Before going on an interview, make sure you understand the job and company. I can tell you from experience the best way to fail an interview is to ask '"So what do you guys do here?". Before you get to the interview, you need to know what skills they are looking for. Read the job description. Ask them. Someone called or emailed you to invite you to the interview. Contact them and ask what kinds of things they are looking for. You want to go into the interview confident that you are the person they are looking for.
Go to the company website. Look at the mission statement and see if it makes sense to you. Look at the products or services section and make notes of the way they refer to them. If there is a blog, read it to find out what they think is important. Many sites also have a section on recent news and press releases. Make sure you are familiar with these.
See if you can get the names of the people you'll be talking to before the interview. Check them out on LinkedIn and make note of their titles and responsibilities, how long they've been with the company, etc. Pay attention to their profiles and see if you can find anything in common with them. Same hometown? Great! Same college? Wonderful! Did they mention a leisure activity, sport, or charity that you do too? Make sure to bring it up during the interview.
Ideally, you did some research before you even applied for the job, and so you were able to customize your resume and cover letter to highlight the talents they are seeking. If not, take the time to do it now and bring a copy of the revised resume to the interview. You should always have a copy of your resume when you go to an interview.
Be able to quickly point out how your skills and background make you perfectly suited for the job. Rehearse ahead of time. Be confident, but don't sound cocky. If you are lacking some essential skill, don't tell them it isn't important - because they think it is. Acknowledge the deficit and tell them how one of your other skills will make up for it, or explain how you can acquire the needed skill quickly.
You should also have a couple of questions thought out for the inevitable "Do you have any questions?". Please don't ask "When can I expect a raise?" or "How long is lunch?". Ask about the company's place in the industry, or their product development strategy, or the name of that cute receptionist (just kidding). Listen carefully to the response and try to ask a followup question to show that you understand, rather than asking a bunch of unrelated questions.
To really be sure you are ready for your interviews, take this self-assessment.
Read on to learn about the 5 Types of Interview Questions.
