We are anticipating that there may be a slight change with the current market and jobs may be more competitive out there than they have been over the past 4 years. That means that you have one small window of opportunity to make an impression for the prospective employee.

We have a lot of interviews which end disastrously for a prospective candidate who could very well be best for a role, through lack of preparation. It could be as minor as being late because of traffic or a mobile going off in the middle of the interview. Believe me it happens.

Part of your preparation is to know the job description of the position and understand it fully. Find out about the company either from their website or by asking someone who knows them. Who their competitors are is good information and what size they are and do they have branches and if so how many. Research their product range, services and their market.

When going for an interview make sure that you leave in plenty of time. If possible travel the route the day before and be very clear on where the company is. Have the persons name and phone number who you are going to be interviewed by easily accessible to you on the way.

Do not overdo perfume or aftershave. There are a lot of people allergic to perfume or cannot tolerate the smells. Dress smart and not over the top and arrive early rather than late. Make sure you turn your cell phone off BEFORE you go into the building. Once you arrive at reception nervousness can set in and then it can be forgotten. When you work out the time to get to your interview add 15 minutes for things to go wrong. What we want is the focus on you in the interview and not any of the above.

One of the first good impressions that you can give is to take an offered hand firmly and look your interviewer straight in the eye.

This gives the impression of confidence and a positive presence.

 

Have a pen and pad handy with a list of questions that you want to ask. Throughout the interview you can tick off your questions if they are answered. You can also add onto the questions if something comes up that is not appropriate to ask quite yet. The worst question to ask is "how much is the job paying". If you ask this question during the interview it will put the prospective employer off. What they want to know is, ‘are you the person for the job'. They will pay according on how they feel about you and your experience so focus on impressing them with who you are and what you can bring to the table. We find that often employers who really want a candidate that has knocked their socks off will pay more than what they were planning.

When it is obvious to you that the interview is over make sure that you move quickly to leave. Shake the interviewers hand firmly again with strong eye contact. Thank them for their time and it does not hurt, if they have not told you, to ask what their process is regarding the filling of the position from now.

Remember when attending an interview you only get one chance to make an impression.