We do it over and over again- study a compelling company, study a job spec, sift through a bunch of matching resumes, interview a number of the candidates, and put the closest matches in for the position. Clients tell us we maintain a lower ratio of submittals to placements than the competition, but we still have one issue responsible for most of the “no offer” outcomes-lack of candidate preparation derails the interview.

Here’s a checklist for making sure you have done everything you can to adequately prepare.

2. What is the deal with the company? Where are they going, where have they been, why may it be the best possible place for you to work? Study everything on their website, their financials if they are public, and any other info you can find to get the best possible idea about how you can contribute.

3. We know from lots of painful experience the amount of technical preparation you do (or don’t) is absolutely the single biggest determinant of your odds of getting an offer.  The company has already decided your background looks acceptable. Do what it takes to get yourself through the technical aspect of the interview. Even if you have worked extensively with every technology the company has asked for, you need to prep so you can blow the other candidates out of the water. It’s all relative. Review your documentation on the projects you worked on that relate. Study the manuals or sites related to those technologies. Take some Brainbench or other tests and see how you do. Pretend you are the interviewer and ask yourself questions to make sure you can talk in detail about anything on your resume. Anything on it is fair game. Make sure you are ready to defend it.

4. Be able to articulate why you want to work for this company. Usually if a candidate does great on the technical interview but doesn’t demonstrate a true desire for the position or company, we get a “no hire.” response. We like to use a dating analogy-finding someone beautiful and smart and all the other attributes you want doesn’t do anything for you if they don’t exhibit a strong desire to be with you, doing what you want to do, where you want to do it. What are the reasons you want to live in their city and work on their projects? Better have a bunch of reasons if you want an offer.

5. Show that you are flexible. We just had a candidate get turned down for a job because the person is so focused on Java development that she told the interviewers working with other languages isn’t something she would consider. Companies are looking for people who adapt to working with whatever tech develops the best solution for their customer, not people who get hopelessly locked onto one tool no matter what the challenge.

6. What is your plan to show each person in the interviewing loop that you’d be a great co-worker? What intelligent questions do you have for other developers, for managers, and for HR?  Here’s a free one:  what is the most significant technical obstacle facing the team right now?  If you can find out what the answer to that is and help the company overcome it, you’ve got the job.

7.  CONNECT.  We tend to slide into a mental rut with interviewing.  Interviewers ask the same list of 20 technical questions of every candidate.  Interviewees put on a suit, answer some technical questions, claim to be a team player, and go home.  It’s all rather boring.  Do something different.  Google your interviewer and compliment them on something you see in their background.  Find out about the projects they are passionate about.  Find out why they live in the city they do.  Use your human capabilities to start building a lasting connection that will benefit you both, even if you don’t get the job.