Do ...

• Arrive 10 minutes early. No more, no less. Late attendance is never excusable. Arriving too early may be seen as an intrusion for those who aren't ready to receive you.

• Check your appearance (teeth, hair, clothes) prior to the interview.

• Shake hands with everyone you meet during the interview.

• Choose to sit in a chair rather than on a couch for better interview posture.

• Rise from your chair to shake hands with and greet new people who enter the room to join the interview.

• Truthfully and directly answer questions. Be sure you answer the questions the interviewer really asks rather than ones you feel more confident answering.

• Get the interviewer to describe the position and responsibilities early in the conversation so you can relate your skills and your background to the position throughout the interview.

• Discuss your qualifications. Stress accomplishments that are most pertinent to the job.

• Positively conduct yourself. Smile, make eye contact, nod occasionally to indicate understanding/agreement, don't slouch, and maintain your composure.

• Dress appropriately. Even if casual dress is common to the workplace, dress up for the interview.

• Ask questions throughout the interview. Rather than a one-sided conversation, an interview should be a mutual exchange of information. The interviewer will appreciate not having to initiate all the dialogue.

• Listen. Concentrate not only on the interviewer's words, but also on his/her tone of  voice and body language. Once you understand how an interviewer thinks, pattern your answers accordingly to better relate.

Don't ...

• Interrupt the interviewer. If you don't have time to listen, neither will he/she.

• Answer vague questions. Rather than answer puzzling questions, kindly ask the interviewer for clarification and then respond.

• Smoke, chew gum, or place anything on the interviewer's desk.

• Be overly familiar (address by first names, joke excessively, give pats on the back, etc.) even if the interviewer demonstrates familiarity.

• Wear heavy perfume or cologne.

• Ramble. Long answers can sound apologetic, indecisive, or unfocused in your thinking. Conversely, avoid answering questions with a laconic "yes" or "no." Support your answers with brief, specific anecdotes from your employment history.

• Consume alcoholic beverages or order expensive entrees if the interview comprises lunch or dinner.