The Compleat Interview
If you have ever interviewed someone for the purpose of hiring them, then it is easier when the tables are turned and you are looking to be hired. If you have never hired someone, take a second to imagine someone walking into your office looking to be hired, and what you would focus on. Think of what would impress you and remain with you after the job seeker has left the room.
Impressions
Recent studies have confirmed the necessity for proper dress, eye contact and posture during the interview, especially the first impressions. There are hundreds of articles on this topic so I won't go into details here. Here are a couple of tips, however.
When you first get to the lobby, ask the receptionist for the restroom. This not only prevents later issues of having to go to the bathroom in the middle of an interview, but more importantly allows a quick check in the mirror to find those wild hair or clothes management issues - rather than finding them after the interview (I hate that).
There is an interview technique where the interviewee (you) is asked what you liked most or least about a prior job, a prior project, or even a prior manager. This is a trap in that there is no criticism of a prior job that you can utter that does not sound like sour grapes. Your previous manager could have been the worst manager in the world and gotten fired, but you saying so just makes you sound like a whiner, a risk. So look at your resume and think what you would answer if asked what you liked least about it, and make it sound positive: "I didn't like that I was working only on small projects and wanted to work on the more advanced issues."
A second-interview technique is to load you with interviews, talking to a more than a half dozen people over a full day. This is no stress on them as any interviewer only has to be present for less than an hour, but after a few hours you will be dizzy and tired. If you live close by, when making arrangements with HR see if you can divide the interviews into two half-days. This will be much to your advantage as you will be fresher and more presentable for the second half.
Knowledge
It is assumed that you have some knowledge of the required job skills, but to stand out, you need knowledge of the company's product/service and the hiring company itself (is it private or public?). You could easily be coming up against someone looking for the same job who used to work in the exact same product line for the competition. Using the Internet, look up the company, product or service where you would be working, and completely familiarize yourself with it. If any questions arise, write them down - you may be able to ask them at appropriate times during the interview. An intelligent question is just as good as an intelligent answer.
If you are ever asked if you want a tour of the plant or to see the action, jump at the chance. This will be your opportunity to show your knowledge (and questions) so the hiring manager will feel comfortable imagining you working there.
Also look up what other jobs are being offered in the Careers or Employment section of the company's web site. This will give you an idea of what kind of team they are building, what kind of people you will be working with, and the skill levels required of them.
Look up competitors for the product line of interest. During the interview, it may not help to know details of competitive products, but knowing the list of competitors is beneficial. Mainly the competitor sites will give you more general knowledge of the product lines, which will help you talk intelligently about the hiring company's products or services.
Generate A Handout
Whether you know it or not, you have a portfolio of relevant information that shows you are qualified for the job. You have an expanded resume. You have samples of prior work. You have letters of recommendation. You have slick brochures touting products you have worked on. (Do not leave a company without bringing such information with you. Not new, company-private information, but old samples.) Put the samples together in a thin bound booklet and make several copies. The booklet can be referenced during the interview ("Yes, I have done similar work, as seen here...") and you can leave a copy with the hiring manager. Don't worry about making the portfolio complete, just make it interesting. In fact you don't want it complete so you can generate a follow-up which will be discussed later.
Talk To Nearest Employee
For the second interview, you want to ask to talk to the employee who is nearest to your job description. Not the manager, but the worker bee. This is impressive in itself as you are indicating you are taking some control and interviewing the company in addition to the company interviewing you. If there is no employee who has the same job description, ask for an equivalent employee in another area.
Such an interview is priceless. Firstly, the employee is not prepared to interview you so has no pre-cast answers as a manager would. This leaves him to answer informally, which is just the format you want. Put the employee at ease by saying you just want to find out what a day-in-the-life is like, and start with simple questions about how long he worked there, starting time and lunch breaks. Then ask if he has ever worked any Saturdays in the past year, what he liked best about the last project, etc. Soon you will learn extremely useful information you would never get from a hiring manager.
Take Notes
You should be frequently writing during the interview - about as much as you would during a meeting. Not so much that the interview is lengthened while everyone waits for you to finish writing, but enough that you get the important facts and show interest. Make sure you write the name and title of everyone you see. As soon as you get home you need to write up the notes. During any follow-up phone conversation or second interview, you will often need to refer to the notes.
The Salary Question
They have the right to ask you what your salary expectations are, just as you have the right to ask what they have budgeted for this position. Similarly, you both have the right to decline to answer. I have never seen someone rejected for declining to answer, but I have seen people rejected for giving the wrong answer. I just say "It's too early to discuss that" and it usually is. The fact is, you don't really know what you expect until the last interview is over. If the job is fantastic, you will accept less. If the job is tough and has long hours, you will expect more. Also you may be simultaneously researching cost of living of the area if you are moving, and you won't have any salary expectations until that research is complete. Bottom line is the ball is in their court to give you an offer. You can't fault them for asking, but they can't fault you for declining to answer.
Follow-up
Make sure you obtain a business card from the hiring manager. This means you have to have a card to give to him, so have cards made up simply with your name, phone number and email address. What I'm about to suggest is useless if you are dealing only with HR. During the interview, if some topic comes up that is not covered in your portfolio, but you have a relevant document at home, write it down. Later when you get home, send it to him with a very brief note as to how you enjoyed the interview. This will show your ability to correspond as well as follow-up on a subject that came up in your interview.