1. Practice makes perfect

Just like anything in life, being well prepared and ready for action, will always yield the best results. Make sure you have strong, but concise answers to all the most common interview questions, which can be found on the Balance Careers website.

2. Try and make a connection with the interviewer

Make sure you do research on the person who will be interviewing you beforehand. LinkedIn is a great tool for this. You can see where they went to college and have worked before. Try and find a similar interest that you can talk about with them beyond just their current job. In the book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, Carnegie explains that the best way to truly connect with someone is to remember their name and to show genuine interest in them. If you take these aspects into an interview, the odds will only get better for you.

3. Research the company

Not only should you know a lot about the person interviewing you, but you should also know a lot about the company. Most interviewers have a lot of pride in the company that they work for. That being said, you should show them that you to care about the company.

4. Look as sharp as you can

It is always better to err on the side of dressing up too much for an interview. Make sure your hair is done well, you brush your teeth and you iron all the clothes you will be wearing. Also be sure to stand up tall and be confident. In the book “12 Rules for life – An Anecdote to Chaos” by Dr. Jordan Peterson, Dr. Peterson talks about serotonin levels and how they affect how confident we appear. Dr. Peterson says that sometimes all it takes to raise self-confidence is to simply stand up tall with your shoulders back and to dress yourself well. This makes you appear open and confident to the interviewer.

5. Follow up after the interview

Interviews take time and time is very precious to people. Make sure you write a letter, preferably hand-written, to your interviewer thanking them for their time and telling them to reach back out if there are any further questions.