Interview time!

You’re wearing your lucky professional outfit.  You’ve done your homework. You are ready to ace this by saying all the right things.

The interviewer will be looking for certain information and clues to your personality. Here are 10 phrases you can work into the interview conversation to make sure that you provide this information whether they ask the right questions or not.

The use of these – with the blanks properly filled in by you — should help convince the hiring manager that you’re what they’re looking for.

“Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today.”

Easy peasy, right? So obvious! When you meet the interviewer express gratitude that they took time out of their schedule to meet with you and give you a chance. This conveys that you’re polite and personable – something they need to know. On the personable side, be sure to also prepare your ice-breaker question – what you plan on asking during your small talk ahead of the interview. This will help ease the pressure and help your conversation move along more smoothly.

“I was excited to learn about this job opportunity because…”

I once conducted a survey asking hiring managers what was the one thing that would set one candidate above another, all things being equal with skills and qualifications,  The winning answer by far was “enthusiasm.” Demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job by directly saying that you are excited and why.

“I like/admire the way this company….”

Hiring managers, as we know, want you to demonstrate that you have done your research on their company. Demonstrate that you have done this by pointing to something you learned about the company while doing your research and saying something positive about it.

“I want to work here because…”

Hiring managers also want you to want not just any job, but their particular job. Talk about why you want to work for their specific company. Maybe it’s because of a charity they support, the work culture, or because they make amazing products. Avoid saying “because it’s close to my house.”

“I will bring value to this role because…”

Employers need you to demonstrate how you will bring value. You need to be worth the hire, and worth the investment of training and onboarding. You need to bring more to the table than it costs them to hire you. Tell them how you will do this.

“One example of a problem I solved is…”

The interviewer is probably going to ask you for this example. But if they don’t, you can try to work it in. Talk about something impressive you did that saved people some trouble, time, money, or all three.

“An accomplishment I am proud of is…”

The interviewer will also probably ask you this, but if not, again try to work it in. if you increased sales by 500% or significantly improved client win back with something you did, let the interviewer know. It will make a big difference.

“Can you please tell me about…”

Show interest in the position and the company. The manager will appreciate that. Just don’t say “Can you tell me about my vacation time” or “Can you tell me about what you guys do around here.” Say something like “The company culture seems pretty relaxed and inclusive. Can you please tell me about that?”

“Can you please tell me what the next steps are?”

Don’t leave the interview without asking about next steps. This shows your enthusiasm again and also tells you a bit about what to expect. Will there be a second and third interview? Will they follow up within a week or two They might not be telling the truth. Many companies say they’ll let you know and never do but ask anyway.

“Is there anything else you need from me or that I can do to demonstrate that I am a good fit for this job?”

This is your chance to fill any gaps before you wrap it up and leave things to fate.

Don’t forget to say thank you again and how nice it was to meet them. Then send a thank you note, of course.

For more on what to do next, check out this article on how to follow up after the interview.