Planning for your interview

10 ways to make sure you do your best!

1. Plan carefully. Do you know where you are going and how to get there? Who are you seeing?

2. Make sure you know the names of the people who will be interviewing you. Practice saying them if they are difficult to pronounce.

3. There's no such thing as enough preparation for an interview. Find out everything you can about the company and what it makes or does. Look for current news - show you are up to date.

4. Why does this job exist? What problems will it solve? What are the Key Result Areas?

5. Remember: employers buy experience. Think about what evidence of achievement you can talk about in an interview; rehearse your success stories.

6. Work out what is appropriate in terms of everything you present, including yourself. Look the part, and you will feel it. Dress as if you are already doing the job.

7. Second guess the employer's "shopping list" from the job details - what skills/qualities/experience do you have to match?

8. Be your own worst interview nightmare. What is the most difficult question you might have to face? Practice the answer. Practice again.

9. Be upbeat. Employers latch on to negative messages, so don't give them any!

10. Prepare for rejection. On balance you will be rejected more times than accepted. Even if you don't get the job, you can learn a huge amount about your perceived market value. Remember - there's a job out there for you somewhere - more people are working in the UK than ever before.

Preparation
Prepare yourself, interviews are two-way meetings. Not only are they an opportunity for the interviewer to find out about you and if you are a suitable candidate for the position but they are also an opportunity for you to find out about the organisation and if the position will provide you with the challenge and job satisfaction you are looking for.

Think about your skills, qualifications and experience and ensure that you can talk confidently about what is written on your CV. Particularly ensure that you can talk about those skills that are valuable to the position you re going for.

Prepare some questions to ask at the interview. At the first interview it would be wise to restrict your questions to the details of the job and the organisation. Salary and benefit discussions are best left until a second interview or a job offer is made.

Do your homework
Find out as much as possible about the company prior to the interview. A good starting point is to look up their web site and find out about the products and services they offer, the location of the office(s), and the number of employees. Ask the consultancy if they have any extra information on them. You could also phone the company and ask thm to send you an annual report.

Dress Code and Appearance
Ask your consultancy what the client's dress code is. For office work, smart business dress is a must. Ensure you are well groomed with tidy hair, clean shoes and clothing. Do not wear too much perfume or aftershave and keep makeup, jewellery and nail polish simple.

Travel and Timing
Plan your journey beforehand to ensure you arrive a few minutes early. Allow for possible travel delays. Just in case of a major hold-up, make sure you have your contact's telephone number so that you can call if you suspect you will be late.