Before the interview

• Use the information provided by me to research the company.  You should also be able to get extra information from the internet.  If you have any problems accessing this, do let me know.
• Prepare a list of questions to take in with you.  It is a good idea to prepare about 10-15, as invariably a lot of them will be answered during the interview anyway.
• Do a dry run of the journey, so that you know exactly where you are going and can plan parking if they do not have it on site.
• Make sure you know what the interview process will involve and whether or not there will be any testing.

During the interview

• Ask salient questions about the job and the company, but stick to about 4 questions.
• A strong handshake and a confident smile will start you off in the right way, but not too strong a handshake!  You don’t want to be remembered only for that.
• Don’t ramble – stick to the question being asked and answer concisely – if they want elaboration then they will ask.  Remember that they may have been interviewing all day and you don’t want to bore them.
• Remember that the interview is not one way and you are there to find out if the position is what you are looking for, so interview them as well.
• Wear a suit
• Try to arrive 5-10 minutes early
• Research the business thoroughly
• Ask them at the end of the interview whether or not they have any concerns about progressing you onto the next stage.
• Let them know at the end of the interview that you are still interested in the role.
• Appear enthusiastic – this goes a long way, but is the first thing that disappears with nerves.
• Do not make any negative comments about your current organisation or the people in it, even if you know the interviewer and they know the circumstances.

After the interview

• As soon as is possible, send me an email that I can forward to the interviewer, expressing your interest if that is the case.  I will then send this to my client.  Most consultancy firms do not do this, so it really does put you ahead of the competition.
• Even if you are not interested in the role it is worth doing this, as you do not know what other opportunities might be available in the future.

Do and Don’ts

• Be positive about your skills and experience.
• Give the interviewer space to talk showing that you are a good listener as well as talker.
• Smile and display good eye contact.
• Don’t have a cigarette on the way to the interview, as most companies now operate no smoking policies and it is better to be on the safe side.
• Don’t exaggerate or lie about your experience.
• Don’t be negative about any past employers or colleagues.
• Leave questions about salary, holiday, benefits etc until the second interview.  You don’t want to appear presumptuous before you know if they like you.
• If during the interview you become unsure about whether you are interested in the role, do not let them see that.  In hindsight you might decide your concerns are unjustified when you have more information about the role.