5. Bring a list of your own questions with you in a folder with company’s name on it, so that you don’t forget them. You should keep your extra resumes in there too.

6. Be a good listener and focus. Some job seekers talk too much during interviews.

7. Be prepared to describe your weaknesses as strengths. For example, saying that you are overenthusiastic about performing at your best.

8. Make eye contact with your interviewer.

9. Don’t volunteer your personal opinions to your interviewer about any subjects unless you are asked.

10. Try to establish a good rapport with your interviewer. Be casual but professional, and most importantly BE YOURSELF!

Take time to implement these interview tips before your next job hunt. It'll give you a leg up on your competition!

4. Develop an action plan: Have candidate recap their detailed action plan. Most action plans for tough problems involve taking several steps over a period of time. In his recap, does candidate specify who did what? And by what dates? The devil is in details, and detailed problem solvers are usually more effective than generalists.

5. Troubleshoot: This is where candidate can recap worst cases scenarios. What could have gone wrong in his plan? What might have been side effects? How did candidate ensure this plan would work? Were there any unintended consequences?

6. Communicate: Getting information to right people is key for getting buy-in to make it a success. Have candidate address which individuals or groups affected success of his action plan. Does he explain who was impacted by it and who needed to be informed about it? How did he communicate with relevant parties? The most effective executives are those who can leverage their time and talents by getting things done through other people. This is your opportunity to build your company's management bench.

7. Implement: Have candidate address who carried out plan and monitor its implementation. Who was accountable for each part of solution? What were consequences for failure to meet plan? Try to determine: As a manager, will candidate be "hard on issues and soft on people?"

Drilling down on how a candidate has solved problems in past will give you a good idea of how they will solve problems in future. Think in terms of quality, consistency, and costs of their solutions. During interview, you must get candidate to be specific about their problem solving experience. Minimize chances of being duped by getting candid to recap in vividdetail exactly what happened in a given situation.

Think like a little kid: Ask "Why?" or "How?" to everything they say. If you don't challenge them during interview process, you may pay a steep price later for your lack of persistence.

Harry Joiner comes to The SearchLogix Group from Reliable Growth, an Atlanta-based Sales and Marketing consultancy which he founded in August 2001.

Email Harry at harry.joiner@searchlogixgroup.com.