substitute hope with faith. Mix equal parts faith, positive attitude, & sense of humor. Put on a suit w/ a Mickey Mouse tie.

interview & serve it up.

make sure your "bullshit detector" is on red alert (to quote Election). I think employers love when prospective employees seem to really listen, & they love to be served exactly what they're hoping to hear. Like when my (now) colleague asked (blinkingly) what I could contribute to the "office dynamic", I went on a rant about an office where the sewage pipe leaked annually. I think I said we put plants on the window sill so they'd get fertilized.

and never, ever compare work with dating history. Everyone has a dating history, right? Even the people who are/were (heh) married.