Mastering the art of presentation goes hand in hand with carefully packaging the content of what you want to get across. "The key idea is to remember that an interview is a two-way conversation designed to determine if there's a mutual fit," says Rob Sullivan, a Chicago-based career coach and author of "Getting Your Foot In The Door When You Haven't A Leg To Stand On."

A good formula, Sullivan continues, has you doing most of the talking for the first two-thirds of that conversation, and then ceding the floor to the interviewer. "That's your chance to ask lots of questions, which people tend to forget to do," he says.

Assemble a list of talking points and make sure you get through them, adds Sullivan. "If you realize that this person's asked you one standard question after the next -- What's your greatest weakness? Where do you see yourself in the next five years? -- look at your watch and say, 'I notice we're running out of time. There are a few things that I'd like to share with you. Is that OK?' Make their job easier for them."

It's at this point that you dazzle with your "story," as Sullivan calls it. That's different from the "elevator pitch," the 30-second encapsulationof who you are. "Your story is not about your sales records or your business generating prowess," Sullivan says.

Instead, ask yourself what's excited you in your career, what you've done on your own initiative, what's energized you? What stories can you relay that show your passion, initiative and resourcefulness?

"If you think about what's better because you were there, like in the movie 'It's A Wonderful Life,' you'll come up with some compelling anecdotes and you'll stand out," Sullivan says.

Just make sure the impression you leave is a good one. "It can't be said enough, but skip the perfume," Sullivan adds.

"This is not a date, and a lot of people are extremely sensitive to smell. If you give me a migraine headache, I'm not going to remember a word you said, and I'm not going to like you."