Demonstrating your ability to communicate during an interview doesn't necessarily require a course in salesmanship-just some preparation and the right attitude. Technical recruiters offer the following suggestions to enhance your interview impact and increase the likelihood of turning interviews into job offers:

Attitude is everything, and the right attitude combines enthusiasm for the position, forthrightness about one's strengths and weaknesses, and willingness to learn, says Liz Walker, human resources manager at the Systems Division of TRW Corp.'s Systems Integration Group in Fairfax.

"The more that people convey they are eager to join the company, the better their chances," she says.

Ask about the exact tasks you will be expected to assume. By asking for details early in the interview you can address your responses to the interviewer's needs, advises Walker. "A good way to handle it is to say you want to hear more so you can indicate why you feel you would be a good match," she suggests.

Be precise about your accomplishments. Hiring managers can't stress it enough: be ready to give concrete examples of how you improved productivity, satisfied an important customer, or otherwise made your mark at your previous jobs. Describe your achievements in quantitative terms whenever possible. "Technical people in particular need to be very precise in their communications, starting with the first interview," Walker says.

Be honest about your weaknesses. "If you aren't proficient in a certain aspect [of the position], don't try to fudge it-it will burn you later" Echalar says. Be prepared, however, to compensate for the deficiency by pointing to related experience or to your quick learning ability. TRW's managers frankly ask candidates to describe their own weaknesses; Walker advises responding with candor, plus illustrations of how you have attempted to redress your shortcomings.

Study the company. "Learning about the company beforehand indicates that you are both a self-starter and have enthusiasm for the opportunity" counsels Echalar. At the interview, inquire about the mission of the company, its philosophy, and its plans. "It's not a detriment to come in with an actual list of questions," he adds.

Have a realistic salary range in mind. "Many Washington-area candidates have been paid handsomely as part of a government contract and have unrealistic expectations of continuing that pay level in other situations," Williams observes. "Do some research to find out what is realistic industry-wise, then seriously think out a range from your minimum to your ideal."

However, candidates should avoid bringing up salary requirements until the interviewer does. "It can be a quick way to rule yourself out," Echalar warns. "We need to know what your skills are before we know how much we can pay you."

Dress professionally. Even if you are applying for a backroom coding assignment, dress like an executive. "We are looking not just at the immediate assignment, but also at how you will fit in with us long-term," says TRW's Walker. "A professional image shows you are adaptable, that we can help you develop."

The bottom line: consider an interview "a fact-finding mission on both sides," Williams advises. "You and the company are both there to learn. It's a two-way street."

The Trend Toward Testing. Forewarned is forearmed: more local companies now are administering written tests as part of their screening process. "We can't tell from a resume how proficient a person actually is,"explains Carlos Echalar of Eon Corp., which started administering skills tests about a year ago. "I've actually had people who merely read a book about a new technology and then put that skill on their resume."

At Eon, a two-page written test on relevant skills-for example, coding for programmers, or protocols for networking experts-is used by interviewers to facilitate additional questioning. "We tell candidates the results won't disqualify them, but it helps us ask better technical questions," Echalar explains. "And it allows us to judge each candidate against a consistent benchmark."

Testing helps companies understand how a candidate ranks against the industry as a whole-and benefits applicants in the same way, Echalar notes. He suggests candidates should ask before they go to an interview whether tests will be administered.

Source: Advertising supplement to the Washington Post, Sunday, Oct. 10, 1993.