A strong opening and closing can shape how interviewers remember a candidate.

Careful research leads to more relevant answers and more thoughtful questions in an interview.

Concise stories are a compelling way to demonstrate a your skills, abilities, and results in an interview.

The worst thing a leadership candidate can do is to rely on their resume, failing to prepare properly.

Congratulations! You were invited to an on-site interview for a leadership position! That, alone, is something to be proud of!

But interviewing for a leadership role is different from interviewing for an entry-level position. You may even have experience serving as the interviewer, but that does not automatically translate into being a great interviewee.

Interviewing involves skills that can be learned, practiced, and honed. The worst thing you can do is arrive unprepared and expect your résumé to speak for itself. This is the big leagues, kid. You need to do better than that.

Here are some actionable steps to take in the weeks leading up to your interview.

Do: Get there early, and dress the part!

This may seem obvious, but it’s worth stating: get there early. On time is late. 15 minutes early is on time. Give yourself enough time to find your bearings, use the restroom, and sit for a moment before being called back. You want to enter with a calm, steady mindset instead of the chaotic mindset that comes from rushing through the door at the last minute.

Dress the part, too. What is appropriate will depend on the workplace, but a good rule of thumb is to dress one step above the organization’s everyday norm. If employees typically wear slacks and button-down shirts, add a blazer. If the environment is generally casual, choose dress pants or slacks.

Keep your clothing, hair, makeup, jewelry, and accessories professional and relatively........

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