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People remember specifics. If you want to stand out from the crowd in this market, it’s more important than ever that you define your strengths and declare your benefits to the organizations you want to join.

What do you bring to the table? How can you improve their profitability? How do you make a difference? What can you do for them that other applicants can’t do or don’t know how to do?

When you figure that out, use that as your pitch, your “elevator speech,” and the response to the inevitable “tell me about yourself” interview opener. Versions of it should also serve as the objective or career summary on your résumé and as the first paragraph in your cover letters. Nail that and you’ve got one foot in the door.

As sound and reasoned as that might be, the majority of job seekers don’t do it. Their cover letters are as generic as the objectives on their résumé. They speak in generalities, wasting valuable time. Instead of communicating clearly and directly, they talk in circles and come off sounding lost, unsure or unsteady. If they somehow manage to get lucky and land an interview, the conversation might as well go something like this:

Job seeker: Hello, I’m scared to meet you.

Interviewer: Hello, scared person I’ve never met before.

Job seeker: I don’t really want to talk to you about this job because I have no idea how to describe what I’ve done and how I will benefit your company.

Interviewer: Well, now I don’t want to tell you about this job anymore. You wouldn’t be able to get it anyway now that I am positive you have no idea what you’re doing.

Job seeker: I didn’t think so. May I leave now?

But if you do know what you’re doing, you will sound more like this:

You: Hello, Ms. Jones. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

Ms. Jones: Thank you for coming today. You’ve done a good job describing what you’re looking for, on the phone, in your résumé and your cover letter and, so far, you’re a good match for what we’re seeking. I’ll describe a few more particulars of the position, ask some questions and respond to any you might have.

You: Great. I visited your Web site and was impressed with it, and the job sounds challenging so I’m looking forward to our conversation.

You made it look easy, so let’s look more closely at what you did to land the interview.

• You completed a self-assessment and clarified what you do best and enjoy the most about your occupation.

• You talked with former bosses and current colleagues for a 360-degree perspective of how others see you. You aligned their perspectives with yours and decided on the direction you wanted to take with that information.

• You networked. Not only did those focused conversations help you to meet other contacts who could lead you to a job opportunity, but they also gave you a chance to practice what you needed to say in an interview — and how you needed to say it. You listened better and read body language. You learned to think on your feet and speak succinctly. So, by the time you had your first telephone screening call from that employer you learned was hiring from a networking contact of yours, you were ready to go. You nailed each step in the process, including that interview.

Joyce Richman is a career coach conducting seminars and workshops throughout the United States, and is the author of “Roads, Routes & Ruts: A Guidebook for Career Success.” You can reach her at 288-1799 or JERichman@aol.com. Watch Richman’s latest career advice Wednesdays at 6:35 a.m. during “The Good Morning Show” on WFMY News 2. Read her blog at www.richmanresources.com.