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Q-2.1 What is the purpose of a job interview? An interview is a two-way street. An eager candidate that acts desperate enough to accept a job without research comes across as just that -- desperate and/or insincere. It sometimes happens that the company extends a job offer to the candidate, who declines to accept it because of something s/he's learned during the interview. This is better for both sides, than if s/he took the position and resigned in a few months. Don't assume that the second, third or fourth interview is just a formality, even if your prospective superior told you so. You can give such a bad impression to your superior's superior that she'll veto his choice. Q-2.2 How do I prepare for the interview? Practice a lot with a family member, a friend, or a recruiter, answering the questions in Q-2.6 and any realistic technical questions you can think of. Some candidates find it helpful to be video- or audio-taped during a practice interview, and to review their answers later. Find out as much background information as you can about the company and its products/services, corporate culture, mission, organizational structure, affiliations, challenges, and competitors, even if it looks like useless trivia. Use WWW, periodicals databases, trade magazines, reference books, so you can impress the interviewer with intelligent question and discussion. Don't memorize numbers (such as sales figures) but be familiar with their product line and the recent media coverage. If you know someone who works for the company, ask them about all of the above, as well as working conditions and benefits. It gives a very good impression to the interviewers when they tell you, "One of our flagship products is the Pneumatic Gizmorizer," and you say to that, "Of course, I read it was voted Gizmorizer of the year by the Gizmo Monthly." If the company is publicly traded (US), it must file annual and quarterly financial reports that are available on the Internet and give relevant figures such as the number of employees, sales, earnings. Many of these figures are useful only to an accountant. You can also call up the company's stockholder relations department and request a copy of their annual report. It will generally describe their product line and plans for growth. The section called "Management Analysis and Discussion" is often very useful for a job candidate. Try to learn about the persons interviewing you (publications and patents, if applicable). If the interview is arranged by a third party recruiter, s/he may be able to answer some of your questions. Ask what kind of questions you will be asked, so you can be prepared. Ask how many people will speak to you, their names and titles. Prepare a list of questions you want answered (see Q-2.10) and write them on a piece of paper. Q-2.3 How do I dress for the interview? That depends on the position, but it seldom hurts to be formal. When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to ask. Asking, "Should I wear a business suit?" when you arrange the interview on the phone is easy and quite appropriate. If the company's offices are nearby, you can drop by and see how the employees dress. Your appearance is the first thing the interviewer notices about you, so it should be as favorable and professional as possible. Your grooming should be immaculate, with hair and nails clean. Stress may cause sweating and body odor. Watch out for bad breath --- you may not notice it, but the interviewer will. If appropriate, clean and press your clothes, comb your hair, scrape your chin, and shine your shoes. A note for men with long hair: if you observe that all men in the company dress conservatively and wear their hair short, then you should either cut yours or not waste your time interviewing there. If the hair is not a problem, then make sure it's clean and neat. A ponytail can help. It's difficult (but possible) to overdress for an interview. A cocktail dress for a woman or a tuxedo for a men would probably be inappropriate. Business