Eagerness. Confidence. Enthusiasm. These are the intangibles that employers are looking for. These qualities will set you apart from the crowd when interviewing for a job.

Too often job candidates suppress these essential qualities for fear that they will look "too desperate." "I always try to play hard to get." one job hunter explained. "That way the interviewer will think I can be choosy." This "choosy" attitude may keep this job hunter unemployed.

It is understandable that nervousness can cast a pall over any hopeful interviewee. But once the discussion has begun, an interviewer expects some of your true beliefs and attitudes to emerge. It sounds so simple, yet interviewers often comment about the number of candidates who appear uninterested and unenthusiastic.

Here's how you can stand apart as the person who is ready and right for the job. Help the interviewer break the ice. Don't be afraid to appear friendly by initiating some small talk. Use common sense here, but remember the interviewer may feel as uncomfortable as you do and may welcome some tactful, interested comments. It may help you establish a rapport that will carry you through the interview.

Smile and laugh when appropriate. Interviewing can be tedious, hard work on both sides. A little levity can help you both relax and certainly will make you appear warm and pleasant to be with. Use facial expressions, eye contact and voice intonation to communicate sincerity, confidence and enthusiasm. A deadpan expression or infrequent eye contact says negative things to the interviewer.

When discussing your achievements, express the feelings of pride and enthusiasm you feel regarding them. The interviewer is looking for someone who will approach this new job with vigor.

When asking questions or discussing the hiring company, avoid a suspicious, probing tone of voice. Instead, sound non-judgmental and interested. For example, "From what I've read, there seems to be a great deal of opportunity here for someone with innovative ideas," sounds far better than, "I've read a lot about the troubles this industry is having."

Don't confuse cockiness with confidence. Comments like, "Oh, that sounds like it would be a breeze," or "When can I start?" make you appear pushy or naive. Assume a willing, learning attitude. The most confident, skilled and experienced candidates know that they will always have more to learn.

Keep pace with the interviewer. Assess the basic conversational style and tempo of the individual. Watch for cues. If the person is friendly and chatty, assume some of the same characteristics. If the interviewer is introspective and analytical slow down and let him digest what you have said.

Try to sense when the interviewer has heard enough about a particular point and wants to move on. To check this, there's nothing wrong with asking, "Would you like me to go into more detail?" Show a willingness to assume responsibility. Portray yourself as a person who is willing to go the extra mile. You can do this by talking about the challenges you've enjoyed in the past. Saying, "That project meant extra hours but the results were worth it," is much more positive than saying, "Does this job require much overtime?"

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Many managers, who have counseled job hunters in the past, are finding themselves swamped with requests for help. Although it may be more difficult to make contacts in this environment, it's still worth the extra effort required.

If your efforts to plug into a network have been short-circuiting, you may find these suggestions helpful in making a connection.

Introduce yourself by letter and tell the recipient you will make a follow-up call on a specific date. Your letter and resume will probably be read because the individual is anticipating your call. This also keeps your letter out of the "circular file" and reduces the chance of it ending up on someone else's desk.

Use the name of someone the recipient knows in the first sentence. Using a referral gives your letter a personal appeal that makes it difficult to send it to personnel. The executive doesn't owe you anything, but may want to do a favor for the person who referred you.

Don't say, "Sue Brown gave me your name." Rather, "After talking with Sue Brown at some length about my career objective, she suggested that I contact you."

Ask Questions
In your letter, ask two or three specific questions about your resume, your field of interest, their job, etc. This approach makes your request sound less time-consuming, and encourages the reader to formulate a reply. It could look like this, "I know you must be very busy, but if you could answer these two questions when I call it would be extremely helpful."

This make you appear well prepared, sensitive to the reader's time demands and far enough along in your job search to know what you want.

If you simply ask for "20 minutes of your time" to talk about your general career goals, the executive may envision a lengthy, fuzzy discussion that has little payoff for either party.

This two-question technique often works without an introductory letter. But if you use this cold call approach, write your opening introduction (including the name of your referral), a brief summary of your job objective, purpose for calling and your two questions. This outline will help you to be concise and organized when the other person answers the phone.

On the bottom of your outline, write a reminder to yourself to ask for names of other contacts. If you are given any names, request permission to use the individual's name as a referral. When you call, ask the person if he has some time to talk. This simple courtesy is often overlooked. If he is busy, ask him to suggest a better time. This consideration on your part sounds professional and will ensure more attentiveness when you finally get his ear.

Write Down Advice
If you are invited in for further discussion, after your phone conversation, mention that you intend to stick to the time limit that has been agreed to. While at the interview, write down the advice you are given. This makes the executives feel that their comments are important to you and encourages them to tell you more.

If your attempts to contact "the person with the power to hire" are unsuccessful, ask him if he can refer you to one of his subordinates. A subordinate may be closer to the actual work you want to know about, and might be able to give you the names of some colleagues in other companies.

Finally, always send a thank-you letter - even for a telephone interview. When a busy person takes time away from the job to help a stranger, he or she deserves a thank you.