It’s a tough job market out there today. And getting job you want requires more than just a killer resume. In other words, you can’t just sell yourself on paper. You’ve also got to be able to do it in person-—in a face-to-face job interview.

Here are a few interview tips to help you make a great impression on person who interviews you.

1. Market your skills and related experience in field that you are applying for. Be sure to do it in a way that is positive, but not cocky or aggressive.

2. Research company before your interview. It’s a great way to know where you would fit into organization. It also lets employer know that you really want to be a part of company.

3. Prepare answers to common interview questions ahead of time, and practice saying them, so you aren’t stumped during interview.

As an executive recruiter, I interview a lot of people. And while most candidates find a way to look good on paper, their resumes don't always reveal how good of a problem solver they are. Yet all of my clients want to hire problem solvers - people who can walk into their operation and make their problems go away.

This is understandable. Business, of course, is all about problems. In fact, whether your business is in growth mode or decline, you will always have problems. And it's management's job to either come up with answers, or hire people who will. This article is about latter.

How We Learned about Solving Problems

Through conventional classroom education, most of us have come to believe that there is usually a right or a wrong answer to a problem. As such, we tend to study our most pressing business problems to find a single "right" answer - as if we are solving for X in a math problem. Yet in business world, many problems don't become clearer more we study them. Instead, they may become larger and more confusing. Problems involving a mix of personalities and dynamic markets can be especially vexing.

Naturally, hiring managers who fail to understand nature of their business problems will find it difficult to hire someone who can solve them.

Seven Steps to Successful Problem Solving

When solving problems - whether in real life or in a job interview - it's important to follow a logical process. Most business problems are not solved because people don't define "real problem" clearly. Therefore, strength of a job applicant's problem solving ability can be seen by walking them through following seven step framework while getting them to describe how they solved a real life problem in their last job. When discussing a problem that they solved in a previous job, applicant should demonstrate an ability to:

1. Define problem: Have candidate identify what went wrong by including both a cause and an effect in definition in problem they solved.

2. Define objectives: Have candidate explain outcome he wanted to achieve as a result of solving problem.