What Influences the Interviewer

The more you know about how you will be perceived, the more you can prepare. From a survey of recruiters, the qualities that influenced them were, in priority:

• Your personality, how you present yourself in the interview
• Your experience
• The qualifications you have for the position
• Your background and references
• The enthusiasm you have towards the organisation and position.

Interview Dos and Don'ts

Do:

• Answer the question that is asked and do not volunteer irrelevant information.
• Keep your answer concise and concentrate on the facts not opinions.
• Speak clearly and confidently and do not allow yourself to be discouraged.

Constantly remind yourself that you have something to sell and focus on how you can make a positive contribution in the role.

Don't:

• Try to be too clever.
• Lie, pretend or give evasive answers.
• Lose your temper, get flustered, panic.
• Criticise your former employers.

A few points to bear in mind when you are at an interview...

• Don't be afraid to ask for clarification on any questions.
• Remember that the cost to an employer of recruiting the wrong person can be very expensive. The employer is also under a lot of pressure to make the right decision and may be just as nervous as you are!
• Try to relax and enjoy the interview. The more relaxed you are, the better you will perform on the day.

Interview Preparation Tips

• Research the company, its competitors, position in the marketplace and challenges/developments within the industry.
• Prepare a list of questions that you think might be asked and plan your answers. A useful tip is to look at the job description - this should enable you to define the qualities the recruiter is looking for and emphasise the skills and experiences that you have which best demonstrate them.
• Think of any questions you would like to ask the recruiter about the company and the position you are applying for.

The interview

• Employers expect candidates to:
• dress smartly
• arrive on time
• relax and be themselves
• listen carefully to questions, think before they speak and actually answer the question asked
• be enthusiastic
• focus on what they can offer them
• emphasise their skills and experiences directly relevant to the position. If their degree is not vocational, they should describe the transferable skills they have and their involvement in extra-curricular activities
• go armed with examples of the company's competencies, e.g. where they are market leaders.

Employers will not recruit candidates who:

• denigrate themselves
• criticise their course, tutor or current employer
• give the impression that they only applied because something else didn't materialise
• mention other applications.