How to Prepare for an Interview: Four Tips No One Tells You

As I've prepared for interviews over the last few weeks, I've done everything I'm supposed to: I've practiced answering common interview questions, practiced my behavioral interview stories, and learned a great deal about the companies I'm interviewing with.

But I've also learned that, no matter what answers I prep, the most important part of a successful interview is being mentally prepared. Here are my five most important tips for mentally preparing for a great interview:

1.  Loosen Your Tongue: Whether you're an extrovert or an introvert, it's important to get yourself warmed up before the interview. Talk to yourself out loud, practicing your answers to common interview questions again and again. This will loosen your tongue and prepare you to think on your feet. Remember that interviewers will remember your conduct more than what you say: no matter what, being eloquent and quick will make your answers have a lot more impact.
2. Adjust Your Attitude: You should always approach an interview with the attitude that you're visiting the office to meet potential colleagues and friends. If you go into the interview thinking that your interviewer is trying to test you or find your flaws, you can become overly nervous, quiet, and even defensive (and these are never good traits for an interviewee to have!). Go into the interview room wanting to build a relationship with your interviewers; doing so will help you reduce your anxiety and come off as confident and personable.
3. Be Yourself: Focus on showing the interviewer that you're a real person. Feel free to tell a story, tell a joke, and be friendly. If you keep the conversation positive, light, and sincere, your interviewers will see you as more than just a job candidate--they'll start to see you as a real person and potential co-worker.
   
4. Stay on Message: No matter what questions you're asked in an interview, you should have a message that you're completely focused on delivering. That message pertains to why you're different from all the other applicants: do you work harder than anyone else? do you have unique ideas about how you could improve the company? will you do a great job because of talents X, Y, and Z? No matter what questions your interviewer asks, you should take any opportunity to relay your message about what makes you unique and desirable. Not only will this ensure that your interviewer knows exactly what you're about, but "staying on message" can keep you focused during an interview.

If you follow these tips, you're sure to come off as the confident, prepared, and positive employee that your interviewer is looking for!