The traditional face-to-face meeting still is the most common format, but there are several others, each having its own peculiarities.

A telephone interview will be relatively easier since you won't dress up or travel, but also harder because of technological limits, like not being able to respond to body language.

An interview over a meal may seem less formal, but you have to be just as careful; practice your best table manners.

A behavioral or situational interview will emphasize how you behaved in an actual situation, or how you think you'd behave in a hypothetical one. Be ready with some stories about how you demonstrated specific strengths pertinent to the job.

If you'll be interviewing internally, say for a promotion, you not only have to prepare for the interview itself, but also handle your relations with co-workers, for instance managing possible gossip about your situation.

Except for a telephone interview, you'll need to know the organization's dress code and make sure you have appropriate clothing and accessories to wear to the interview.

"Appropriate" depends partly on the particular employer and job, so check with the organization as well as general guidelines for men and women and for individual professional fields.

Generally speaking, it's better to be dressed a little more formally than less, and to be comfortable.

Avoid anything that's likely to be perceived as distracting.

Hopefully you've already done some self-assessment to identify what types of jobs and employers are best for you.

And you've done some research or thinking about other things specific to your situation, for instance how your age might be a factor. Or whether you're changing careers. Or what interview preparation is specific to your field, such as government work.

If you need to do some more self-assessment for these or other questions, Monster.com, Yahoo! HotJobs.com, and CareerJournal.com are terrific resources.

• You probably won't be quizzed on these things, but having a sense of them will help you better understand the job and talk more effectively with the interviewer.

If you don't already have a full job description from the employer, ask for one or check the HR section of their website.

What exactly are the job requirements? How do they match your abilities?

How does the job seem to fit into the organization's overall structure or goals? Are you comfortable with that?

How does the job compare to similar jobs elsewhere, or work that you've done before?

• You don't have to use all of the hundreds of possible questions that you can imagine or find online, but several that your research suggests are important or obvious to expect.
• You may or may not be asked these questions, but preparing them gives you self-confidence as well as talking points that you could bring up in conversation.

• Tell me about yourself.
• What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want this job?
• What can you do for this organization?
• Where are you now in your career, and where do you want to go?
• When can you start? Can you commit to our work schedule, and for how long?

• For instance, "When exactly did you work at your last job?"
• In answering this type of question, be honest and direct. If need be, it's usually better to admit and dismiss a minor mistake than to defend it.

• For instance, "Tell me how you solved a significant problem involving your work."
• For this, it helps to prepare some anecdotes beforehand. Choose and tell your story so it illustrates your professionalism and qualifications for this job.

• For instance, "What would you say if I told you that you seem to lack a basic qualification for this position?"
• If pressed about a particular weakness, you could tactfully assert something that counters this perception, or acknowledge the weakness while asserting that your overall qualifications are strong and you're eager to learn.

• For instance, in interviewing for a job at a video store, you could be asked, "What are some of your favorite films by Francois Truffaut?"
• The longer you've worked in a field, the less challenging these types of questions will be. If you're a relative newcomer, you could acknowledge that there may be some gaps in your knowledge but you're ready and willing to learn.

• Questions about things such as your age, race, gender, religion, disabilities, marital status, or sexual orientation are discriminatory and should not be asked in job interviews.
• If you're asked something along these lines, you have options for whether and how to answer.
• You could simply answer and move on, or ask how this relates to the job, or say you don't feel this is an appropriate question.
• However you handle the question, you also have the option afterward of deciding whether this organization is a good fit for you.

Develop persuasive answers that are concise and unscripted enough so they will seem natural in conversation. Create simple outlines and bullet points rather than essays.

Depending on the questions, your answers may be pretty specific or general to fit a range of possible questions. Here again, some anecdotes about how you succeeded in some professional matter can be very useful for lots of potential questions.

Keep your answers honest while accentuating the positive; always avoid making any criticisms or other common interview mistakes.

• What prospects are there for growth or advancement? (Shows you're dedicated and forward thinking.)
• What would a typical day or week be like in this job? (Shows you're realistic and seeking a good fit.)
• What are some of the biggest challenges of the job? (Shows you're serious and focused.)
• Is there anything you'd like to discuss that we didn't go over, or that I could better clarify? (Shows you're thorough and courteous.)
• What's our next step? (Shows you're interested in the job, but not pushy.)

• Will I be expected to work overtime? (Suggests you may not be serious or dedicated.)
• What are the salary and benefits? (Save this for when you have a job offer.)
• Do I have the job? (Suggests pushiness or desperation.)

Practice in front of a mirror or with a friend or career counselor who gives constructive feedback about the form and content of your performance.

Likewise, practice the formal introduction (no limp or sweaty handshakes, please!).

• For instance, state how exactly you improved customer satisfaction at your previous company.
• Numbers can be very persuasive, for instance if you improved revenues by 30%.

• A cell phone.
• A portfolio or folder containing (but not stuffed with) your employer contact info, research, copies of your resumé, a notepad, two pens, and business cards (if you have them).
• Your calendar, in case they want to schedule a follow-up interview.
• An umbrella, if there's any chance of rain.

• Clothes always should be clean and neatly pressed.

Be prepared for possible performance anxiety. You can overcome those natural jitters by doing things like reviewing your research or taking a brisk walk.

Give yourself time to get dressed and groomed, and then be careful to avoid anything that could mess up your appearance.

• This shows respect and good self-management skills, and helps reduce performance anxiety.
• Aim to arrive quite early at the interview location, but don't approach the interviewer until your scheduled time.

• Call the employer before the interview time, be honest about why you're going to be late, apologize, and ask if it's possible to reschedule.
• Maybe you can reschedule and maybe not, but at least try to give yourself that option.