Tips on the interview and making an impression

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I have a batch of job interviews this week as I look to start my career. Some of the I got interviews i got include THQ and IBM. I would love to get that IBM job since that would be great start for me.

I would like to hear from you guys on how I should prepare for these interviews and during the interview and making an impression. If you have any personal experiences you guys/gals can share, that would relay help. As mentioned on a previous thread on the side of the forums I WON'T MENTION MY ASPERGER'S to my potential employers. I will be dressing myself to the 9's with a fancy suit.

Learn about the company
Bathe
Dress for the office
Show up 15 minutes early
Smile
Make eye contact
Answer only the questions that are asked
Make positive comments
Don't dis past employers
No whining, complaining, or profanity
Thank the interviewers for their time
Leave happy

Good list, I am preparing a question list if they ask me "Do you have any Questions?"

Also, i am gonna let them know of a vacation that i have coming up

From my perspective, "Do you have any questions?" gives me any opportunity to find out what they are really thinking. Here are some of the responses I've received:

"How soon can I start?" or "Which office will be mine?" - Bad. Both presume that the candidate is already hired.

"Are there any men/women my age?" - Bad. I do not run a dating service, nor do I hire a person based on his or her sexuality, nor does the company pay its employees to "date" each other during business hours.

"Does your company actively accomodate it's employees religious practices?" - Bad. I do not hire a person based on his or her religion, nor does the company pay a person to hold services or proselytize during business hours.

"On your company's website, it mentions ________. Are their any current projects deploying this technology?" - Good. It shows an interest in the company's projects outside of the specific job.

"Is the company listed on the NYSE? If so, what is the abbreviation?" - Good. It shows an interest in learning more about the company from a financial standpoint.

"Is there a company sports team?" - Good. It shows that the candidate is interested in being a team member and work/play in cooperation with the other employees.

Should I ask about how soon they they will get back to me? I since i have a few interviews, I may get multiple offers and i dont know if the offers will happen at once or have them spaced out over a few days and if i accept a job offer before something better comes around, it looks like i am stuck with that initial offer in order for me not to look bad.

I am also gonna mention to them of a vacation that I am taking, to let them know of my availability. Would this be a negative in my job hunt?

Also, i intend to write down some notes during my interview, is this a good idea?

dunno about the US, but in my interviews they always told me when they'll get back to me...otherwise just ask politely, it's necessary information for you..
they'll also want to know when you can join....if you aren't available for a long time, it might be a problem if they have another suitable candidate.
notes are also a good idea..shows that you are serious ..ofc writing stuff down shouldnt be your main focus

I'm bad at interviews, so take this with a grain of salt...

I usually tell them, "You should hear from us in ________ days with an offer, if one is forthcoming", and hope that they take the hint. Honestly, It makes me uncomfortable to promise a specific date, especially when something about the candidate just does not seem right, or when a more-qualified candidate might be waiting in the hallway. Keep in mind that an employer will almost never notify a person that they did not get the job, although such notices are most often delivered by post or email.

Maybe ... if you can afford to take a vacation during a job hunt, do you really need a job? A better tactic would be to give them your mobile number, and cut your vacation short if they decide to hire you. It's never good form to put off the first day of a new job.

If done discretely, but ask beforehand. Do not delay a response to a question to write something down. A better tactic would be to wait until the interview is over, and then write down everything you remember.

Doesn't sound like you see employer and employee as equals. I guess you have to do that if work is really scarce. Why shouldn't someone enjoy a vacation between switching jobs? And...getting back to the candidate at a certain date is in the interest of the employer as well..otherwise the candidate might have accepted another job already. It's just a matter of respect of telling someone that they didn't get the job.
If an employer expects a candidate to abandon everything that is in his interest but to fulfill all the interests of the company..they're not very likely to have much respect for their employees in general.

Then again maybe this attitude is why I'm having no success in interviews.
So go with his Fnord's advice.

That's right - they're not.

Yes, it's an employer's market.

No reason not to, but if I have to choose between a person who can start tomorrow, and a person that can't start until next week (he's cliff-diving in Acapulco), I'm going to hire the person that can start tomorrow.

That's why we narrow it down to the three top candidates - the top person gets the first offer. If he turns it down, we contact the second, and so forth.

An email is sufficient: "Dear Candidate, Thank you for your application. Unfortunately...". Need I continue?

If a prima-donna candidate expects the corporation to bend over backward to accommodate his or her vacation schedule, he should consider the 300 or so other candidates who would jump through flaming hoops to get the same offer.

BINGO! WE HAVE A WINNAH!! !

Indeed.

Just got back from the interview #1! it went very well I explained my previous experiences and gave some info on my working and academic background. The interviewer did make some long explanations on certain things. I did hear the guy out as to his explanations about the company and my potential roll in the company. I asked a small list of questions that I saved towards the end of the interview and I was able to get though all of them. I was given a tour of the place, it was alright but then I saw the place I could be working in and it was a bit of a downer. It was a small laptop next to a few copy machines in a corner. Then I saw the R&D part and it did not help my image of the place. It was littered with computer parts and stuff. They will call me back for a second interview within a week. Next up is THQ!

successfully fulfilled the stereotype...
neither the candidate nor the employer should be a primadonna..otherwise it's gonna be a crappy relationship.

Yeah that about sums it up....so if you can do all those things they will definatly help. Its not quite so easy for those who have trouble with eye contact and smiling when its not natural for them.

Well done!

"A small laptop next to a few copy machines in the corner" is more than I had on my first R&D job - a cardboard box in my supervisor's cubicle near the basement stairway.

I have yet to see an R&D area that was not "littered with computer parts and stuff".

Just remember everything I told you.

Every stereotype has a kernel of truth at its core. In this case, the stereotype is the truth.

In the current economic environment, employers can act like braying jackasses as long as they do nothing illegal, and the employees had better learn to live with it or look for another job.

As I stated before, it's an employer's market. That is, there are many more qualified candidates than there are positions to fill. Employers can afford to be picky, and can even be Prima-Donnas about it, and anyone looking for work had better get used to it.

Well, if you sit far enough away from the interviewers, you can focus on a spot on the wall between them. "Smiling" is easy - just turn up the corners of your mouth and raise your eyebrows. That's what I do, and it seems to be close enough.

Update #2. Went to THQ yesterday for my interview. I was tested on some code for about an hour by a senior programmer. He pointed out some things I left out or errors I made but this this was to evaluate my coding prowess. Then I was given another interviewer by HR. She asked me the usual questions at interviews and such. The facilities look amazing and something i can see myself working in. I think the code i did (including a test i did a few weeks ago) were a little over my head in terms of my programming knowledge but i wanted to make an attempt into something i have potential in. Next up IBM!