What are some examples of optimistic and realistic goals to set for yourself after an interview?

In my 34 years of working as a legal recruiter, I have coached thousands of people through the interviewing process. Interviewing is a lot like dating. When someone seems sincerely happy to be in our company, we feel it. No one wants to spend time with a dour person. We want to work with people who lift us up and who want to improve the team. Make sure that you radiate a "can do" attitude. Even if you don't get the job, you will make a positive and lasting impression.

Practice what you are going to say and do this OUT LOUD. When you're in your car, practice talking about your background and experience. Listen to the sound of your own voice. Anything and everything on your resume is fair game to be asked about. Have your answers ready. For example: if you mention that you sat second-chair on a trial, be ready to talk about that trial. What was the case about? What did you actually do as second chair? The more you prepare, the more comfortable you'll be. When you feel comfortable, you'll feel confident and positive.

One of the things to remember is that the interview is not for you to get a job, it is for the company to find the best fit!!! Make sure that you understand that so that you can be the best you at that interview. One of the biggest things that enough people don't do is practice the drive beforehand. Check out where the parking is. How far is the walk from the farthest part of the lot? Is their street parking? Is it metered? Do you have enough change on you? Remember all of these things will make you feel rushed and once there, you are playing catch up.

Be the human they can see themselves working with - you! Be yourself (a polished version of course), and if you’re interviewing via phone or video be sure to amp up the energy to create a connection that can get lost in the translation of technology. If you’re on video, eye contact with the camera will mimic what you can’t do since you’re not in person but it will go a long way to building the rapport you want!

Open heart, open mind. We learn more from our mistakes than our successes. Employers want to hire colleagues who want to learn and from whom they can learn too. While not all employers are good teachers, all employees can be good students. You're interviewing your prospective employer as much as they are interviewing you. Even if this is your first job out of college, graduate school, or professional school, you bring value. You may have less experience, but you have equal value as a human being.

SEND THANK YOU NOTES, EMAILS, LETTERS, WHATEVER!!! Not enough people remember to do that, and it could be the difference between standing out or being just another candidate.

Be careful when sending thank yous. I used to recommend that my candidates send thank you notes. However, since most people send thank you emails, I have changed my recommendation. I have seen a number of thank you emails with typos, punctuation errors, spacing errors, and grammatical mistakes. I have also seen thank you notes that are too familiar. If there is a mistake, it can, and probably will, cost you the job. If you are applying directly, print out the draft of your email and read and reread it several times. Make sure to use a colon and not a comma after the salutation. This is business letter, not a text to a friend. If my candidates want to send thank yous, I ask them to send me the draft emails so I can proof and edit.

Job decisions are important life decisions, but they are not life and death decisions. In many ways, interviewing for a job is a lot like dating. My father is a retired doctor. When I was a child and a young adult, whenever I had big decisions to make, he would often say "this seems like a very serious decision, and it is a big decision. However, there isn't a spot on the x-ray and no matter what decision you make, your life isn't at risk." When you stop putting undue pressure on yourself, you'll find that job interviews can be a great way to learn about other people and to learn about yourself.

Remember if you made it to the interview, the company is really interested in you. They went through 200 resumes and picked 10. They are not going to waste time with a candidate who is not qualified. Now it is time to show WHY you should be hired. Be personable, be kind, be respectful, be confident, be positive and most importantly, be you.