Giving a great interview is not as hard as some may think, but not as easy as others do either. Remember, during an interview, you are a salesman. You are there to sell yourself to your prospective employer. You want to market yourself in the most interesting way possible. Great preparation for the interview is your best bet. A salesman that is knowledgeable, friendly and positive always gets the sale.
It doesn't matter how much knowledge or experience you have about the position that you are trying to get in a company if you don't have a clue who the company is or what they do. It is disastrous to enter into an interview and not be able to tell your interviewer what their company is about. How else are you going to tell them why you feel that you would be a good addition to their company?
A great way to learn about the company is to use the internet. You'll be able to get all the information that you require including who the key members of staff are. You should look at all the pages of their site and familiarise yourself with all their services/products.
When you are contacted about an interview try to find out the name of the person who will be interviewing you. It looks professional to be able to address them by their name without them having to tell you. It shows you are serious and are someone who does their homework.
If you usually suffer with nervousness it's always sensible to rehearse how you'll respond to various questions that you think will be asked. Practice the words and tone that you intend to use on the day. Keep you answers fairly short but still include some detail.
Choose what clothes you are going to wear the day before. This allows you to make sure there are no creases or stains on your clothes. Choose clothing that suits the environment you will be working in. Ladies should avoid anything that shows too much flesh and for men, a dark suit would be good.
It's always wise to prepare everything you'll need the day before. A checklist will help ensure nothing is forgotten. Make sure you have an extra copy of your CV at hand and also a notepad just in case you need to jot down some important information. If you have some, taking a business card shows professionalism and will help the interviewer remember your name.
