Interviews are stressful. And awkward. And intimidating. They also happen to be that one thing standing between you and your dream internship.

The trick to having an amazing interview is all about preparation. Sure, you should know the job description before heading into that office, but you should also know yourself. You may have interviewed with everyone from small start-ups (like Her Campus!) to media giants like AOL. You may have even seen the Hearst Tower in Manhattan or the Puma headquarters in Massachusetts. Our point? No matter how many interviews you have, those nerves will always be there. But with a little preparation and tips from some interview experts (and a few deep breaths), you can leave that interview knowing that you did the absolute best that you could.

1. Research the Company

This one is kind of a no-brainer, but to really set yourself apart from all those other candidates, you need to do more than just surf around the company’s website. Look at their most recent press releases, their annual report and any social media accounts that they use. All of these aspects will give you an idea of what the company’s mission is and how they interact with their customers. Gary Miller, assistant director of UNC’s Career Services, suggests doing “a news search to see if there are current events that involve them or the industry. If you have time, try to find someone within the organization to talk to about the company.”

Many universities also have business databases available to students for no charge. Check with your school’s library to see what resources they may have. LexisNexis and Hoovers are both great ways to learn about different industries.

No matter how much you do, “don’t even begin to think you know it all—you don’t and you can’t,” Rick Gillis reminds us. All you can do is be as prepared as possible.

2. Research the Job

No excuses: know the job description backwards and forwards. What skills are they looking for? What experience do you have that you can apply to the position? For each qualification listed, you should be able to explain why you have the skills that they are looking for. My favorite way to prepare stories for an interview is to pick apart the job description and make lists. Take a sheet of paper and list every quality, trait or skill that is mentioned and then list the corresponding experience that you have for each.

By jotting everything down in a notebook you’ll have everything organized and you won’t drive yourself crazy trying to remember everything!

3. Research the Interviewer

Put those well-honed Facebooking skills to good use! Almost everyone in the professional world has a LinkedIn profile (and you should too if you don’t already!). Look up anyone in the company whom you’ve had contact with, or whose name you’ve heard mentioned. According to Northeastern University’s Career Services office, “it is completely appropriate to ask, ‘with whom will I be meeting?’”

If you’ve never used LinkedIn, there are a few main points to look for in any profile that you’re viewing.

• The information at the top of each profile will tell you current and past work experience, as well as their education history (maybe they’re even an alum of your school!)
• Some profiles will have websites listed as well—sometimes there will even be portfolios, Twitter accounts and personal blogs linked
• At the very bottom you may be able to see what year they graduated college as well, and with what degree(s)

Being able to walk into interview knowing the age, education and job history of the person you’re meeting with will really help calm your nerves—and also allow you to prepare accordingly!

To see the other 7 ways to have the best interview possible, check out the full article at HerCampus.com.

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2. 7 ways to put your “useless” degree to use
3. Want to land that job? Be a mama’s girl (or boy)
4. Clean up your Facebook before you apply
5. 10 easy ways to save money in college