There’s enough pressure going into an interview. You don’t need to be unprepared too. Feeling anxious about my upcoming job search, I turned to the hive mind that is Twitter. Here’s what I learned:

Don’t Settle

If there are specific things you want from a company, write them down and include your non-negotiables. For me, I need to have a PT, remote position that is mission-driven. If I’m going to be taking time away from my kids, it needs to be meaningful work. For others, this might be salary requirements, ability to grow in a company, or speaking opportunities. Whatever it is, write it down before you get started.

Interview Them

Interviews go both ways. They want to see if you’re a good fit for them, but you should make sure they’re a good fit for you. If this isn’t a place that you feel comfortable in, you don’t need to be there. Come in ready with questions to help you decide if this company is good for you. If diversity is important to you, ask questions about their diversity or how they plan to increase diversity on their team.

Don’t Be Discouraged if it Takes a Few Tries

Don’t take it personally. You may be a great candidate, but not exactly for that job. Think of each interview as practice for the one that gets you the job. Unfortunately, you might not receive any feedback or hear from them. Don’t take it personally. Learn from it, get stronger each time, and keep coding.

Be Confident, but Not Arrogant

This can be a tricky one. When I taught interviewing, I’d tell students who were introverts or really nervous to think about this kind of like acting. Develop a confident character that you can bring with you into the interview. Practice can help you to stay in character. This extends to your answers as well. Be prepared to answer questions about yourself and your own opinions. It’s ok to have opinions. On the flip side, avoid things like “calling users idiots.” You’re trying to offer your best side, so keep the negativity at home–this goes for bad-mouthing old bosses as well.

Embrace Past Experiences

Your past experiences have brought you to where you are now. How have they positively affected you? How can you bring past skills to this job? Can your differences make you a stronger employee? Your story helps to make you a memorable candidate.

Be Prepared for Salary Negotiations

Research companies on glassdoor, ask for salary bands for that position, and have a general idea of expectations.

Be Honest

Lying is never helpful. If you lie on your resume, that can be reason for termination. Don’t lie about your skills either. If you’re not a good fit for the job, move on. Along with that, don’t be afraid to say you don’t know the answer. Tell the truth, but also explain what you think the answer is or how you would find the answer.

Show a Willingness to Learn

You can do this through asking questions, trying to learn more about the company, and asking about the growth of the position.

Don’t Be Afraid to Follow-up

If you haven’t heard from them in a week, send an email thanking them for their time and asking about what to expect next or about a hiring timeline.

Always Send a Thank You Email

Sending a thank you can go a long way. Send it as soon as you can. If it comes down to you and another candidate and you send a thank you, there’s one more positive on your side.

If You Don’t Understand Something Ask for Clarification

This doesn’t show weakness, this shows your willingness to clearly understand the question and to communicate.

Practice

Practice both your interview skills and coding skills. You can practice code challenges on hackerrank or codility. (I’ve never tried these, but they’ve been recommended to me.)

I think that’s a pretty solid list. The best part of this experience is being able to turn to other devs at various parts of their coding journeys and get great feedback like this. Thanks to all those who offered advice!