13 Tips to secure a Job Interview

Begin with Character and Integrity.

We, as individuals, must look within ourselves and follow leaders with a proven track record and either pattern ourselves after them or build our own ethical blueprint -- one that becomes clearly evident by our own actions, by the reputation we build over time, and by the questions we ask and those we answer truthfully, as well as our own experiences and how we represent or share them.

Ethics and proving character can be a difficult hurdle when it comes to securing job interviews, let alone a new job. If a candidate, initially, doesn't fit in with the culture of the company during the early stage of the hiring process, chances are they never will. And if it can be ascertained that the applicant is even the slightest bit sycophantic, they will never pass an interview with the hiring manager or a direct supervisor.

Below is compiled a list of tips to aid job-seekers in showing their best face, letting the light of their character shine through loud and clear.

1. Your IEI Quotient: three vitally important characteristics: Intelligence, Energy and Integrity.
2. A LOR: Letter of Recommendation
3. Establish Your Interest: prove your intelligence and interest with a strong understanding of the position and the company, itself.
4. Résumé Review: have your résumé reviewed by someone who will give you the critical feedback you need.
5. Make it Pop: make something stand out at the top of the résumé or within the first paragraph of your cover letter.
6. Avoid Buzz Words: be very careful when using cliché buzz words of the day -- thought leader, expert, guru, etc.
7. Take the First One: when offered a selection of interview time slots, do anything necessary.
8. ASK Questions: show your interest in the prospect company and the people who work there.
9. Do NOT go around the Recruiter or Hiring Manager: this is most often a bridge-burning tactic and exceedingly undesirable.
10. Online Profiles: make sure every online profile or searchable social network testifies to your desirable qualities. 
11. Employee Referral: if at all possible, get a referral from a current employee of the company where you are applying.
12. Ethics: conduct yourself the way you truly think you should.
13. Be Qualified: do NOT Apply for a job for which you are not qualified or skilled.

It isn't always easy to know what to do or how to act. The best advice has always been to follow your courage. For more details please see this article.