time to connect the bullet points on your resume to correlate with the needs of the position and company at hand. Stick to specific examples and how you’d apply what you’ve learned to excel in this position.

Be nice to everyone.

Employers want to hire individuals that will get along with their coworkers. This could even include being nice to the receptionist; this person might not be the hiring manager but that doesn’t mean their impression of you won’t make a difference. Some companies ask their front desk receptionist on the attitude of the interviewees when they come through the door.

Be interested in the opportunity given at hand.

Of course employers know that you are not looking to stay in an entry-level position for your entire career; they know you have an ultimate end goal which probably isn’t the position you are currently interviewing for. With all that being said, show the interviewer why you are excited for the current position at hand and why this position will help further your skills for future endeavors. For example: If you are interviewing to be a receptionist, don’t talk about how passionate you are about events. Talk about how this receptionist position can open your door to the corporate world and help you expand your network.

Now take this advice and show that company why you stand out from the crowd and why you would be such a valuable asset compared to those hundreds of applications they receive a day. Go seal that deal!