A job interview can be one of the loneliest places in the world when it is going badly. Sweaty palms, 100mph speech, a nervous twitch. We have all been there!

A job interview can be one of the lonliest places in the world

It is so easy to work yourself into a blind panic just thinking about the prospect, but with preparation and passion for the job at hand, your talents will shine through.

As tough as the interviewer may be, they are ultimately willing you to succeed. There is no question that if you weren’t capable of the job in hand, you would not have been given the interview in the first place. A positive mental attitude will work wonders and if you end up not succeeding, always remember it is their loss!

Follow our dos and don’ts to really impress:

Do:

• Dress smartly, but not in an over the top way. You want to aim to look professional but without being to showy. We can convince ourselves that what we say will get us through the interview but in fact this forms only seven per cent of an interviewer’s opinion, the rest is judged on how we look, act and sound.

• Do research on the company/job thoroughly; we have all cringed incessantly when one of the apprentice candidates doesn’t actually know a single thing about what Sir Alan Sugar does. Please don’t let it be you!

• Sell yourself, none of us like to blow our own horn, but if you can’t do it in a job interview where can you?! Make a list of all your best qualities and achievements and for that one hour make sure people know about them.

• Prepare real examples of when you have used certain skills; it is not enough to say you have a skill without being able to back it up.

• Have answers already prepared for the main questions they are bound to ask you. For example; why do you want the job? What are your main strengths and weaknesses and what can you bring to the role?

• Prepare some questions to ask at the end. This shows you are genuinely interested in the role and the company.

• If and when the conversation turns to salary, do your research before hand so you know the average salary for this type of role.

Don’t:

• Be late; prepare your route and the time it will take to get there beforehand. For employers a late arrival is a black mark by your name before the interview has even started.

• Don’t lie on your CV, sorry to quote The Apprentice again but anyone who witnessed Stuart “The Brand” Braggs get crucified at the interview stage because of certain inaccuracies in his application will know you just can’t do it!

• Try not to argue with the interviewer, a feisty or argumentative personality can be a massive turn-off. A polite, well mannered person will always be regarded as an asset to a company.

• Don’t let your nerves show too much, remember to breathe and talk slowly. It is only a job, not a matter of life and death.

• Don’t be arrogant, there is a very fine line between arrogance and confidence and someone assuming they have the job will not be appreciated.

• Don’t be too clichéd with your answers, there are only a certain number of times an interview can hear the phrase “thrive under pressure”.

Do you have any interview horror stories? let us know about them at 

educationandtraining@lsnmedia.co.uk

Good luck!