Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

• Do Your Homework: Little things can set you apart from other candidates. Research the company you will be interviewing with. Many companies today have Web sites. Visit their Web site and read up on the company history, structure, products, and services. Talk with your MATRIX Associate about the position so that you have a clear understanding of what the organization is looking for.
• Know Your Experience: Make sure you are able to talk about your roles and responsibilities, the projects you’ve worked on, and their benefits or results.

First Impressions Mean a Lot

• Dress Appropriately: An interview is a professional business meeting; dress conservatively in accordance with the dress code for the company. If the company has a casual dress code, get direction from your MATRIX Associate as to the appropriate dress for the interview. You can always dress down later. Standard conservative dress for men consists of a dark business suit, white shirt, conservative tie, and shined shoes. For women, a dark suit or dress with matching shoes is appropriate.
• Be Ten Minutes Early: Nothing bothers a busy manager more than waiting for a candidate who is late. It also makes for an awkward start to the interview. If the unavoidable happens—a traffic accident or illness for example—call your MATRIX Associate or interview contact immediately.
• Greet with Confidence: Enthusiasm, together with a self-confident smile, will go a long way toward establishing the best first impression. Stand when greeting your interviewer, and give a firm handshake. Make eye contact. Model your posture, intensity, and speech patterns after that of the interviewer. Break the ice with a universal topic; avoid controversial issues. Remember that your interpersonal skills are just as important as your technical skills.

Goals of the Interview—Making It Count

• Your Mission—Secure an Offer: It is your job to effectively present your skills and experience to the interviewer and to show how they relate to the open position. If anything comes up during the interview that may be an issue, just make a note. You can address any concerns you may have with your Associate after the interview—in most cases, any concerns you have about the opportunity can be resolved.
• Get Your Questions Answered: Make sure you get any questions you may have about the position, responsibilities, or company answered during the interview so that you can determine if this is a good opportunity for you.

Be a  Breath of Fresh Air: Show Empathy for Your Future Boss.

Great advice on job prep from Marc Cenedella , CEO & Founder of TheLadders.com
“In the interview, ask your future boss "how do I help you get a gold star at the end of the year?" So often in interviews, we are focused on what the opportunity means to "me" — what will I get out of the job, what will I be doing, and how do I match up to the position?

But you have to remember that your future boss is also thinking what this role means for "me" — what will this person do for me and my team, how will this person help us achieve our goals, how will this person make me more successful?

If you think about it, how difficult was it for your future boss to get this position approved? Well, in these tough economic times, it was probably very difficult. To justify additional headcount in a still crummy economy, your future boss probably had to jump through hoops and hoops with Finance and HR to get permission to hire somebody new.

So when you show an empathy for, and interest in, their situation and their success, you'll be like a breath of fresh air. By asking how you can help your future boss get a gold star, you're changing how you are viewed from being just another mouth to feed, to being somebody whose goals and motivations are aligned with theirs. You're setting yourself apart as somebody who will balance their own needs with the needs of others. And you're showing that you're committed to making your boss successful.
And that is just exactly the type of person who gets hired in our present economic environment.“