Prepare

Be early, know exactly how to get to the interview and make sure you allow enough time for traffic.  Arrive calm and relaxed and don’t forget to eat beforehand!  My first interview lasted 4 hours because I had to interview with 5 different groups of people.  I had no idea it would take that long and I was famished at the end!

Be Confident! 

Walk in like you will get the job.  Imagine a scale of a 1-10 and walk in as like you deserve to be treated like a 8-10. Show enthusiasm and interest about the job and let them know that you want the job.  It is a red flag to the interviewer if you don’t seem interested in the job.

Ask

Always be prepared with a few questions to ask at the end of an interview.  If you don’t have any questions for the interviewer, you look like you think you already know everything and don’t want to learn anything new. 

Practice

Know how you will answer these interview questions. In one of my classes in college, we had to stand up in front of the class and the Professor randomly picked from the list of questions and we had to tell everyone how we would answer the question. It is amazing now how I can now quickly come up with an example for most questions just because I prepared the answers! You may not get these exact questions but I guarantee that you will be prepared for any question.  Also, before going to the interview, review the job description and know how your experiences match each qualification. Be prepared to give examples!

Have a conversation

Know that not everyone who interviews you will be testing your knowledge and skills. Some people in my company interview employees for the sole purpose of seeing if the person is a team player and if they can see themselves working with the person in the future. This is why it is important to think of it as having a conversation. Also, don’t assume that the person with the highest role will be making the decision. At my company, input from everyone is taken into consideration as to who will get the job.

[Related Post: The 5 Most Common Job Interview Questions]

Relax

Ever had to do a panel interview? Don’t let them intimidate you! In my industry, we have a lot of stress and pressure placed on us by the client so a panel interview helps us see how the person will be able to communicate to the client under pressure. If you think panel interviews are terrible, just think about how much faster you will get out of the interview by doing it as a group rather than an interview with each person answering the same questions over and over!

Thank Them!

Ask for business cards at the end so that you can send a thank you email.  I am shocked at how few people actually follow through with this because it is so important.