Your goal in a job interview is to show that you fit in, right?  No, wrong, according to Debra Benton, a top leadership coach and author of CEO Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization and other bestselling books.

According to Benton, your goal should be to stand out in interviews, not fit in. Here’s her advice on how you can make that happen.

Make a winning first impression. Walk in tall, make eye contact, shake hands, and say something like, “I am pleased to meet you. How are you today?”  Show your strength from the beginning.

Control the flow of questions. If the interviewer says, “Tell me about yourself,” say, “Shall I tell you about my family or my work life first?” By influencing the interview in this way, you stand out from candidates who simply answer questions one at a time.

Tell memorable stories that the interviewer can repeat about you. You didn’t just “attend school.” You went because three of your high school teachers (or your minister or the members of your softball team) believed in you and sponsored you. Tell stories! They make you come alive in the mind of your interviewer – and in the minds of the people he or she talks to about you.

Ask a lot of questions. The more curious and interested you are, the more you learn about the company. And be sure to ask these three questions, in your own words:

1. “What does your company want to achieve?”
2. “What are you doing well now that you want to maintain?”
3. “What problems do you want to avoid?”

These questions show that you will be a contributor, not just another name on the payroll.Handle the “tell me about your strengths and weaknesses” question in an unusual way. One stand-out tactic is to talk about your weaknesses first – but quickly and humorously. You can say, for example, “As for my weaknesses, I sometimes take on more than I ought to, and I like chocolate.” Don’t go into a rambling apology about something you did wrong.

Praise yourself using the words of others. You can say, for example, “Jeanne Stewart, my last boss, said I had more common sense than anyone she had ever met under the age of 30.” Quoting other people is a great way to point up your strong points without seeming conceited – and the third-party praise will be repeated to others within the hiring organization.

As the interview ends, ask where the hiring company is in its hiring process. Who is making the decision, when will it be made, and what are your next steps? These questions make you stand out from applicants who end interviews meekly and simply walk out.

Making a wise career choice . . .

According to Debra Benton, it is important to remember that you are interviewing the hiring company too!  Once the interview is over, jot down some notes about whether the interviewer convinced you that his or her organization is a good place to invest some critical years of your career. If it isn’t, consider calling up your interviewer to withdraw your application. It’s a way to stand out by stepping back. That can often be the most effective long-term career builder of all.

TO LEARN MORE, watch Debra Benton’s videos on YouTube.com, including “How to Look Confident.”