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What matters most in an interview is making the interviewer feel, "I'd want to work with this person." Once the minimum level of practical ability from the job description is verified, that is often almost everything.
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In Silicon Valley interviews, I always checked what T-shirt the interviewer was wearing first. Developers often wear company T-shirts from other tech firms. If you use that as a way to show interest in them, build rapport, and break the ice, the interview atmosphere immediately improves. And once the atmosphere improves, the interviewer starts helping you.
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"What interviewers hate most is an exhausting interview. On the other hand, when they meet someone they connect with and enjoy talking to, the whole interview feels much more positive. Early on, it's important to pull them into the conversation and make them want to engage."
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"When you ask questions, the interviewer feels that you are prepared, curious, and serious. That creates trust. Interviews with candidates who ask nothing are genuinely boring. The thought of working with that person every day feels awful."
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"An interview is not a zero-sum game where one side wins and the other loses. You need to exchange ideas with the interviewer and build trust through the conversation. Create a loop of 'question -> information -> follow-up question' to make the interaction richer."
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"When you mirror the interviewer's behavior and language, they start to feel that you are similar to them. And when they trust you and feel that similarity, your odds of getting hired rise dramatically."
