PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD may seem like a chore to some, yet it's an essential part of the process of interviewing for a job. The way you present yourself -- the image you project -- will have almost as much impact as what you say during the interview process.

UPDATE THE INFORMATION ON YOUR RESUME, THEN PUT THE POLISH TO IT.

Having made the investment to ensure that the information on your resume is positively stated and accurate, now take the step of making sure it is easy on the reader's eyes. Here are the spec's: one-to-two pages in length, maximum; plenty of white space; a type font that is large enough (and standard enough) to be easily viewed; standard formatting throughout; zero typo's; minimal (and consistent) use and spellings of acronyms.

Achieving all of these requirements with your resume is likely to require some serious editing and cutting. But remember -- all the resume has to do is get you in the door and prompt a series of questions from the interviewer that give you the opportunity to speak about your strengths.

DRESS CONSERVATIVELY; UPDATE YOUR WARDROBE AS NEEDED.

How can you put your best foot forward if your shoes are old and scuffed? Seriously, if you have been in your current job for two or more years, you've probably settled into habits of dress and appearance that are comfortable and acceptable in your current work environment, but may be inappropriate for the interview at the new one. Remember that you'll be judged NOT by the way it'll be OK for you to look later, but by the way YOU SHOULD LOOK on an interview.

Being conservative means avoiding the temptation to take any invitation to "dress casually" too seriously. Avoid this trap by always dressing one level up:

• If you're told to wear a jacket and tie, wear a suit, instead.
• If you're told to wear "casual business attire," wear a jacket and slacks or skirt, but bring a tie or other upgrade accessories just in case.

The bottom line is this. You can always adjust your "too formal" garb downward, but if you start out too casual, it's almost impossible to recover.

COME MENTALLY PREPARED FOR A TOUGH, CREATIVE CONVERSATION.

While interviewing almost always feels like a "test," great interviews transform themselves into exploratory conversations where good ideas are shared mutually by all participants. You can help that happen in two ways:

1. by knowing and being prepared to share your best potential contributions; and,
2. by being direct, positive and forthright in the face of any negatives that may come up during the conversation.