I go into an interview with the attitude “Why would I want to work here?” I have valuable, marketable skills and so I not only mirror my interviewer, but I also push them a bit to find out what makes this such a great place to work.

Interviewers can sense confidence, and if you walk in with your hat in your hand and an attitude of deference, I think it hurts your chances more than it helps.

If you’ve got good skills, make THEM impress you, not the other way around. I’ve never felt the need to prove myself excessively to an employer, as I generally receive several job offers within a short timeframe.

It’s a potential business arrangement, and you should realize that you are on equal footing with the potential employer.

I once had an interviewer drill me mercilessly, making unreasonable requests and trying to test my technical skills on subjects that are difficult to demonstrate, and even having the gall to question me about their proprietary internal products! After about 10 minutes of grilling I stood up, shook his hand and said, “I’m sorry, this isn’t the opportunity I’m seeking. Thanks for your time.”

The interviewer backpedalled rapidly, apologizing profusely, but I just nodded, repeated myself, and left.

Do this once in your life..it’ll boost you up tremendously!

I worked as a front desk receptionist for a construction company for a while. They decided to do some hiring. They handed me a stack of blank applications and told me to give one to everyone who came in to apply. The potential employees filled them out while waiting in the lobby then gave them back to me.
I was supposed to write my first impression of them in the upper corner before setting them up for the interview. I was supposed to also say whether I would be comfortable if this person came into my home to do some work.

I gave a good review to most of the people, but there were a couple of guys who were extremely rude. They were upset because they were not going to be interviewed that same day and thought that by being rude they would get their way. Little did they know it probably cost them their chance at the job.

You never know who has a say in whether you get hired or not.

In general, I think a lot of what goes into a successful interview–assuming that you have the qualifications, or close to them–is building rapport without obviously using rapport-building techniques. No one likes to be confronted with the fact that they’re being manipulated (see the salesman vibe). I think this is more likely to happen if you have been, long before you sent in your resume or started a job search, cultivating genuine interest in other people. If you go in with that basic attitude and there is still no rapport, then that’s a good sign that the organization is not for you. Even in these hard economic times, you’re interviewing them as well as vice versa.

Oh, and one more particular thing: Assume you’re being observed as soon as you come in sight of the employer’s front door, and treat everyone you encounter with courtesy, kindness, and respect. If you’re a gentleman you already know to do this. And the kind of organization that you want to work for will notice and value such things.

I interview people for a major company, and I would say that one of my biggest things is how much do the people I’m interviewing already know about the company. If you come in blind, and not knowing what you’re getting in to, they’re likely to pick up on that. When someone I’m interviewing doesn’t know much or anything about the company, I tend to think that they’re not really that interested in the job. However, if you come in with an already developed, healthy knowledge of the company, they’re going to be impressed by that. It will show that you’ve done some research, and that you’ve come in prepared.

However, I’ve had it blow up more than once. There are some interviewers out there with no soul, apparently.

Whatevs.

Also look around the office, if you see hockey memorablila and you’re a hockey fan, mention something to bond over that. Even a rival team, say you’re a Rangers fan and the interviewer is a Flyers fan, you’ll have something to break the ice.

Same with those with Military insignia, even something as innocuous as a picture of their family at Disneyland, the dog doing something cute.

The idea is not only to break the ice but to make the interviewer see you as human and a potential interesting and nice person. Over the years I’ve hired less qualified people because I’ve connected with them. A Harvard degree doesn’t make for an interesting person – if I’m spending a good portion of my life at the office I would like it to be with pleasant (for the most part) people.

(disclaimer – I’m not picking specifically on Harvard, honest.)

In this day of digital everything something via snail mail, a hand written letter via snail mail will make one stand from the crowd.

Save the cute toys, internet slang and lingo for face-book. I actually got one e-mail saying I was the “snizzle.” While I thought the applicant was “hire-able” that one word took him out of the running. Am I a snob? Possibly, but why would I want to hire someone that wouldn’t fit into my department. He can go off and become Snoop Dog after work.