By now, we all know jobs aren't easy to come by. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. Our Steve Ference went to RPI where students went before a panel of judges to show off their job interviewing skills and to learn how to master one of the keys to landing a solid job, something many people are paying attention to as they look to get back into the workforce.

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"I just try to think about what I say before I say it. Avoid um, like or yeah. Umm yeah. Stuff like that," said RPI student William Babineau.

You've been here before. Managing every word. Watching every gesture. Hoping to land the job with a successful job interview.

"It was a little nerve wracking but overall, I think it went well," said RPI student Megan Reile.

Now take that job interview, make it a competition and add our camera to the room. You can see why these 15 RPI students had their work cut out for them, trying to impress the judges to get to the second round of a competition they called RPI Idol.

"Especially with the economy being the way it is now, having good interview skills and experience interviewing in a non-pressure environment makes it a lot easier when you do it for real," Babineau said.

Some say they weren't nervous at all. After all, this was for a hypothetical company, though getting to the second round to face three judges meant a chance to win. And if you win, you get a shot at a real interview for a job with a New York City-based firm.

"Interviewing is key. You have to make a good impression right off the bat with an employer," said Susan T. Lundberg, President of Capital Tech Search.

Bottom line, all of this leading to some do's and don'ts for you on your next job interview.

"There were a few that were not well enough versed on the opportunity. This was a little bit different because it really wasn't a specific job. We were looking for a little bit more homework. The other thing is some people didn't listen so they weren't answering the questions. They heard part of the question and stopped and went off without hearing the rest of the question so they missed the point," Lundberg said.

Some of that may sound like common sense. But consider the pressure in a real job hunt with unemployment at 8.6 percent in New York, 9.7 percent nationwide and what to do and what not to do just might be advice that's as good as gold.

"Hopefully I get a phone call," Banineau said.