You wait nervously in the lobby for your first interview after graduation.

Answers you’ve prepared race through your head: your qualifications, your educational background, your mother’s maiden name ... and then it happens. The interviewer shakes your hand and you have a massive brain fart: You forget your name.

Or worse — you forget her name.

“Being nervous at an interview is natural,” said Kristin Gustafson, a doctoral student in communication, in an e-mail. “You don’t want to be too polished or your answers begin to sound canned or inauthentic. But you do want to practice answering questions in such a way that shows an employer why you are the best candidate for the position.”

To practice questions, get a friend to help you try a mock interview or visit the UW Career Center for advice.

“I recommend going first to the UW Career [Center] Web site,” said Gustafson, who taught Interviewing Principles and Practices, a communication course, last quarter. “This is an excellent service free to students. They offer the opportunity to do a mock interview, conduct a portfolio review, explore job fairs and get your cover letter and résumé reviewed.”

Coming early to an interview also helps calm you down by allowing you to get a feel for the environment. Listening to your favorite music may also help ease those pesky nerves.

“Punctuality is key,” said Reese Parrett, a senior studying business. “It is an important life skill. I would not come later than five minutes early.”

Body language and what you wear are also important when presenting yourself during an interview, since most people tend to make snap judgments.

“[Don’t] cross your arms [or] put your hands in your pockets, because they’re all nervous defensive ticks,” Parrett said. “I try to not be cocky ... [and] to be extremely polite, kind and confident at the same time. I would never lie to someone who is interviewing me or on my résumé.”

Make sure handshakes are firm, and maintain eye contact, said Scott Simpson, owner of The Jones Bistro on Roosevelt Way Northeast and Northeast 88th Street.

Simpson also advised applicants not to exaggerate or lie about their abilities, because most hiring managers will be able to tell.

“Dress as well or better than the person who will interview you, even when you won’t wear those clothes for your day-to-day job,” Gustafson said. “Dressing up shows the employer you care.”

During the interview, know that the person who is interviewing you wants to fill the position and wants to make the search as short as possible, Simpson said.

“You can assume they want to hire you and that they’re already on your side,” Simpson said. “You can do yourself more harm than good, so coming across overly reserved or concerned may [cause you] to end up not seeming like the person you really are. ... Just be prepared and relax.”

Afterwards, thanking the interviewer as you leave while offering a handshake will help leave a positive impression.

“If it’s a professional career or something like that, or an internship, ... I would absolutely send a thank you card to the interviewer that day,” Parrett said. “I’ve actually done that and have had really good results from it.”

However, for more casual jobs, sending an e-mail or calling works just as well, Simpson said.

“Leave everyone — from the person greeting you as you enter to the person shaking your hand as you exit — with the impression that you are the job candidate they want,” Gustafson said.