Passion for technology.
Do you read tech news sources, and can you talk about the latest developments and trends? Do you enjoy thinking up new ways of applying or improving technology? Be ready to tell an interviewer about it.
Passion for the company.
At any top tech enterprise, McDowell says, hiring managers want to see that you're familiar with the company's products -- and if you have suggestions for how they could be improved, so much the better.
Creativity.
"If you're asked to design something from scratch, can you brainstorm lots of features you'd want?" McDowell asks. "When you're asked to solve a problem, do you push back on assumptions or constraints?" An example or two from your current or past activities
would serve you well in an interview.
Initiative.
This "might be something as nontraditional as putting on a photography show," says McDowell -- or starting a blog, launching a business, or pitching in at a nonprofit. "How have you gone above and beyond?" she asks. "What have you done outside of work" -- or
in your case, outside of school? Emphasize accomplishments that nobody required of you but that you took on out of sheer enthusiasm.