The purpose of any interview (aside from being an opportunity
to find out more about the company) is to determine whether you
are the kind of person who can do the job, can do more then the
job, and will fit in with the company's people, values and goals.
Of course, your goal is to show the employer that the answers are
yes, yes and yes. Once you realize this, you're already ahead of
the game. Now you all you need do is learn how to turn the
interview into a job offer.
It's a Two-Way Street
The interview is perhaps the single most important step in the
job-seeking process. All your accomplishments until now, from
your stellar GPA to your professional resume, are irrelevant if
you can't make a good impression at this meeting. The employer
knows enough about you to be interested, but not enough to hire
you. Now is the time to show that you are more than the sum of
your parts. You are charming, intelligent, can work well under
pressure... in short, you are an ideal employee.
But don't forget — interviews should be a two-way exchange of
information. Besides being an opportunity to market yourself as a
well-qualified professional, they offer you a chance to find out
if this is the kind of environment in which you'd feel
comfortable working.