You’ve done it! Out of nearly 100 applications the employer received, yours has caught the great eye. You’ve got an interview! Don’t blow it.

Whole books have been written on successfully passing the interview process. Thousands of articles, examples, and anecdotes fill both the print and electronic media. You can find so many helpful hints that you can’t possibly remember, much less use them all. It’s time to realize that you can’t be ready for every possible interview situation, but you can be ready for the interview.

The secret to having a good interview is to appear confident, comfortable and knowledgeable to the interviewer. Making the proper impression can swing a close decision to your favor, and sometimes it can even make up for less-than-perfect answers.

Everyone is aware of the stress you are under at the time of the interview, but don’t worry. You can do it, if you prepare, and follow the rules. Every jobholder is an example of someone having done more right than wrong during an interview, but with so many people contending for jobs, you want to be as good as possible. As I said: appear confident, comfortable and knowledgeable.

Are you nervous about being grilled by some daunting stranger? That is natural, but it might help to remember the words of the Wizard of Oz, “Pay no attention to that fool behind the curtain.” Interviewers are just people, regardless of how they want you to see them. The face on the screen may not be the real one. Don’t be intimidated. An interview is just another conversation, after all. How do you come across as the best candidate for a job? Homework? Yes, there are things you can do to prepare. Perhaps the most important stage of the interview is the practice you put in before you ever step through the door of the company where you hope to work.

Look up some of the common interview questions, or use your memory of questions you’ve been asked in the past, and write them down. Some of the more common interview questions include, “Why are you the best person for this job?” “Tell me something about yourself” and “Why do you want to work for this company?”

Before you go into an interview, know the answers to these questions. They are about YOU! You already have the answers, but unless you practice them, you may find yourself fumbling for the right way to say what you know. Take those, and other questions, and have a friend, family member, or a job coach interview you with them. Do it over and over until you feel really comfortable about handling them. You won’t be sorry.

More homework? Yes, there is more. You need to do some research into the company, the job, and even the interviewer – if you can. Use a search engine on the Internet, such as Google, and see what comes up about the person that will be on the other side to the table. Likewise, know what products or services your prospective employer produces. Use newspapers and the library for information and visit the company's website if it has one. Talk to people.

This knowledge will help you during the interview, especially when you answer questions about why you are the best person for a particular job. Other points where your research may come in handy are during the introductory stage of the interview, where you may have a chance to talk informally, or during the closing stage, where you may get to ask questions of your own. Practice and research are your best friends, if you really want a job.

Be sure to make notes, especially about questions you want to ask, and bring them with you. It doesn’t look bad, at the end of an interview, for you to check your notes. It actually shows you are organized. Do not check your notes during the main part of the interview, when you are answering questions.

How you dress is important. A good rule of thumb is to dress one step above the dress required for the job. If you are going for a construction job, or other position where you may be asked to start immediately, be prepared. Dress neatly in work clothing that perhaps you’d rather not get covered in concrete, but that you are willing to sacrifice to the needs of your employment. Otherwise, use common sense. Don’t dress provocatively, or wear oddball fashions. Avoid showy or clunky jewelry. Avoid body shirts, short skirts, very high heels (especially for women,) and wild colors. Conservative is the watchword, regardless of the position you are after.

So, you’re as ready as you’ll ever be for the interview. You’re going in, and you’re going in strong. Now all you have to do is follow the rules. The rules are simple.

• The first rule of interviewing: Be on time. Actually, you should be fifteen minutes early. You won’t make any points being late, even if you have an excuse. Interviewers don’t want excuses; they want employees who come in on time, regardless of the barriers.
  
  
• Rule two: Do your homework. Be prepared.
  
• Rule three: When you greet the interviewer, shake hands firmly, smile, and look your best. If you have the chance to chat briefly before the interview formally begins, take advantage of the opportunity. Here’s a place where you can comment on some of your research into the company, or the interviewer. “I’ve read your article on ‘Frog Warts..’ I had no idea there were so many on your average R. Catesbiana.”
  
  Don’t bring up things you aren’t prepared to expand on, though. Don’t pretend to comprehend the interviewer’s theory of frog warts and their effect on the weather, unless you really do.
  
  
• Number four: Appear interested. Keep good contact with the interviewer. If it is a panel interview, focus on the person asking the question, but don’t leave out the other members of the panel. Maintain open body language. Don’t cross your legs, because that creates a barrier. Don’t sit sideways to the interviewer, or cross your arms in front of you. Maintain good eye contact, but don’t “stare them down.” Smile, relax and look like you’re enjoying yourself. That doesn’t mean to sprawl, or lean back in the chair like you’re telling stories in your living room. A good posture is to lean slightly forward. This shows interest and attention, and helps engage the interviewer.
  
  
• Rule five: Listen to the questions and answer them completely. If you must, you should ask that the question be repeated or expanded on. It is better to ask for clarification than to answer a question that wasn’t asked. When responding to a question, don’t ramble on, but avoid one-word answers. Be specific. The interviewer may ask you to relate an occasion where you’ve had to set priorities among several tasks in order to get important things done. If you do this every day of your life, you should avoid simply saying so. You were asked a specific question, so answer what was asked. Give examples.
  
  Another common interview question asks you to tell what you consider to be your biggest fault. Turn your negatives into positives. “I believe my worst fault is not wanting to see work go uncompleted,” is one example. Another might be, “My attention to detail sometimes drives my coworkers nuts.”
  
  
• Sixth: When the interview is concluding, if the interviewer appears interested in questions from you, ask them. Don’t ask about benefits or salary at this point. Wait until the job is offered to do that. This is where your list of questions (not too many, mind you,) comes into play. It is also the point where you can possibly work in some interest point about the company, or the interviewer. If the interviewer doesn’t actually seem interested in you saying anything, or asking questions, then end the interview. Shake hands firmly, but no bone-crushers, please. Thank the interviewer, and leave.
  
  
• Final rule: Send a thank you note, hand written, immediately. Keep it simple. Thank the interviewer for the interview and assure them that you are confident that you can do the job. If you follow the rules and prepare for your interview, you are already ahead of most of your competition. However, there are a few other things to consider when you go into that room and begin selling your image.

Many interviewers are not professional interviewers. While there are definite rules that an interviewer should follow, it won’t always be that way. The person asking you questions may be a supervisor with a job to fill, a small business owner or a new manager with no training in interviewing techniques.

Some interviewers will put you at ease and some will come across as stiff and stern. The interviewer may actually be nervous. In some cases, there may be questions you don’t want to answer, even illegal questions. In dealing with these situations, you need to play it by ear.

Don’t become defensive, or flustered by unexpected questions, or by the way the interviewer comes across. Just take a breath and do your best. If you are confronted with inappropriate questions, it’s up to you to make a quick decision about how much you want to work for the company. You can refuse to answer a question, or you can give it your best shot. If you do refuse to answer a question, be honest that you’d rather not answer it, but remain cordial. If you decide later that you don’t want the job, you can refuse the offer. Don’t burn any bridges unless you have a boat on the shore.

Now, it’s all done. The door has hissed closed behind you and you realize you’ve been sweating, in spite of the 60-degree air-conditioning in the interview room. It’s okay. You followed the rules, practiced and did your homework, and you know you came across well. Don’t be surprised if you get a call offering you the job.

You can see an interview as just a game. Like any game, you can learn to play it well if you practice and prepare. It’s natural to be nervous, but you don’t have to let it get the best of you. With that final thought, the best of luck in your job seeking, and: Pay no attention to that fool behind the curtain.