So you've got a master's of business administration from an Ivy League university, an impressive résumé, and believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that you were born to manage.

So what?

Those credentials don't make you a shoo-in for that executive spot you applied for without doing your homework and showing a little humility.

Confidence is key, but hiring managers recognize the difference between self-assurance and arrogance -- the latter being the No. 1 mistake an upper-level management job candidate can make in an interview, according to a survey by outsourcing firm Robert Half International Inc., which is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif.

"Anyone you meet at a company can have an influence on your ability to get the job," says Laura Ceccato, regional manager of RHI in San Jose, Calif.

Ceccato says hiring managers want executives who are amiable and able to communicate well with employees at all levels. For this reason, she says, a job candidate who displays arrogance toward the receptionist, for example, might be passed over for that reason alone.

"They don't realize how often I ask my assistant how well they were treated by the interviewee," says Gerald McCreary, director of human resources for SAP Labs North America in Palo Alto, Calif.

No doubt times have changed, and the law of supply and demand is clearly in favor of the corporations, which have a vast pool of qualified candidates from which to choose.

Dan Carmel, vice president of marketing for iManage Inc. in Foster City, Calif., doesn't see too many bigheaded job seekers in this economy.

"I just don't think many of these people make it through the door these days," says Carmel, who was hired at iManage last year and has since filled about a dozen upper-level management positions.

As the survey indicates, arrogance still worms its way into the interview room.

"A lot of candidates still feel that we should sell the company to them," says Bob Shawhan, director of staffing for Web conferencing company PlaceWare Inc., which is based in Mountain View, Calif.

"While that was the case two years ago, it doesn't work anymore," he adds. "They should be the ones proving their mettle [to us]."

Shawhan, who tries to make sure the smug candidates are weeded out early in the process, says the biggest problem he encounters is a lack of knowledge about the company and the position.

"Even recently, we've had candidates who don't really understand the market or the company," says Shawhan, who expects interviewees to come to the interview not only with a keen understanding of the market, but also with a short list of solutions or suggestions for the company.

After all, any executive or other senior-level position demands a keen ability to solve problems.

McCreary agrees, saying proper preparation by a job candidate -- or lack of it -- before an interview is SAP's biggest issue.

"And nowadays, with the easy accessibility of information, there's really no excuse for not being prepared,” he says.

Of those candidates who may have done their homework on the company, many have difficulty speaking about their own achievements. Sometimes, McCreary says, job candidates can't even remember what is on their résumés.

Furthermore, McCreary adds, it is important for an executive candidate to know what they want out of their career. Many of the people he interviews are unclear about this.

"You need to be true to yourself, your interviewer, and the company," he says.

But we all make mistakes along our career paths. The important thing is to learn from them, as iManage's Carmel has done.

"I'm probably guilty of making most of these mistakes," Carmel admits. "Now, I really focus on being able to walk into an interview and probe into the issues."

He also stresses the importance of not merely resting on one's laurels, but rather describing how specific past achievements have built a skill set applicable to the needs of the interviewing company.

The bottom line is that when you're interviewing for a senior-level position -- whether it's in a bull or a bear market -- it pays to be prepared, and leave the attitude at the door.