Job interviews usually cause a generous amount of fear and extreme stress. No matter how many times you’ve been in this position, your expertise or your social skills, there is always room for some dread. And the statistics show us that being stressed before a job interview is more common than we thought. According to a survey, 93% of candidates experience anxiety or stress before a job interview. This level of anxiety is often comparable to or even exceeds that felt before a first date. Whatever the reasons behind this fear, there are ways to manage it and have a successful interview.

However, not being stressed is important, but being prepared is even more important, and can help you nail or fail a job interview.

I have been an interviewer in several positions throughout my career, and I have also been a candidate for several others. And after years of monitoring and thorough consideration, I concluded that there are ways to nail an interview, whether you are stressed or not. So, here are my five tips for a successful job interview.

1. Do Your Homework

Whether you would kill to work for this company or you just need to land a job, make sure to take some time and dig a bit deeper into the company’s objective, culture, and people who work for it. As an interviewer, it’s always positive to see that people put some effort beyond sending their resume to learn more about the company. It shows genuine interest, and, from my experience, not many people make this effort. It’s also important to know about the specific role. Read the requirements as well as the job description so that you make sure your experience reflects their requirements and that you actually will enjoy the tasks of this particular role.

Sometimes, we get excited about a job, but we actually end up not being very excited about the actual work, which usually doesn’t end well, neither for us nor the company. Also, be prepared to answer questions about yourself, how you handle specific challenges, or about your accomplishments. Prepare your answers beforehand and practice to have a flow in your answers.

2. Make a Good First Impression

Some years ago, I had to interview online a candidate for a company I was then working for. Apart from the fact that they showed up around 8 minutes late, without any notice, they did the interview over the phone, on their couch with the TV in the background. They didn’t apologize for the delay. And automatically, I got the impression that they don’t seem to care very much.

While nobody expects a black tie attire from the interviewees, especially when the interview is online (depending on the industry, though), it’s necessary to show some respect and make a good first impression. If you are running late, send an email and inform them that you will be running late for a few minutes. Avoid having the interview over the phone; you are not FaceTiming your friends, you are attending a professional setting. Find a quiet place in your house and use your laptop. Don’t overdress, but be clean and wear clothes that fit you well. Even if the dress code is more casual in the company, upgrade it a tad. And always keep eye contact with an interviewer. It can be frustrating if you are looking around when somebody is talking to you.

3. Ask Questions

While in an interview, you usually answer questions about yourself, it’s essential to ask questions in order to learn more about the job and the company. Depending on the role, ask questions about the tools they use, how the workflow is, and what challenges they face, which you can help resolve. Asking questions not only shows your genuine interest in the company and the role but also shows your expertise in the field.

Don’t feel that you need to bombard them with questions; 2-4 questions are enough, and if the interviewer knows what they are talking about, you will probably get your answers at the very beginning of the interview. However, at least 1-2 questions are always a good idea and show a proactive approach.

4. Show Enthusiasm

Yes, that’s important. I know that when you have been in numerous interviews with no results, the frustration can grow, but the interviewer, as well, has to interview numerous people to find the best match. So, showing enthusiasm and willingness to nail this interview always works like a charm and has a positive impact on being considered for the job. No matter how many accomplishments you may have or no matter whether you are the best fit for the role, if you don’t show genuine interest in the company and the role, it’s very likely that they will choose another candidate with less experience but more willingness. Nobody wants to work with someone who is not interested, no matter how accomplished they are.

5. Kindly Follow Up

When the interview is done, take some time to send a thank-you note to the interviewer, expressing your enthusiasm for the role and the company. Do it within 24 hours, not later, and make sure you make it personalized and show genuine interest in working in this company and this specific role. However, don’t send a template-based “thank you”; draft something personal and targeted to your conversation, by using and reiterating the main point of the interview. It shows that you were attentive.