Congratulations, you’ve made it to the final interview round!  It is a great accomplishment to make it through several meetings, and to come out on top is truly impressive.  Making it to the final interview means that you’ve proven that you can do the job, and any potential managers trust you to perform well.

While you may feel that you’ve already sealed the deal, the final interview is hardly the time to sit back.  Even if you feel that you’ve ‘unofficially’ gotten the job, one misstep may lead the organization to change their mind.  To be sure that you make it through the final interview and receive the job offer you’re hoping for, follow these steps:

Prepare the same way

In order to feel equally confident entering your final interview, be sure that you don’t cut any corners during your preparations.  This includes conducting research on the company and your interviewer, as well as preparing answers to typical interview questions.  Plus, be sure to bring copies of your resume and any portfolio or work samples you may have.  Without making the same preparations, you could wind up making an easily avoidable gaffe.

Dress up

Even if the organization has a casual dress code, be sure that you’re dressed to the nines for your final meeting.  By doing so, you’ll prove that you can go above and beyond what’s necessary on the job.  While you may feel that you can simply dress in accordance with others in the office, dressing down in any way could be taken as a sign of disrespect.  Furthermore, it could give the impression that you are overconfident and think you already have the job.

Be engaged in the interview

Once you show up, you still need to ace the interview.  Throughout the meeting, don’t forget to impress your interviewer with all of the knowledge and experience that got you to this final interview.  In addition to answering questions thoughtfully and thoroughly, keep your body language in mind, as this could potentially let the interviewer know if you are not engaged in the conversation.  If there is an impression that you aren’t interested in the exchange, the interviewer may decide that you are not a cultural fit, even if there are others advocating for you.

Prepare thoughtful questions

The end of the interview is your final chance to impress your potential supervisor, so make it count!  By preparing thoughtful questions about the position, the business, or your interviewer’s role, you can show that you have a deep understanding of the industry and a curiosity to learn more.  However, if you reach the end of the interview and you don’t have any questions, your interviewer may decide that you are unenthusiastic, or that you don’t have any further insight to bring to the company.

Send a thank you note

Once you’ve made it through the interview, you’re not quite done yet!  Top it off by sending a timely thank you note to your interviewer.  Be sure to write a thoughtful and personalized message that lets them know that you can recall key details and that you care about this position.  By doing so, you’ll not only show that you can go above and beyond the call of duty, but you’ll know that you’ve done everything in your power to seal the deal.  However, if you choose not to send a thank you note, you may give the impression that you aren’t grateful for the time others have taken out of their day, or that you are simply no longer interested in the role.