It's Thursday so I'll type fast. Most of these you can google but I'll mention what I've found personally to be the most important:
1.
Dress nice, don't smell like anything. You might think your body spray smells dope but trust me you don't want the interviewers to remember you for your smell.
2.
Have questions ready and make sure it's not stuff you could have looked up yourself on the website. Terrible question: What do you guys do here? A good question will convey your interest in the position and the company, and demonstrate that you understand the job. In my case something like: How are you currently performing (whatever IT process)? Or: Does your group get involved with the networking or security side of things, or are the groups silo'd off for the most part? Ask questions that someone who has had the job before would want to know.
3.
Google common interview questions and be ready to answer them. examples:
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Tell me about yourself. This is not usually the place to mention your anime collection, but rather an opportunity to describe what you've done at previous jobs (or school) and what you'd like to do. If you're not ready to answer this question don't bother showing up at all.
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What is your greatest weakness? It's a bullshit question and they expect a bullshit answer, but it's worth asking because it helps them weed out the truly stupid and/or unprepared applicants. If you say your biggest weakness is losing your temper and screaming at people, well then they've learned some valuable information about you. If you hem and haw for a few minutes trying to think of something to say that's negative but not too negative, they'll see you haven't prepared for the interview. Instead be ready with a common negative trait and mention how you have worked around it in the past. I say I'm not a naturally organized person but working in IT I've learned to use ticketing systems, Outlook reminders, and other tools to stay on top of things.
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What do you like to do for fun? This is again a preparedness question, but use it as an opportunity to explain why you're a good fit for the job. I'm in IT, so I typically mention I like working on computers and home networking stuff as a hobby, along with other non-controversial stuff like reading, movies, board games. Heads up, if you mention you like movies/books/whatever media, be ready for a follow up question like "What kind of movies?" or "What's your favorite movie?" You don't want to pull a Sarah Palin and say "All of them."
Don't say your hobbies are netflix and neogaf. Try to think of something productive or otherwise something almost everyone enjoys. If you don't have any other interests, pick one and dig in.
4.
Be ready to tell stories (if you have relevant experience). You may get "What's a big accomplishment you experienced at your last job?" Or "Describe a situation where something didn't go right and how did you handle it?"
5.
DON'T swear, even if the interviewer does. Don't use excessive or obscure slang. Don't quote memes. Don't call the interviewer man or dude (especially if it's a woman
).
The recurring theme here is to be prepared. And sometimes that preparedness will come only after a few interviews that may not go so well. Like anything else, interviewing is a skill that requires practice, so every failed interview is getting you one step closer to success the next time. Keep at it! Let us know how it goes today. I have a couple interviews coming up myself so I'm in the same boat.
Edit: Forgot a HUGE ONE
6.
Why are you looking for a new position (or why did you leave your last job)? This question is SO CRITICAL and it's so easy to completely sink yourself with a poorly thought-out answer. Never NEVER say you're looking for a new job because your old one sucks, the boss sucks, the commute sucks, whatever. NEVER be negative in an interview. It brings the interviewers down and leaves a lasting impression on them that you're a negative person and a complainer. Not traits most employers are looking for. Talk about your job change in positive terms unless it's just impossible to sugar-coat what happened. In my case I'm looking because the opportunities for advancement at my current job aren't looking good, and my position is changing to something that won't be as challenging or interesting, so I'm looking for new opportunities.
Bonus:
7.
Remember the interviewers' names and use them if possible. If there's 8 people in the room maybe not, but if there's two or three, do your best to remember names and use them organically (don't force it) in your conversation. Like when it's time to ask questions something like "Bill mentioned (whatever), can you (whatever question).
