Going on job interviews typically ranks right up there with going to the dentist, doing your income taxes and spending time with the in-laws.

You get the message; interviews can be very taxing to say the least. That being said, there are millions of Americans out there right now who are waiting for the interview call, passing their resume around here, there and everywhere, and going on interviews.

The big question at the end of the day following your interview is would you hire yourself?

While the answer nine times out of 10 is probably yes, step back for a moment and look at it from an unbiased point of view:

• Did you deliver the goods when you were being interviewed?

• Did you bring energy and enthusiasm to the interview or were you just kind of going through the motions?

• What do you feel are your best interview qualities?

• Was the interview all you expected it to be?

With a national unemployment rate still hovering around 8.5 percent, it is no big surprise that there are millions and millions of people nationwide still on the job search.

While sometimes luck plays a part in it, what can you do when meeting with a job recruiter, be it an in-house employee in human resources or a potential boss, or a staffing agency to better your odds of getting the job?

Among the factors to keep in mind are:

• What distances you from other applicants and how did you make that message stand out during the interview?

• Are you prepared to accept and handle this job in the event you are hired?

• From your past experiences, what can you do the next time around in the event you don't get the position? As part of the pre- interview process, look at things from an employer’s side of things:

• What would you be looking for from this applicant?

• Would the applicant’s education and job history play equal roles or would one outdo the other?

• How much credence would you place in what the candidate does outside their work responsibilities? If an applicant informed you they were essentially a couch potato outside of the job, would that lessen your interest in them coming to work for you?

• Would how a job candidate dresses, talks, etc. be important to you or are results the only thing guiding you in your decision?

As part of the post-interview process, look at the following from a candidate’s point of view:

• What did you want to accomplish in this interview and were your goals met?

• If there is one thing you would have liked to be able to do over again from the interview, what would it be?

• What did you learn from this interview that will influence you on your next one? • Was I more substance or more flash?

At the end of the day, what you seek most from an interview is the ability to sell yourself, plain and simple.

If you do that, there’s a good chance you would in the end hire yourself.

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items obtaining phone systems, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.