[drusenko]

From a startup company's perspective (hiring a web developer):

- Any effort you make to show interest in the company goes a long way. Use the software, come prepared to talk about what you did/didn't like, and have questions for me. Are you interested in working here? Then you should be full of questions!

- Have a personal home page. Doesn't have to be flashy, but it should suit its purpose. An appealing website is nice (it says, I have some design taste, and I can do basic design tasks on my own), a sparse website can also communicate something (here is a list of my impressive projects, I am very technically knowledgeable). If you can combine both, even better! :)

- Work on cool stuff. This is the #1 differentiator (and it's all about differentiation). If you have 3 links to something really neat you worked on in the last 3 years, that places you well above most other candidates -- it shows that you love what you do.

- Be excited! I know you're probably nervous (most people in interviews are, and hey, your interviewer might be too), but get yourself excited about the job, and show it. Startups need enthusiasm and commitment, and this is a great way to show that you're going to be someone who ups the energy level.

You'd be surprised how many people fail here on some basics. Getting hired is a differentiation game. Your resume doesn't get you an interview (it can only prevent you from getting one). A short email along the following lines places you in the top 90% of candidates who apply:

"Hi [company person],

Josh [mutual friend] sent me your job listing for a web developer, and as I was reading it I kept thinking that it sounded like a perfect match.

I'll be graduating from [school name] this spring and am currently looking for a full-time position. I've been following [company name] for a while and love what you guys do.

I've attached my resume, but even more importantly, you might want to check out some of the projects I've been working on recently: [really cool project 1], [really cool project 2], [really cool project 3].

Feel free to call me anytime at [cell], or email me back.

Looking forward to hearing back from you.

[name]"

[evansolomon]

I do lots of hiring for technical positions (marketing and other business-y tasks) but I couldn't agree more with these two points, and I think they are relevant no matter what job you are applying for. They really make a HUGE difference in whether or not I pay attention enough to remember you, which in turn is probably the biggest factor in how likely I am to hire you.

- Any effort you make to show interest in the company goes a long way. Use the software, come prepared to talk about what you did/didn't like, and have questions for me. Are you interested in working here? Then you should be full of questions!

- Work on cool stuff. This is the #1 differentiator (and it's all about differentiation). If you have 3 links to something really neat you worked on in the last 3 years, that places you well above most other candidates -- it shows that you love what you do.

[sokoloff]

I don't usually mention where I work, but it's very relevant to this point about showing interest in the company. (I run IT for Vistaprint.)

I was interviewing someone for a mid-level systems engineering position, and the interview seemed to be going well-enough. I always wrap up with a few minutes for the candidate to ask questions about the company, and the only question this candidate had was "Have you guys ever considered building a website where people can design and order business cards?"

Blink; blink; WTF? Uh, yeah, we did about $250M in business that way last year, so I'd say we've given it some thought.

An employer is going into the interview with some need that they're hoping you can fill. That need is almost certainly not "I need to make sure the next person in the door can pay rent and buy food." so you shouldn't go into the interview focused on that either. By all means, you have your own set of needs that you need filled, but in the interview, focus on the employer's need, not your own.