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Before Your Interview

• Find out as much as possible about the company. Web sites, trade journals, press releases and contacts should all be used. You can even phone the company direct and request info rmation. In particular you should familiarize yourself with company statistics, history, number of employees, locations, products and services, divisions, presence in the market, competitors, USP, relative position in the market, mission statements, goals, achievements, past and projected performance. If you fail to prepare before hand you seriously reduce your chances of success.

• Crib folder - This folder should be prepared well in advance of any interview. It should contain all certificates and awards that are relevant, several copies of your CV, your research and info rmation on the prospective employer, pre-prepared questions to ask at the end of the interview and any other info rmation that may prove useful during the interview, e.g. the advert/job description, interview confirmation letter, client testimonies, commission statements etc.

• Make sure you take several copies of your CV to the interview as there could be additional interviewers without a copy, and you should always have a copy to refer to yourself.

• Employers will likely base many questions on your CV at first interview, so it is vital you are very familiar with it.

• Before the interview, make sure your suit/clothes are clean and suitable. If necessary get a hair cut and make sure you are clean shaven or any facial hair is neat. Shirts should be neatly ironed, of a light/neutral colour and your tie should be understated. Shoes should be cleaned and polished.

• Questions – You should have 2 lists of questions prepared. The first should be all the questions you think the interviewer could ask you. You should then practice and rehearse your answers to these questions. The second list should be questions to ask at the end of you interview. Having pre-prepared questions to ask not only takes pressure off during the interview, it demonstrates you have thought about the role and company, and done research. Make sure all your questions are open (who, why, what, where, when, how).

• Confirm the date, time and location of the interview a couple of days in advance.

• Memorise the names and positions of the interviewers. Calling someone by the wrong name could be disastrous!

• Familiarise yourself with the route you will take on the day and if possible do a dummy run.

• Always set off early in case of any delays. If you are delayed and are going to be late, contact your consultant immediately.

• Do not take too much with you to the interview. If you get there looking like a Christmas tree with bags, folders, laptops etc it will create a negative impression.

• Always take a spare pen and spare pad.

• Make sure your mobile phone is turned off

• If you are a smoker try and refrain from smoking just before you go into the interview.