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Let’s face it, interviewing for a job is sort of like going to the dentist—a necessary evil. For me, going on a job interview sends an instant message to my sweat glands:

“Commence overproduction.  Seep like drool from armpits.”

The biggest problem that arises from interviewing with jittery nerves is that we tend to wave off the nerves by saying, “Oh, I’ll just wing it. If I don’t get the job, it wasn’t meant to be.” No, no, no!

An interview is not the time to hope for the best. An interview is your moment in the spot light. It is your time to shine!  Of course you want to shine. Trust me, you really do. Truly. You, too, can interview less fearfully by following four easy steps.

1. Get a grip.  The handshake is your first step towards making that fateful first impression. Yes, the handshake. The type of handshake you use can actually determine whether or not you’ll get the job. Studies reveal that the handshake is one of the first non-verbal clues that speak to a candidate’s overall personality. It is what prospective employers remember. “A wimpy handshake can make you seem timid, while a firm handshake can make you seem confident.” So, put your back into every handshake. Shake it like you mean it.

2. Don’t be totally awesome.  Be professional, instead.  Let’s talk about words. Unless you’re interviewing for a social media or gaming company, park popular slang at the curb. Resist the urge to bond with your prospective employer by enthusiastically saying the company/the position/his tie/her hair is, “totally awesome.” Pretend you’ll be speaking to the President of the United States and speak accordingly. I know, I know this can be as uncomfortable as your interview suit feels, but this is interviewing 101.

One of my clients told me she quit counting my candidate’s, “totally awesome’s,” after number seven. Guess what? My candidate did not get the job. Why? My client didn’t feel that the candidate would be a professional representation of the company.

3. Ask every question except… Asking questions on a job interview shows the prospective employer that you are invested in joining the company—it shows interest. However, asking questions is hard. Good news, asking questions can be learned! I just did a quick Google search asking, you guessed it, “What questions should be asked on a job interview?”

The top big no-no’s included asking about pay, training programs, and questions easily found on the Internet. So, what should you ask?

• What are the top 3 skills or experiences you are looking for that may not be mentioned in the job description?
• I’m very self-motivated. How will you measure my success in this position after one full year?
• Of all of the people who have worked for you, what are the characteristics of those who have stood out as great performers?

If you want to impress a hiring manager, and that is the point of an interview after all, write your questions on a piece of paper and fill out the answers during the interview. This shows that you are prepared, thoughtful, and thorough.

4. Prove your future worth.  In other words, sell yourself.  Recently, I sent a candidate to an interview for a position that stretched my candidate professionally, but not beyond her capacity. The hiring manager recognized this and gave the candidate every opportunity to state why she should be considered, given that her resume was light on experience. My candidate did not recognize the opportunity, and merely responded that she was, “totally right” for the position. She did not get the job.

What should she have said? Had my candidate led with relevant experience in the field and followed up with saying how she could attain the next step, she would have gotten the job. My client recognized the candidate’s potential and wanted the candidate to sell her future abilities.

Like going to the dentist, interviewing for jobs simply must be endured.  Give a firm handshake, use professional jargon, ask relevant questions, and sell, sell, sell your wonderful self.  Stop gritting your teeth, wipe the sweat from under your armpits, and knock your prospective employer’s socks off.