Who do you think the top companies want working for them? Some spineless worm who takes orders and has no initiative? Or a balls-to-the-wall go-getter? You gotta have some steel in your shorts if you want to climb to the top and the job interview is the first opportunity to demonstrate that the corporate yahoos. First impressions, right? Well, their first impression of you better be that you don’t need them; they need you. Right from the get-go you gotta go hard in the paint.

My friend Tony A works at Morgan Stanley and they get a lot of applicants, graduating from the some of the best business programs in the US and abroad. He has interviewed literally hundreds of people over the last two decades.

So I asked him, “What makes one person stand out from the rest?”

Tony answered, “Swagger. You run that interview. Own that shit.”

So here’s how he broke it down.

1. Show up late. Maybe about 15 minutes. Do not apologize or even acknowledge it. You need to have the attitude that they are on your time.

2. Hit them with questions no one else would think to ask.

• What brand of toilet paper is used in the bathrooms at the company?
• What is the name of the cleaning service employed by the company?
• What is the air quality rating in the building?

If they reply that they don’t know to the answers to any of the questions, make a note of it. It puts them on the defensive, gives you an edge.

3. Take a call during the interview. Arrange it ahead of time. You are a busy, important person. People need answers from you right away. Let the drones wait.

4. Do not wear a tie. You don’t have time for that bullshit.

5. If they ask if you have kids answer, “Maybe.”

6. Don’t fall for “the test”. My friend Chris works for AIG Insurance and he says that they will often give a little test to interviewees, like asking you to open a window that doesn’t open. They want to see your reaction to the situation, how you handle stress. So if they ask you to open a window tell them, “Homie don’t play that.”

7. You end the interview. Right in the middle of one of their stupid questions you say, “I think we’re done here. I’ll let you know.” Bam and you’re out.

You work on your terms, not theirs. It may sound crazy but with all the competition out there, you need to think outside of the box. Do the unexpected; when everyone else is zigging you’re zagging.

Lay in the cut; play it close to the bone, hard in the paint.

Homie don’t play that.