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Preparing For An Interview

If you've been invited to an interview you know that your CV has made the right impression. However, now the real work begins.

Some interviews will look at Competencies, others look at Attitudes or Experience. Whatever the type of interview you are attending, planning and preparation are essential.

The Position You Are Applying For

It is likely that you will be asked why you are interested in this vacancy. Obviously in order to answer this question you will need to understand the fine detail about the role.

• As an absolute minimum you need to read the job advert in fine detail
• If you haven't been sent one - ask for a role profile. It will contain more detail about the role, it's reporting lines, responsibilities, and core skills required to perform the role to a good standard
• If acceptable, ask if you can spend time in the department to shadow someone doing the role

Not only will these steps enable you to speak knowledgably about the role, but the extra preparation will impress the interviewer.

The Company You Are Applying To

Again, you may well be asked "Why do you want to work for this company?" or "What do you know about this company?"

To answer this question:

• The job advert should provide you with some high level information about the company
• Review the company's website - understand what their core products/services are and look at their performance
• Do a search on Google and review the latest news on the company

Find out about the Interviewer

As an absolute minimum find out the role profile of the person interviewing you. It may also be worth checking LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) and seeing if they have a profile.

Not only will that give you an insight into who the interviewer is but sometimes, if there is a picture of them on their profile, it can ease your nerves!

Read Your CV

In preparation for your interview, re-read your CV. This is especially important if you tailor your CV to each vacancy you apply for.

The interviewer is likely to question you about your experience so it is essential that you are able to answer any questions.

Plan Your Journey

This may sound obvious but make sure you know where your interview is, how you are going to get there, and how long the journey will take.

It is also advisable to be in the area of the interview early. You've taken a lot of care to plan for this appointment, don't undo your work by having to rush.

Think About Questions

Virtually all interviews will end with the opportunity for you to ask questions. Plan these in advance and take a list with you.

Of course there will be questions about the role you would like to ask, but you may also want to show off your knowledge of the company (i.e. how will this legislation affect your business?)

Try to avoid basic questions like "what are my chances of promotion?"

Look The Part

It is human nature to assess people on how they look. While interviewers are trained to assess you based on the information they gather from you, it certainly can't help to back this up with a positive impression.

General Preparation

Make sure you are well rested, fuelled and hydrated on the day of the interview. If you feel good in yourself, you'll perform to your highest standard.

Think positive thoughts - "I am the right person for this job", "I will get this job."