Chase Bank called me in for an interview a few days ago. I was very excited when I heard the news.

On the day of the interview though, I felt myself getting nervous. That’s never a good thing! I’m sure you’ve felt the same way before.

Well, I’m glad to say the interview went great and I’m 99.9% sure I’m going to get the position.

Here’s my 10 most important interview tips that helped me overcome my nervousness and deliver an almost perfect interview.

1) Where’s your focus?

This is the golden rule: Focus on what you want!

If you focus on being nervous, then you will be. You can’t expect it to go away if you keep thinking about it over and over.

Instead, focus on how you want the interview to go. Think about why you’re the person they should hire and what advantages you have. Positive thoughts such as these makes you confident.

Make sure you know where your focus is. It determines how your interview turns out.

2) Prepare yourself mentally

Prepare yourself mentally for the interview by visualizing and adding strong emotions.

Start by closing your eyes and picturing yourself deliver the perfect interview. How are you answering the questions? How are you moving your hands? How much eye contact is there?

Role-playing in your mind makes you comfortable and prepares you for your interview.

3) Dress sharp

Look like a professional. At interviews, people will relate how you dress to what type of person you are. So ladies, don’t overdo it with the makeup, jewelry and revealing skin. Men, make sure your shirts are ironed, shoes are polished, and if your suit is black, please remove the lint.

How you dress is a reflection of you. Make sure it stands out but only in a positive way.

4) Give them a REAL smile

A real smile is one that comes from feeling good and being excited. Being in that state of mind means you will do really good at the interview.

5) Eye contact

Avoiding eye contact shows your lack of confidence.

People believe you when you can look them in the eyes and tell them who you are, what you can do, and why you’re the perfect person for the job.

6) Body language

Make sure your posture is straight. When you slouch, it shows laziness.

When there is only one interviewer, mirror their body language. You build rapport subconsciously. They will like you because everyone likes people that are just like them.

7) Tone of voice

Tone of voice is very important. Make sure you’re not too loud or too low. Another thing that you should do is mirror your tone of voice to whoever you’re speaking to. It also builds rapport subconsciously.

Pay attention to how they speak, what words they stress, and their tone of voice. If you get the person to like you by doing this, your chances of landing the job increase dramatically.

8 ) Turn negative into positive

Don’t be scared of the tough questions!

Sometimes during an interview, you are asked about your weaknesses. It’s okay to talk about your weakness but make sure to put a positive spin on it.

For example: My weakness is grammar, but whenever I write a letter or e-mail I make sure to always spell check it for errors.
My weakness is remembering appointments so I make sure to put reminders on my e-mail so I’m always reminded.

9) Ask Questions

The first question you should ask after the interview is, “What’s your expectations from ME.”

This is what I call the assumptive hire! Watch how the interviewer answers that question. If they involve YOU directly with the answer, then chances are you’re getting hired. If they say I’m looking for “someone” or “somebody”, then they probably still have other people to look at before deciding but if you’ve done everything right so far, you’re probably the best they’ve seen so far.

10) Thank You Note

Everyone knows about sending a thank-you note after the interview, but surprisingly few people do it.

Writing a thank-you note or letter shows professionalism and also gives them a chance to remember you again.

I strongly recommend putting some things from the interview in there such as how you can meet their expectations. Make it short and sweet!

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