Long Before The Interview

• Do meet-and-greets and build rapport with companies. Say who you met with, what you learned, have follow-up questions on that. Show you're proactive, aggressive, like to learn.
• Figure out what your value proposition is, and pitch that.
• Prepare your questions and ask them. Make sure you fit, interview them!
• Evaluate the work environment -- is this the place for you?
• Educate yourself on the selected company
• Determine why you want to work for their firm -- this is a real way to differentiate yourself, most people won't be able to answer this question.
• Use the buzzwords strategically
• Think of all products as a brand, figure out what makes things good or bad products -- even down to the packaging.
• Watch TV and analyze ads -- ask yourself "why are they running this ad?" "what makes this ad better than [adjacent comparable ad]?"
• Spend time researching the target company
• Read industry, trade mags -- BrandWeek,AdWeek, AdAge, trade from that specific industry. Many of these are available online! Check with the CRC or Google search for these mags if you don't know what they are. Go to Procter Library (HOH 2nd floor), they can help you.
• Visit the industry channels of distribution (go to the store!). Be able to answer the questions "what is next to my brand?" "how do I get more space for my brand?"

Immediately Before The Interview

Before you even go into the interview, make sure you've dressed for success. If you've got sweaty palms, a good wash with soap and warm (not hot or cold) water will keep your hands dry for about ten minutes. Show up 15 minutes early to make the best impression! Don't worry about rehearsing up until the last minute; better to take those 15 minutes to relax.