Tip 1: Confidence- Confidence is key; if you appear nervous and unqualified, the interviewer may perceive it to mean you don’t care.  Always appear confident even if it means faking it til you make it.

Tip 2: Physical Appearence- First impressions often make it or break it.  Being well groomed, clean and neat is vital to a good impression and is paramount to a good interview.  A tailored, conservative outfit is your best bet.

Tip 3: Pay Request- Decide how much you qualify for and let your potential employer know.  Hold your ground regarding your desired range but leave some wiggle room for pay flexibility.

Tip 4: No one is Perfect- A commonly asked question during interviews is ‘what are your weaknesses?’  Be honest.  No one is perfect and no interviewer wants to hear anything along the lines of ‘I have no weakness’.

Tip 5: Always appear happy, excited, and professional- Potential employers don’t want to hire mopy, unexcited people who don’t seem to have any interest in the job.

Tip 6: Getting an interview is the hardest part of the job search endeavor- If you get an interview, you are half way there, so relax!

Tip 7: Get familiar with the types of questions asked- If you have a sense of the questions you can practice, and practice makes perfect! It will also help you feel more ready so you can succeed.

Tip 8: Learn about yourself- Potential employers want to know about you and it will be a disaster if you don’t know your own self including your strengths and weakness, so reflect and learn.

Tip 9: Find out as much as you can about the job- Don’t go into the interview cold turkey. The potential job will inevitably ask questions such as ‘what interests you the most about the job?’ so learn about the job and don’t go in blind.

Tip 10: Relax and have fun- Don’t take the interview too seriously for it will only make you more nervous.  Prep for the interview and you will be fine!

The nerves will never completely disappear but, as a man once said, “We don’t want to remove the butterflies from your stomach, we only want to teach them to fly in formation”.  Use these tips as your guide and you will flourish!

Practice

Practice answering interview questions and responses to those questions. Think of actual examples that your skills have benefitted you from previous employment. Providing actual examples can definitely market you to the interviewer.

Prepare

Prepare responses so you are ready for any question that comes your way. Doing research on the company before the initial interview is a big plus. It shows the interviewer you took the time to look up the company and that you prepared for the interview. Knowing any information on the company can help you when answering questions during the interview.

Your Best Performance

Make sure you are at your best for your interview. The night before, make sure you get a good night rest so that you are refreshed and ready for the interview in the morning. Eat breakfast and do some last minute prepping for the interview.

Personal Appearance

Dress to impress. Make sure you are well groomed, clean cut, and you wear professional attire. If you know the type of dress the office you are interviewing with is, then dress accordingly. However, always wearing a nice suit and tie gives off a professional attitude.

Be On Time

Be on time for your interview. It’s best to show up five to ten minutes early if possible. If you have the time, look up directions to the office beforehand or make a trip to the office a day before to make sure you know the correct route to take.

Network

If anyone you know works at the company you are about to interview at, ask them if they know anything about the hiring manager that you can use as leverage during your interview. Being able to relate to the hiring manager may make your interview go a lot smoother.

Questions, Questions, Questions

Who says asking questions is a bad thing? Asking good solid questions during your interview shows the interviewer that you are prepared. Ask questions about the positions, the company, and any concerns you may have. Sometimes, only answering the questions, is not enough. If you have the time, while you are researching the company, make a list of questions that you may have.

Impress

Always give a firm handshake when initially meeting the interviewer. If applicable, bring your portfolio to show what you can do to your potential employer. Always bring copies of your resume. Don’t assume the interviewer will have a copy, and in case other you meet other people during your interview, you want to be able to hand them a copy of your resume if they ask for one. When answering questions about previous employment, try to link them to the job you are interviewing for. Know what’s on your resume. Bring a list of your references even though an employer may not ask for them, offer it anyways.

Stay Calm

During the interview, do your best to relax and stay calm. If you need to, take a moment to regroup. Listen to the questions, think about your answer, and maintain eye contact when talking to the interviewer. You don’t want to silently freak out in your head and when it comes to your answer for the questions you not know how to answer because you weren’t paying attention. Just take a deep breath and you will be A-OK!

Follow Up

Always follow-up with a thank you note and reiterate your interest in the position. If you interviewed with several people, be sure to send a note to each one. A hand written note seems to be the best way to thank someone. It’s personal and handwritten and shows the person that you care enough to take the time to sit down and write a not for them. Also, it’s surprising since most people send an e-mail.

Keep in mind; these are a few suggestions on what you can do to help you improve your interview. Be smart, sharp and use your head and you will have no problem landing the job!

If you work for a large national company, chances are you receive an employee discount. A good deal of these discounts apply at other companies through employee purchase programs. You can save a good amount when buying a car, computer or even on your cellular service. Make sure you inquire with your employer, many large retailers offer this benefit.

Apply for scholarships! Many of them don’t require much more than a name and an address. You would be surprised at how many go unclaimed or how many are given out to people because they were the only ones who applied!

Apply for credit cards that offer cash back or some kind of reward points. When it’s time to pay for tuition that you would have used your check for or your old man’s money, just use the card and pay it right off; at least you’ll get something out of your tuition fees.

Ask and look for student discounts! Being a student can often be an advantage when it comes to shopping, although it may not be as good as the senior discount!

Use free online banking with free bill paying services. Not only  does this help you keep track of all your expenses, you save money and time by sending your payments online.

So once you have done all possible research (or at least some basic scouting around) on flight times, leg room, and fees (of which there are plenty), consider these 6 tips that can help you arrive ready to meet the world—or at least looking like it.

1.  Wardrobe.  Honestly.  Outfit selection is key, primarily in order to look good while remaining as comfortable as possible.  Consider the following elements:

Comfortable, slip-on flats.  They should be easily removable for airport security, provide adequate support for trudging through the miles of airport corridors, and look good enough to wear in the office.  If you must wear heels, stash some in your carry-on to change into when you arrive.

Wrinkle-resistant, wide-leg trousers.  A forgiving material, a forgiving silhouette, and almost as comfortable as wearing sweats.  Without having to resort to sweats.  They will not bind when you twist in your seat to ease your aching back mid-flight.  If you don’t like wide-leg trousers, find a pair that incorporate these elements.

Layered tops.  Wear a stylish button-down or cowl neck sweater that can be removed or donned easily with the changing temperature.

Upon arrival, slip on a single bold accessory from your carry-on to appear put together.  A colorful silk scarf folds flat and reflects vibrantly onto your skin.

2.  And speaking of your skin, in a plane full of recycled air it dries out and invariably sucks all the moisture out of your makeup.  Which leaves your makeup badly caked and in need of repair.  If at all possible, wear only moisturizer on a clean face, or tinted moisturizer, during your flight.  Upon arrival, add powder, lip gloss, and mascara.

Eye makeup in general, and mascara in particular, is the first to show the effects of a long trip, especially if you nod off.  If you simply must wear makeup in-flight, bring a cloth makeup remover along so you can freshen up your face without having to wash in an airport bathroom.

Lastly in the looks department, your hair.  Hair that was bouncy and clean at the beginning of a flight often comes out looking flat, greasy, and defeated.  Again, blame it on the recycled air and zero humidity.  With long hair, try a loose, stylish bun such as this to keep it under control and looking chic.  Eliminate grease with Bumble and bumble’s Hair Powder ($19 for 1 oz.), Aveda’s Pure Abundance Hair Potion ($23 for 0.7 oz), or, in a pinch, apply powder from your compact to the roots.

But enough.  You look great.

3.  Along with your skin and hair, the rest of your body needs to stay hydrated to look and feel its best.  Bring an empty water bottle and fill it up at the water fountain once you’ve gone through security.  And keep filling it up!

Avoid alcohol and caffeine, as they are diuretics.  If you cannot live without your coffee, wait until you get there and buy it in the terminal.  It won’t interfere with your chances of resting on the plane, and you’ll be all the more alert for your arrival.

4.  Watch what you eat.  This has little to do with calories or diet.  Avoid heavy, greasy foods like fast food—anything that will sit in your stomach like a brick.  Equally true is that eating too many vegetables will cause a singularly unpleasant bloat, as any vegan will tell you.  There is nothing worse than gastrointestinal distress at 33,000 feet.  Carbs, for once, may be the safest bet.  Be sure, however, to eat enough so you don’t become faint or irritable.

5.  The first-class package.  Sure, you may be seated in coach, but you can always pretend!  A satin sleeping mask blocks out other people’s reading lights, gives your eyes and face muscles a chance to relax, and makes you feel like a VIP—or at least like Chelsea Handler.  Slippers can be a nice touch, keeping you warm and comfy, with the caveat that they ought not to be attempted if you suffer from bad foot odor.  Headphones, either for your iPod or the noise-canceling type are a no-brainer.  Neck pillows are de rigueur, but bear mentioning because a jacket wadded up and used in place of the one you forgot can be deeply unsatisfying.

6.  Finally, and perhaps most obviously, a good attitude goes a long way towards making your journey as relaxing as possible and pleasant for those around you.  Airline employees and fellow passengers alike are more likely to respond to you with helpfulness and courtesy if you offer a smile of thanks and good manners in return.  Good grace and patience in trying situations are valued everywhere, and help keep your own stress levels at a minimum.

And that is how to arrive after a tedious plane ride:  serene, fresh-faced, and ready for whatever happens next.

Hence, it is important to stand out! If you really believe you have what it takes to qualify for the advertised position, send your application via the postal service. It may seem archaic, but if you are the only one that mails her application in, you will definitely stand out from fifty e-mails, half of which ended up in the spam folder.

Obviously, make sure, that the prospective employer doesn’t specifically ask for online only applications, as this could be seen as not being able to follow instructions. But even then, it may be a good idea to send a follow up letter via mail.

When writing, please be sure to make the letter as professional looking as possible. Nothing says “rejected” more, than a tacky letter with poor grammar on a pink sheet of paper. Anything over a few lines should be typed and unless you have beautiful handwriting, the envelope should be typed as well.  For an added touch, you could use a solid color envelope, such as yellow or red, to grab attention. You may even want to tell the employer why you chose to write in via mail, as this will show them initiative and your ability to think outside the box.