Everyone knows that your professional relationships are just as important as your personal ones. Making a good impression on a college recruiter, potential employer or new boss can make or break you. Here are some simple tips to help you move to the top of the pack.

1. Be personable and don’t be afraid to mess up. The more engaging and friendly you are, the more interested an employer will be to talk and listen to you. Even if you can feel your heart beating in your chest and start to shake, just take a deep breath and speak slowly, but not too slowly. Even if you stutter, speak a bit too quickly or say Mike Jacobs instead of Marc Jacobs, just brush it off, smile and move on. Your interviewer definitely doesn’t want to see you lose your cool and you want to show them that even in the face of a sticky situation, you’ll be able to handle yourself.

2. Research. Before you go on an interview and even after you get the job, it’s important to know about the company you’re working for and the people who work there. The more informed you are, the more you can prove to be an important asset to your team or boss.

3. Dress to impress. An employer will see you and form an opinion before you even open your mouth, so take an extra few minutes getting ready in the morning. Superficial or no, your appearance can help give you an edge, especially if your competition looks like they’ve just rolled out of bed. Also, remember that it’s important to dress for the job you’re applying for, so if it’s a business interview you should probably wear a suit, but if it’s a fashion interview you should probably wear the latest trends.

4. Proof read your résumé, again and again. Always, always remember to bring your résumé with you for an interview. There’s nothing more embarrassing than being asked for your résumé and not being able to hand it over. Not to mention, it makes you look unprepared and unprofessional. But even more importantly, remember to review your résumé a few times before printing out a final copy. It’s always easy to skip over a grammatical or spelling error but your interviewer will notice.

5. Send your thank you’s. Immediately after an interview you should email your interviewer and thank them for his or her time. Then, you should send a written thank you in the mail. While you may think that actual mail is passee, it really shows your character — that you took the time to personally thank them for meeting with you. Something as simple as this can really set you apart.