Job Interview

#1 Be punctual. If necessary, drive to the interview location the day before to ensure you know how to get there.
#2 Prepare for the interview. Research the company and its products and services, and make sure you know the company’s correct name. Stating the wrong name probably won’t earn you a second interview.
#3 Relax and be yourself. So many times, people stress over a job interview. Your best bet is to be the best, professional version of yourself, and look at an interview as an adventure. You are likely to learn something new and useful, even if you aren’t the right person for the job.
#4 Smile and be friendly. An interview is not the time to be shy. A warm smile goes a long way toward establishing a good first impression and rapport with the interviewer.
#5 Use a firm handshake and direct eye contact. A limp handshake or lack of eye contact can make you appear ill-at-ease and possibly less than honest.
#6 Bring copies of your resume and portfolio. Interviewers don’t always have a copy of your resume available and you will seem ultra-prepared if you have extras. A leather portfolio containing samples of your work is also impressive. Of course, the type of job you are applying for dictates what goes in your portfolio.
#7 Look the part. You want your potential employer to be able to visualize you in the role. Good grooming and professional appearance are important. Even if you know the office is typically business casual, a well-fitting suit makes an excellent first impression.
#8 Ask questions. Make sure you have prepared a few questions ahead of time. Typically, interviewers gauge your interest in the position by whether you ask questions.
#9 Bring a planner or pad of paper and a pen. This way, you can take notes or even write down your questions if you tend to get nervous.
#10 Write a thank-you note Make sure you get business cards from every person who interviews you and send a handwritten note to each one. Make sure you spell their names correctly. So few people write thank-you notes that this alone will create a positive impression.

You ever pick someone on a gut feeling? Or just go with the best resume/interview?

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You ever pick someone on a gut feeling? Or just go with the best resume/interview?

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There can be a big difference between hiring someone experienced and someone right out of school.

Someone with experience will have a resume with concrete descriptions of work history, industry knowledge, can ask penetrating questions, etc. For someone like that the degree of "feel" is lower of course.

For someone out of school it is much harder and feel is more important. It's great when a student has evidence on his resume of real work experience or extracurriculars that show his quals. Sometimes those things raise questions on their own (they don't always paint a promising picture) but at least I have something to go on besides GPA and a smile. Resumes can certainly sink you though, I had a guy who couldn't spell his major field correctly on his resume multiple times.

Also be sure your resume addresses the position you're applying for. If you're a student applying for a software analyst spot, show evidence that you can analyze and solve problems. Mom will be proud of your tutoring urban schoolchildren, and if you are applying for a job as a trainer that is relevant, but not as an analyst. Similarly, I've seen older software developers with five page resumes listing all the languages they'd programmed in back to the early 70's (seriously). IDGAF if you programmed punchcards in FORTRAN, a simple line saying "Developed software in various languages before 1985" is sufficient.

There's a huge difference between how you write a resume and how to write on a message board.

Give the guy a break.

You sound really uptight & nervous. The best advice I can give to you would be obtain an Asian Hook the night before, & then immediately before you walk in the next day for the interview, grind a rail of blow in your car.

You'll be the most relaxed, chatty you've ever been in your life.

You're welcome.

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Similarly, I've seen older software developers with five page resumes listing all the languages they'd programmed in back to the early 70's (seriously). IDGAF if you programmed punchcards in FORTRAN, a simple line saying "Developed software in various languages before 1985" is sufficient.

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Come on man, that's critical info, punch cards may come back some day!!!

Seriously, I've found that programmers who either a) talk about tons of experience with a specific language or b) list a ton of languages usually aren't that strong. I'm more interested in what they've developed, types of algorithms, test methods, design methods, experience in modeling, etc.

I made this mistake one time, this guy knew 'c' forwards and backwards but couldn't design a decent algorithm to save his life.

I just went through an interview about 2 weeks that I probably blew, so I'll add in my experience. Like the other said, do your due diligence. In my case it was for a research role, and I did probably 30 hours of research, but because I guess I've managed to hit the bridge between "graduate" and "experienced" and because it was a first interview, they didn't ask me any questions regarding the research or anything technical. This relates to the other point about asking questions to show interest. When its a non-technical interview you have to make yourself stand out against the other candidates and assume they're just as qualified as you are (in this case I knew they were interviewing 9 other people and had already interviewed about 20 so I knew I had to blow them away to get a call back). I couldn't do that without forcing the conversation into the "look at all the research I did," which would have been awkward and forced and obvious, and unfortunately I don't think I was able to do it by asking enough questions, which is where I think I lost my opportunity and just became another candidate. I gained invaluable experience from that probable fail, but the end point is find a way to make yourself stick out and show your interest in the job, and usually with a first interview, the best way to do that is to just ask a lot of legit questions.

Basically everything has been covered. I have no doubt that making an interview conversational is wayyyy better than getting into a bunch of technical talk. Unless you have some intense technical experiences that you know are distinguishing features, I think creating a good tone/vibe/friendly interview is as important as anything. People want to work with others that they enjoy being around -- some technical positions may be an exception to this rule, but it holds true for most positions.

An exception would be a software designers that can program and design better than anyone else on the block -- if that guy or gal sits in a cube and grinds all day and only talks to his/her boss when questions arise or the product is delivered, then I could deal with someone with a terrible personality.

When i go into an interview i have 3 basic ideas in mind...these are for the more non technical interviews

1) Make the "small talk" last about 10-15 minutes and make the interviewer as comfortable and friendly as possible. In other words get him to like me. AVOID: One thing everyone hates is the name game where you hope the interviewer knows someone else in the office that you know. DO NOT EVER play this game unless you're 100% certain they know the person and you want to be associated with that person (in other words, if you know some slacker that works there, don't bring him up because you'll be associated with him)

2) Show how your qualifications make you the best candidate. Know how you can match your resume experience to the qualifications stipulated on the job posting, so when you get the "walk be through your resume" question, you can breeze through that by showing your qualified to handle the responsibilities.

3) Reinforce that you want this specific job and not just A job in general.

I seem to interview pretty well, and the longer you "shoot the shite" with the interviewer the better.