Go on every interview you can, even if a position appears uninteresting. The interviewing practice will dramatically improve your interviewing skills, and it’s not uncommon for a position to sound more attractive when explained in person. There is also the possibility that the employer will have another position available, either now, or in the near future, that is a better fit for you.

An interview is an opportunity for you to gather information about a position and potential employer. If offered the position, you will need this information to decide if you are interested in the job. Come prepared with questions to ask, and a notepad to jot down information

Remember that your resume gets you the interview, but it’s the interview that gets you the job. It is (unfortunately) common for companies to hire the candidate that comes across best in the interview rather than the candidate who is most qualified.

The qualities that interviewers look for in a candidate are:

When scheduling an interview, do your best to accommodate the interviewer’s time constraints, not your own. Take a half day off from work if necessary to make sure you don’t have a problem arriving on time or having enough time. Don’t cancel and reschedule. If you decide not to interview, make sure you call and cancel, since not only is it rude not to, there may come a time when you are again interested in a position with this same company.

Research the company using the Internet or the library.

Anticipate questions you will be asked and think through how you’ll answer them.

Dress for success. Regardless of the dress code of the potential employer, you want to look your best.

Know where you’re going and arrive at least 15 to 20 minutes early, since you may need to fill out an application when you get there.

Take the phone number of the company with you in case you run late or get lost.

Don’t badmouth your past or present employers, or show bitterness.

Selling yourself is what you are there for. Don’t be shy about "tooting your own horn".

Ask for the job, or at least let them know you are interested. Enthusiasm is one of the key characteristics interviewers look for.

If the interviewer is a "talker" and doesn’t let you get a word in edgewise, you’ll need to tactfully look for opportunities to put in a good word for yourself.

If there are "blemishes" on your resume, you will need to bring them up and address them if the interviewer does not. It is naive to assume that a seasoned decision maker has overlooked a problem. It’s more likely that the problem has been noticed and is being factored in to your qualifications; it’s better to bring it up yourself so you have an opportunity to provide the best possible explanation.

The first step in answering is listening; don’t cut off the question, let the interviewer finish. Make sure you answer the question that was asked; don’t go off on a tangent. While answering, remember to get across favorable information about yourself.

Don’t be longwinded with your answers or you may "talk yourself out of a job." Talking excessively increases the chance you might say something that should have been left unsaid.

Job seekers tend to be overly concerned about correctly answering interview questions, but in most cases the answers are of only incidental interest to the interviewer. The decision maker is more interested in developing an overall opinion of the candidate and his or her character, work ethic, and communication skills. Moreover, experienced interviewers know when you're telling them what you think they want to hear. The best strategy is to answer questions honestly and be yourself. Doing so builds rapport with the interviewer and leaves them with a positive first impression of you.

Being clever when answering questions about income can cause you more harm than good. It’s best to answer honestly when asked how much money you would like to earn. Here’s why: at the conclusion of the interviewing process, you will know much more about the company, position, benefit package, and long-term opportunity; obviously this information will influence your compensation requirements.

If you give the interviewer a figure early on and decide later that the number was too low, that’s ok; you aren’t locked in. The employer knows you will use the information they provide during interviews and the information you gather independently to calculate an acceptable level of compensation.

On the other hand, if the company cannot pay you at least the minimum amount you would accept, it is better to find out early in the process and avoid wasting more time.

Stretching the truth about how much money you currently make, or providing an artificially high income requirement can work against you. The employer may offer the job to someone who has asked for less, or who makes less than what they think you earn (but more than you really do). For example, you provide a potential employer with a compensation requirement 20% over what you are making now—hoping they might just give it to you—but in reality, it’s a desirable job and you would be happy with a 10% raise. This strategy might succeed if you are the only qualified candidate for the position. Otherwise, when the company compares your inflated figure to a lower number requested by another candidate, they will most likely decide to offer the position to the other candidate.

The interview is the time to gather the information you’ll need to evaluate the position and company in order to decide if you are interested in working there. If you ask no questions, the interviewer will assume you are either not interested in the position or are not very particular about where you work. Your best bet is to write down your questions ahead of time and bring them with you to the interview.

The best questions relate to the opportunity presented by the company: "Where do you expect the company to be in five years?" "If I do an excellent job in this position, where can I go from here?"

Avoid asking questions about details that can be ironed out at a later time (like after the job has been offered, but before you accept): "How many weeks of vacation do I get?" "Where will my office be?"