once i got on the "inside" and realized how hilariously disorganized and haphazard interviews are... it really took a lot of the mystique away.
hard to be as nervous when you've seen the guy "from the other side" dropping such gems as:
"oh shit i'm on a phone screen in 15 minutes? what the hell am i gonna talk about?"
"yeah so i kind of missed the last 30 minutes of whatever that guy said"
"all i wrote down in my notes was 'I WANT TO PUNCH THIS CANDIDATE IN THE FACE'"
"i just ask them to explain concepts to me as if i'm evaluating them, so it's not obvious i have no idea what they're talking about"
^ all more or less legit quotes
LOL, exactly!!! Most people doing the interviewing have no desire to be there, have squeezed it into their schedule, are not really paying attention, are not always the most knowledgable, etc.....
Also remember that a job description is also a wishlist of what an employer would want in a candidate....most candidates have only 75% of the traits the employer is after....the missing piece is developed OTJ.
Be confident, be polite, be respectful, be funny (but not too funny), always let them know you're a definite team player (who loves working with people...blah, blah, blah) but also someone that can lead and work independently. Dress like a professional even if the job is collecting trash.