If you're in the job or internship market, and ready for an interview, there are few things that you should know before you walk into the office door.

With an job interview in hand, you should have a certain amount of confidence; you've made the first cut. Someone was impressed enough by your resume to take time out of their busy schedule to meet with you.

Too much or too little confidence in this situation can be a dangerous thing! Based on our years of interviewing experience, we've condensed our best advice into a simple "dos and don'ts" list.

Note: Some of this advice may sound silly, but it all comes out of real experiences we've had in real interviews!

Interview Don'ts

Interview Dos

Leave your cell phone or beeper on during the interview Eat (or chew gum!) during the interview, unless offered food or drink by the interviewer Get casual. Don't slouch, take off your shoes, or prop your feet on the interviewer's desk Put people (such as former bosses) down – you might discover that the person you're describing is the interviewer's cousin or best friend! Be negative. No one wants to hire a downer who's always criticizing and carping. Wander off onto tangents unrelated to the job, the organization, or the interviewer Repeat yourself over and over or drill a particular point into the ground; the interviewer probably heard it the first two times you said it.... Pretend to have skills or knowledge that you don't have, such as mastery of a particular computer application. You will get caught, whether in the interview or on the job. Instead, point out what you do know (e.g. "I haven't worked much with Access, but I am experienced with Excel, and I'm sure I could learn quickly!) Jump the gun with questions about issues such as parking, which will only matter if you are offered the job and have to decide whether or not to accept.

Prepare yourself by learning as much as you can about the organization/company, the job, and the interviewer(s) Dress appropriately – which might mean something different for a law firm (serious business suit) than for a campus office (nice skirt or slacks) Be on time – or even a little early Shake hands (firmly – no dead fish!) when you meet the interviewer(s) and when you leave Use the interview to explain how your qualifications fit the requirements of the job Use your answers to questions to show your experience and skills are a match for their needs Prepare for likely questions, such as your strengths and weaknesses, where you expect to be in 5 or 10 years, what you like to do, etc. Formulate a few questions about the substance of the job and the organization that demonstrate your interest and your degree of preparedness ("I noticed on your web site that the organization does XYZ -- can you tell me a little bit more about how I might get involved in that if I were in this job?") Send a thank-you note, which can reiterate your interest in the job and underscore key abilities or interests that make you a good candidate.