Interviews - A 10 Point Plan of Action

Careers expert John Lees FREC offers you a 10-point plan for interview success:

1. Plan carefully. Do you know where you are going and how to get there? Who are you seeing?
2. Make sure you know the names of the people who will be interviewing you. Practice saying them if they are difficult to pronounce.
3. There's no such thing as enough preparation for an interview. Find out everything you can about the company and what it makes or does. Look for current news - show you are up to date.
4. Why does this job exist? What problems will it solve? What are the Key Result Areas?
5. Remember: employers buy experience. Think about what evidence of achievement you can talk about in the interview; rehearse your success stories.
6. Work out what is appropriate in terms of everything you present, including yourself. Look the part, and you will feel it. Dress as if you are already doing the job.
7. Second guess the employer's "shopping list" from the job details - what skills / qualities / experience do you have to match?
8. Be your own worst interview nightmare. What is the most difficult question you might have to face? Practice the answer. Practice again.
9. Be upbeat. Employers latch on to negative messages, so don't give them any.
10. Prepare for rejection. On balance you will be rejected more times than accepted. Even if you don't get the job, you can learn a huge amount about your perceived market value. Remember - there's a job out there for you somewhere - more people are working in the UK than ever before.

For more details see http://www.johnleescareers.com/