Students are always worrying about that dreaded interview: what to wear, what to do when something goes wrong, what to do to prepare? It seems like there are so many do’s and don’ts that it may be hard to feel optimistic about your interview.

The University Career Center, 713 S. Wright St., provides students with the opportunity to audition for their interview and become as prepared as possible.

Mara Nash-Kamat, mock interview program coordinator and graduate student, said that the program has come in handy for students of all ages and at different stages in their lives.

“It is an opportunity for students around campus at any level; students applying to med school, going to a business-related function, going to a job interview, or just coming to practice,“ she said.

The mock interviews are conducted by graduate students who are pursuing careers in human resources. Students can go in for an interview any time from 9 a.m.-5p.m., Monday through Friday. All mock interviews must be scheduled ahead of time, and students are required to bring in a copy of their resume.

The mock interviews generally last one hour, which is broken down into thirty minutes of interviewing time and thirty minutes of feedback for the student. The graduate students provide the students with action steps to follow. For example, they may ask a student to create more concrete examples around their leadership skill, Kamat said.

The career center also takes a look at resumes and may prepare questions that are specifically tailored to your job interview.

“We may challenge them on questions they weren’t expecting, and how to make that transition to think on your toes,“ Kamat said.

In the preliminary resume review, they may ask students to do something as simple as rephrase something, or they may ask them to completely re-do it and bring it back for another review, she said.

As far as other preparation for the interview, it’s always important to dress appropriately, said Sarah Zehr, assistant dean and director of Engineering Career Services.

“A firm handshake is always a good idea” she added.

Confidence is a key and necessary tool to the interview, Zehr said.

“We encourage them to be confident and answer questions completely and precisely” she said.

She also recommended researching the company a student might be interviewing for ahead of time.

“It’s important to have questions prepared,” she added.

If students are unsure how to answer questions they don’t know, Kamat suggested pausing and taking the time to think over the question further.

“If you really don’t know the answer to the question, talk about something related to the question that comes to your mind,” she added.

Evan Thompson, sophomore in Business, encourages students to take advantage of mock interviews and advises students to “keep calm and don’t fidget.”