Count me in as one poolie who believes that knowing this stuff helped me in my interview. I respect the guys who say otherwise, and maybe that was accurate a few years ago. But these days, Atlas expects you to understand the job and the industry in order to stand out from the other 5,000 applicants (or whatever the number is). It doesn't take long to read up on it, and it will pay dividends when you are sitting in that room in Miami.

Furthermore, I would think one should be familiar with the segment of industry you are seeking to join. It will be putting food on your table, after all.