When interviewing for a job, it?s no longer what you know or who you know?it?s a little of both.

With California?s unemployment rate hanging at 5 percent, graduation-bound college seniors can enter the job hunt, armed with their degree, and expect to find a job.

Competition in most markets is not as cutthroat as it was ten years ago, which means today?s college graduates are not just looking to land a job, they are looking to get paid.So what is the trick to getting a sizable paycheck out of an employer? For starters, do your homework.

Joe Rea manages the Sacramento branch of Certified Personnel, a 35-year-old staffing company with offices all over the state. Rea?s tips for an interview include a well-groomed appearance and knowledge of the market and the company itself.

“A lot of people come in to an interview unprepared. They should research the company to know something about it. Sometimes people interview with a company and don?t even know if it?s going to fold up in a month or not,” Rea said.

Students interested in competitive wages from their first job should also seek internships or entry-level jobs in their field while still at school. The experience they receive not only puts them ahead of other applicants, but can also be a bargaining tool.

The State of California requires testing to qualify for their positions and beginning wages are on the bottom pay step of a set scale. But Gloria Moore-Andrews, chief of labor relations at the California Department of Personnel Administration, said that there is some wiggle room for applicants that show specified skills or experience pertinent to the job.

“Most of our hires come in at the bottom step, except those with prior experience or competitive job offers. If that person is qualified for the position, but for instance has an opportunity to go work for a lab, we can bring them in at the next step,” Moore-Andrews said.

Rea agreed that having practical experience in a chosen field could greatly assist a job seeker coming out of college.

“A little experience is going to benefit someone more than a person who just focused on school for four years,” Rea said.

In addition, like all negotiations, shrewd positioning and savvy business tactics can help when bargaining for a salary.

“Always start high. The first rule I learned was never accept the first offer,” Rea said.