In the right context, good improvisation is amazing. The ability to skillfully create "in the moment" is crucial to comedians and musicians alike.

The keys here are skillful, and context. Oh - I almost forgot good. Yeah, good is important.

A lot of the acts on the long running show An Evening at the Improv were pretty good; obviously the network was playing for ratings so you tended to see the more talented performers.

There's such a thing as poor improvisation, too, of course. Some people don't have what it takes. Worse, others think improvising means to "make do" or "get by" or "wing it" or "fly by the seat of your pants."

When it comes to your job interview, sloppy spontaneity isn't exactly a winning strategy. If you think you can waltz into one of these conversations without having thoroughly prepped for it and still hit a home run, you are sorely mistaken.

You may get lucky - but don't count on it. A betting man won't be putting any money on you.

You can't expect to excel during a job interview if you haven't done your homework. Period. There's no easy way out.

That means you must study and understand the company; acquire biographical information on the people you'll be talking with; be prepared to support and discuss every piece of information on your resume; and have a list of questions ready. It means recognizing how your experience fits - and knowing how you're going to position yourself as a solution to the hiring manager's problem. (Problem? What problem? If you don't know, you have more digging to do.)

This does not mean you need to memorize verbatim everything you're going to say. The aim here is not for you to come across as a robot. Rather, the idea is to be extremely familiar with the "back story" and your talking points...to have them securely tucked away...so when you're nervous and feeling the inevitable performance pressure, you won't come up empty.

You need to walk into every interview knowing beforehand exactly what points you need to make. You must think through how you intend to handle any one of the scores of things that might get thrown your way.

And no...it's not effortless. It takes work. But the candidate who is meticulously prepared holds a much better hand than the one who decides to wing it. A winning personality alone does not guarantee a good outcome.

So... back to An Evening at the Improv and a final thought about improvisation.

Good improvisation actually involves a lot of preparation and skill. It isn't "winging it" at all. Those who are best at it have the technical understanding and proficiency necessary to create something special "on the spot."

About that solo by the jazz trumpeter or the funny comment the comic makes playing off what someone in the audience said; while the solo and the joke are spontaneous, at the same time they're very well prepared for. The performer has the tools at the ready and can pull them out as needed.

You can take that type of skillful improvisation to the job interview.

The best candidates are tuned in. They're observant, they're aware of what's happening around them, and they use this intuition to their advantage - shifting gears on the fly as necessary. Sometimes a little improv can save the interview.

Do your homework. Prepare thoroughly. Only then will you be in a position to improvise with the best of them.

Rebecca Metschke helps professionals improve their marketability. The author of The Interview Edge ( http://www.TheInterviewEdge.com ), a comprehensive career guide to career management, she also writes a daily blog posting strategies, tips and advice for those whose careers are in transition ( http://blog.TheInterviewEdge.com ). You're welcome to friend her on Facebook.