Attending an interview - be prepared!

For most people, the job interview can be one of the most nerve wracking points in their career, especially early on.  You get told about the interview for a job you really want - then you spend the next few days (or even weeks) worrying about how it will go!  After all, this could be your big break - what if you screw it up?

This doesn’t need to be the case.  It is natural to get nervous before important events in your life - you can turn this fear into your ally that will help you succeed at your interview…

The key way to prevent your fear overcoming you in any situation is to prepare for that situation as much as you can.  This is easy for interviews because you will always know about them beforehand and you will be familiar with the subject area (to varying degrees).

What can you do to prepare for an interview?

• Think about what questions you interviewer may ask you and prepare responses for them.
• Chat with friends and family who may work in a similar area and get an idea of what to expect.
• Research the company - what do they do?  What will your team be doing?  Even if you can only get a little information from their website or news articles you can use these starting points to come up with intelligent questions to ask them.
• Prepare a list of questions to ask them.  These should ask about the company, the team you will be working with, the job you are applying for and perhaps even some general questions about the industry the company is in.
• Plan your route!  This may seem stupid, but go to the company the day before (don’t go in - just to the front door).  How long did it take you?  Did you take the bus (if so will it be slowed down by traffic at different times of the day)?  You’d be surprised how many people leave this to the last minute and end up realising the company is in some obscure office estate that they can’t find.  Aim to arrive at your interview around 10 minutes early.

When you go through this process, not only are you increasing your chances of a successful interview, but you are increasing your self confidence - preparing for an interview is as much about the confidence boost as it is about the actual preparation!

• Interviewing tips for jobseekers
• Preparing for an interview - what to do before you go
• Sample Interview Questions - Questions Asked in an Interview
• What is your expected salary? Dodging that awkward interview question…
• Reasons for leaving a job - the dreaded interview question!
• 41 Questions to Ask at a Job interview