Do research on the position and company before your interview. You should have an idea about what the duties of the job entail as well as background knowledge on the company. Take about twenty minutes looking at the company’s mission statement and vision, corporate staff and whatever the website may have posted. Use this information to help gage follow-up questions to ask during the interview.

Remember first impressions are everything so be sure to leave a lasting impact. Make sure you dress professionally, walk with your head up, look your future employer in the eye, extend a firm handshake and answer all of your questions with complete sentences.

Take two copies of your resume with you to the interview. Although you may have submitted one with your job application, bring another one just to serve as a refresher for the employer. It will make it easier for them to assess your skills and abilities. Additionally, there are some occasions in which the person who conducts the interview is not the same person who scheduled the  interview so they may not know who you are. Your resume gives them that quick glimpse.

Arrive at LEAST 15 minutes early. Anything later than 15 minutes before the scheduled time is late. As the saying goes, "to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late."

Ask at least two questions before leaving and make sure that none of them is about pay. This would be the perfect time to ask any questions you have regarding anything that sparked your interest while you were doing your research. Great go-to questions are, “Does this position offer opportunities to move up in the company?”, “What do you believe to be the biggest challenge of this job?” or even something simple as, “When should I expect to hear back from you?”, the choice is certainly yours but make sure that you ask something.

After the interview, be sure to follow up with the employer by email or with a handwritten card. Thank them for their time, tell them how much you learned and that you hope to hear from them soon.