Landing a job often comes down to one thing: how well you perform in the interview. It doesn't matter how strong your resume is or how many years of experience you have; if you can't communicate your value clearly and confidently in that room, you're going to struggle. The good news is that interviewing is a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned and improved with the right approach.
Most people treat interviews as something that either goes well or doesn't, as if it's purely a matter of luck or chemistry. In reality, the candidates who consistently perform well do so because they've put in deliberate preparation beforehand. Whether you're heading into your first professional interview or your fiftieth, there are concrete steps you can take to show up better and increase your chances of getting the offer.
Prepare More Thoroughly Than You Think You Need To
One of the most common mistakes candidates make is assuming that a quick glance at the company's website is enough preparation. Thorough research means going deeper: reading recent news about the organization, understanding their competitors, and familiarizing yourself with the specific team or department you'd be joining. According to data widely cited in recruiting research, 47% of candidates fail job interviews specifically because they lack sufficient knowledge about the company they're applying to, making it one of the most common and avoidable reasons for rejection.
Beyond company research, you need to spend time preparing your answers to behavioral questions. These are the "tell me about a time when..." prompts that interviewers use to assess how you've handled real situations in the past. The STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—is a widely recommended framework for structuring these responses in a way that's clear and concise, and gives interviewers a look into how you problem-solve.
You should also prepare thoughtful questions to ask at the end of the interview; this is where many candidates fall short. Asking generic questions like "What does a typical day look like?" signals that you haven't thought deeply about the role. Instead, ask about the specific challenges the team is currently facing, or what success looks like in the first 90 days—these show genuine curiosity and strategic thinking.
Work on How You Present Yourself, Not Just What You Say
The content of your answers matters enormously, but so does how you deliver them. Research shows that nonverbal cues, including posture, eye contact, and vocal tone, significantly influence how interviewers perceive a candidate's competence and confidence. Practicing in front of a mirror or recording yourself on video can help you catch habits you'd otherwise never notice.
Pacing is another element worth paying attention to during your responses. Speaking too quickly can make you seem nervous, while speaking too slowly can come across as uncertain; finding a natural rhythm takes practice, but it's achievable, and it's well worth it. Try doing mock interviews with a friend or career coach, and ask them to give you honest feedback on both your content and your delivery.
Your appearance also plays a role in first impressions, and it's worth taking seriously even for remote interviews. Dressing appropriately for the company's culture, such as business casual for a startup, or more formal for a corporate environment, demonstrates that you've done your homework and respect the occasion. Even on a video call, a clean background, good lighting, and a professional setup signal that you take the opportunity seriously. Never, ever, join a meeting from your bed with your pajamas on.
Learn From Every Interview, Whether You Get the Job or Not
Most people walk out of an interview, feel relief that it's over, and then wait anxiously for an answer without doing any real reflection. But you should. Taking 15 to 20 minutes after each interview to write down the questions you were asked, how you responded, and where you felt confident versus uncertain is one of the most useful habits you can build. Over time, this creates a personal record you can reference and refine before future conversations.
If you don't get the job, consider reaching out to the recruiter or hiring manager to ask for feedback. Not every employer will respond, but many will, and even a brief reply can reveal something valuable about how you came across or what skills you might need to develop. Plus, reaching out gives you a chance to keep in touch, so that future opportunities might be sent your way if there's a connection.
Even when you do get an offer, it's worth thinking about what went particularly well and why. Identifying the moments in an interview where you felt most articulate and engaged can help you replicate that energy in future conversations. The goal isn't just to land the next job, but to become someone who interviews well consistently, because your career will likely involve many more of them down the road. Our last tip? As nerve-wracking as interviews are, do more of them. The more you practice, the better prepared you'll be when your dream job comes by.
