If you are looking for a new job, you should prepare a great resume, read up on hiring and firing in the corporate world . . . and take in a movie.

In the feature film The Pursuit of Happiness, Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a struggling single parent. Set in 1981, Chris is a salesman of a high-tech medical gizmo that most medical facilities can do without. Chris has no future selling these gizmos and he knows it. He can't pay his rent. He can't pay for childcare. He can't even pay his parking tickets. He's looking for a better job, a better product, and a better life. Chris sees an opportunity. He applies for a prestigious stock brokerage internship. It's a gamble. Only twenty applicants are selected from a huge file of wannabes. Chris doggedly pursues the job by searching out the manager who reviews the applicants. He is relentless and lands an interview. The night before the interview Chris is painting his apartment and is arrested for not paying his parking tickets. He writes a check, but must wait for the check to clear, just 45 minutes before his interview.

Shirtless and smeared with paint Chris rushes to his interview. Knowing that he is underdressed and looks without merit, he does what we should always do, anyway. He tells the truth. He is hired. His determination and of course his dress, while going after the job carry the day.

In an interview, you can forget all the flash and dash. What matters is the truth and your desire for the job. If your qualifications match up with those of the job and you look like you both can handle the job and want the job, you have a great advantage over those who are simply looking for a job.