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Once you have been selected for interview, you need to prepare for it, remember you can never over prepare for an interview. The more you prepare the less mistakes you will make. I remember once being told by a perspective employer about the 5 P’s Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance, it is something that has stayed with me to this day!

It is best to prepare yourself emotionally as well as intellectually for an interview. Giving a great interview is not as hard as you may think, but it can be if you under prepare.

Here are a few things that should be done when preparing for an interview.

Remember, during an interview, you are a salesman.

You are there to sell yourself to the prospective employer.

You need to market yourself in the most interesting way possible.

Good preparation for the interview is a must.

A salesman who is knowledgeable, friendly and positive always gets the sale.

Do Your Research

A major part of the preparation you need to do before the interview is to gain some knowledge of the company and what they do. Equally important is to try and find out what the position you are applying for actually entails.

It would be disastrous to enter into the interview without some knowledge of the above, how else would you be able to sell yourself to the interviewer and make him believe that you would be an asset to the company?

The best and most informative way of finding out about a company is to check their website; you can get a lot of general knowledge about them, including the names of key people and their job titles. You should use the website to become familiar with their work and/or products.

Another but slightly trickier method to gain information on the company is to telephone them and without referring to yourself as a potential future employee ask the relevant questions; you may get more up to date information than you would reading through their website.
Know Your Contact

Yet another important part of your interview preparation is to establish who will be interviewing you. It is deemed professional to arrive for the interview with a contact name whom you should ask for; it is also extremely courteous to be able to greet your interviewer by name without first being told who they are. It shows the interviewer that you are knowledgeable and have prepared for the appointment.

You may also want to do some research on the person that will be conducting the interview, establish their position in the company, are they director level, management level or just a member of staff. There is no great relevance to this information apart from giving you the confidence of knowing who you are being interviewed by.
Practice Your Responses

If you are prone to nervousness, try practicing your responses to the questions that you may be asked during the interview. (A list of the most common questions will appear later on in the book)

Start off with a simple question such as “What are your skills?” practice how you would answer, concentrate on your wording and voice tone; try to keep your responses brief but detailed.

Often it is best to practice being interviewed with a friend or family member, get their opinion on your responses, gestures and habits. If you do have nervous habits such as talking with your hands, use the practice interview(s) to get these under control.
Interview Attire

Decide on what you are going to wear in advance of the interview day, ensure that your selection is freshly laundered or dry cleaned.

Choosing your interview attire really depends on the nature of job that you are applying for.

If you are going to work in an office setting, you should dress appropriately. A two-piece dark grey or navy blue suit with a white or light blue shirt and a complimenting tie would be ideal for a male while a subtle coloured 2 piece skirted suit should worn by a female

Some working environments allow a more casual dress code, however, unless advised otherwise I still believe that for interview purposes you should dress more formally.

Attire overview;

Clean and polished shoes (black lace ups for men)

Well groomed hair style

Black belt & dark socks (men)

Any facial hair must be well groomed (men!)

Avoid excessive jewellry; obviously a wedding ring and a conservative watch are acceptable

Use only minimal perfume \ after shave

No chewing gum

Ensure fingernails are clean and trimmed

Remove any body piercings other than conservative ear rings for women

Be Organized

Ensure you plan ahead for things you will need on the day of the interview, make a checklist of things that you may need to do - things like;

Directions to the interview site

Transportation or parking information

An additional CV

Notepad and pen

Business card