In that first five minutes of the interview, the interviewer will have noted many critical aspects. Your appearance. Your hygiene. Your handshake. Your personal presence. Your eye contact. Your body language. Your articulation. And, most importantly, your personality. Notice that there is no mention of your coursework, your GPA, or your work experience here. While taking the right courses, having good grades, and having related work experience are all critical in getting you to the interview in the first place, it is how you carry yourself in the interview that will take you to the next level.

all aspects of an interview (e.g., the questions that you will get asked, the personality of the interviewer, the external distractions of the space), being familiar with the basic process of the interview, developing awareness of the general expectations of employers in your field of interest, and having practiced how to articulate your skills and experience in the most effective and concise way possible are ALL factors that you can control to make sure your first impression makes the difference!