To transition from being a viable candidate to becoming the hiring manager’s top choice, you’ll need to go well beyond the basics of succinct answers and firm handshakes.

While how you dress and present yourself is crucial, it is the content of your responses and interactions that will leave the interviewer imagining you in the role—and, more importantly, unable to imagine anybody else being a better fit.

Convey these four messages in your next interview to knock your interview out of the park.

1. You Were Indispensable in Your Previous Jobs

Hiring managers want to hire people who have a history of getting things done. The idea is that if you were successful in past professions, then you’re likely to be successful in this one. Nothing shouts "hire me" like a track record of delivering outstanding results in previous positions.

So, in the interview, your first objective will be to describe how vital you were in your prior employment. You can't just state, "I was the best Junior Analyst they'd ever seen, and the place will never be the same now that I'm gone," because you need to show the interviewer by giving particular examples of the activities you performed and the outcomes that resulted.

Two of the four components of the S-T-A-R approach for answering interview questions are these.To use this method, set up the situation and the task you were required to complete to provide background context to the interviewer (e.g., “In my previous job as a Junior Analyst, it was my role to manage the invoicing process”), but spend the majority of your time describing what you actually did (the action) and what you accomplished (the result).

“In one month, I streamlined the process, which saved my group 10 man-hours each month and reduced errors on invoices by 5 percent .”

Don’t worry that someone else could have done it if they were in your position—they weren’t. It was your responsibility, your acts, and your outcomes.

2. You Will Be Awesome in This New Job

Unfortunately, success in one role doesn’t necessarily translate to being a fit in another role—and to convince the interviewer during the job interview or practice for interview that you’ll be able to hit the ground running and be awesome in the new job, you must explain how your skills translate. In particular, you want to highlight those skills that specifically, address the issues that the hiring manager is facing.

Conduct an industry study before the interview to gain a better understanding of the difficulties. Are there any common motifs in your field's job descriptions, such as being a sales shark or a perfectionist who pays attention to the smallest details? Also, pay attention to what the interviewer is asking—she may ask leading questions or reveal issues that others have had in the role before you.

“We have tight deadlines and must turn around our work quickly,” the interviewer might add. “Are you able to work under time constraints?”

Don't just say yes; say something that highlights your abilities and how they'd transfer, like "Absolutely." We had a lot of short deadlines at my previous employment. I excelled at handling these situations because I concentrated on maintaining open lines of communication with the team and utilizing my organizational abilities to stay on top of what we were doing.” After that, give a specific example.

3. You’re the Perfect Fit for This Job

Companies have interview rules in place to choose the best personnel based on experience and aptitude, but let's face it: likability is often a huge role.

Hiring managers don't usually hire persons with whom they don't get along. Of course, they don't say it out loud; instead, they say things like, "She's brilliant, but I just don't think she's the appropriate match for the role."But the truth is, you won’t get hired if you’re not liked.

In order to get the job you need to undergo good interview practice using a good mock interview service and you must establish a rapport with the interviewer. I'm not saying you crack jokes or become friends, but you should be confident and engage as if you're already working together, with eye contact, active listening, smiling, and no nervous laughter. It's what I refer to as "relaxed formality."It’s an interview, so don’t get too comfortable, but try to be yourself and have a natural conversation.

4. You Really Want This Job

You're nearly there! But it's not enough to be capable of doing the job and pleasant to deal with; you must genuinely desire the position. Hiring managers, after all, are searching for people who genuinely want to work for them and who will stick around for the long haul.

So you want to indicate that you're excited about the role. Not the type of bouncing cheerleader "spirit" that comes from knowing what the role requires, how you can contribute value to the role based on your previous experiences, and what new challenges it presents for growth and development.

Consider this: "One of the reasons I'm so thrilled about this post is because it allows me to apply my client management abilities [your experience] to larger clients on more difficult agreements [the new challenge]," says the candidate.

And, of course, you'll want to send a real thank you note to cement the deal!