First impressions count

Absolute essentials are neatness, cleanliness and punctuality. If you arrive for an interview untidy, dirty or late you have little hope of success.

Dress appropriately for the interview with smart, clean clothes. Make sure you shower or bath the day before, have clean well-groomed hair and use a deodorant. Do not overwhelm the interviewer with excessive perfume or aftershave. Do we need to say this ? Unfortunately we do. Many people believe they can get away with not washing by excessive use of a deodorant and perfume or aftershave ; the only people they fool are themselves.

Plan out your route and travelling time well beforehand and if practical do a trial run.

As in  HOW TO PREPARE A CV  you have to imagine that you are a prospective employer and adapt yourself to a prospective employer’s likely expectations.

Be thoroughly prepared. Find out in advance as much as you can about the employer and the job offered. In that way you will be able to deal with the interview with confidence. The internet is a good source of details of the employer as well as providing maps and directions for any location you are unfamiliar with.

Interviews can be daunting and even the travelling required can be tiring but when you go into the interview, go in with a bright step showing energy and keenness and even if you feel apprehensive or simply tired wear a smile and mean it.

Psychologists will tell you that if you adopt the physical appearance of an emotion you will soon feel the emotion. If you clench your fists tightly you will soon start to feel angry. If you adopt an appearance of composure, confidence and friendliness you will soon feel those emotions.

All employers will ideally be looking for someone they can rely on, so let the employer know that you are dependable and reliable. Shake hands reasonably firmly to show character but do not crush and do not offer "a dead fish".

The interviewer does not want to see anyone with a frosty face no more than someone inappropriately good-humoured. Interviewers will appreciate politeness and good manners but not a sycophant. Keep it in the middle.

Another point to consider is that interviews can be difficult for the person who is interviewing you. If you genuinely try to help the person conducting the interview then as well as assisting that person it will help to put you more at your ease and in addition will reflect well on you.

There are books written on questions you are likely to be asked in an interview with acceptable replies. A popular question is "Where do you see yourself in five years’ time ?" Unprepared you might not be able to think of an answer ; you need to say something on the lines that if you were offered the post you are applying for you would have used your time with the company to promote its business with the friends and contacts you have [everyone has some] and will have worked hard in the company to increase its profitability.

Interviewers for vacancies are hoping to find someone reasonably presentable who will work reasonably diligently and to a reasonable standard. The prospect of additional business and increased profits if they employ you will be a major bonus.

Even if you feel that you are getting on well, do not become over-friendly. Do not attempt to make jokes ; the prospective employer may not realise you are joking and fundamentally he is looking for someone solid to do the work, not a comedian.

Do not be over earnest. Equally do not be so casual that the interviewer gains the impression that you do not care. It is difficult to let a prospective employer know that you really would like the job you are applying for (as you must) without appearing too keen but again you have to try to keep the balance. As before, keep to the middle. A prospective employer does not want extremes in anything.

Leaning slightly forward in your chair shows interest, but do not over do it.

You may very well be asked what are essentially stupid questions, by interviewers who want to see how you react under pressure, such as "If you were a fruit what would you be and why ?" Given such a question use a throwaway line like "I would be an orange because I would be full of vitality".

At some stage in the interview you will be asked if you have any questions. Only ask a couple of questions and ask only those showing your interest in the post such as "If I were offered this post what would be the ideal time for you for me to start ?" Ask questions that relate to benefiting the employer, not you ; you do not want to give the impression that you are only interested in your salary and holidays.

Before the interview plan two or three questions to ask and make sure that the information is not already in any literature you may be given about the post beforehand.

If you are asked to attend for an interview remember that you have passed Stage 1. You are now on the company’s shortlist and you would not have come that far if the employer was not to a certain extent satisfied with your CV. It is not desirable to go to an interview being conceited but you have to be good to get an interview ; reflecting on this should help you to be quietly confident.

Finally, if you do not get many interviews or do not do well at an interview or a succession of interviews, do not become despondent. Remember that Sylvester Stallone went to hundreds of auditions and was even laughed at before he was given his break but despite all that disappointment and humiliation he persisted because he had an indestructible belief in his own abilities.