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Congratulations, you have successfully scaled through the first hiring hurdle! Before you start popping champagne and tearing down the pea patch, keep in mind that you will not be hired if you don’t ace the interview.

You would be competing against a number of candidates therefore, merely providing the correct answers to questions is not enough to make you stand out? To stick out from the crowd you need to leave a lasting impression on the interviewer. Your personality, body language and the kind of vibes you give off matters as much as your qualifications.

Aside from the mundane (research company, practice interview questions and dress appropriately) interview tips, these tips below will also help you nail that interview like a pro:

Act confident

Nervousness is expected as it is your first time, but you must come across as confident to the interviewer. Be bold, make eye contact and speak up with a clear voice filled with energy and poise. Speak like you know your onus and be careful not to act overconfident or proud. There’s a very thin line between the two. Sound passionate rather than desperate. You are not expected to have a lot of experience, since this is your first real job. However, the interviewer will love to see what you have to offer. Be confident in those skills and abilities you have acquired during the course of your education, training, internships etc.

Don’t put down other candidates

Interviewers very often ask the interview question “What makes you stand out from other candidates?” or “What makes you the best fit for the job?” These are a tricky questions! Do not compare yourself to other candidates or put them down to exalt yourself. Instead, focus on you. Talk about your unique skills, burning passion and how they can help you perform better at the job.

Think fast and provide leading answers

Even as an interviewee, you can subtly dictate the nature of questions the recruiter throws at you. Achieve this by providing leading answers that point to your areas of strength. When you leave your responses hanging a bit, the interviewers out of curiosity will probe further which gives you more opportunity to sell yourself. Remember, the employer needs you just as you need the job.

Ask questions

At the end of the interview, the interviewer will likely give you a chance to ask any question. Never decline this opportunity. Even if they don’t, request permission to ask and when granted, ask questions about the company or the role. Having a good background knowledge of the company will help you frame quality questions. The essence is to show the interviewer that you are really interested in the job and the more intelligent your questions are the more lasting their impression of you will be.

Follow up

After the interview, don’t forget to send a thank you email to the interviewer. This will remind him how interested you are in the position and keep your name and face in his consciousness.