Always research the company website before hand to get the information of the job you are applying for.

• Arrive on time.
• Greet the Interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake and wait until you are offered a chair to sit.
• Be aware of your body language. Sit up straight and maintain eye contact. Normally the Interviewer decides within just five to six minutes whether to consider you seriously for the job. So making a good first impression is vital.
• Do remember, what is put on your C.V, presented to the Interviewer. Remember the year of passing for all academic qualifications. Remember the period worked with every organization. Do remember the hobbies put on the C.V, as questions relevant to your hobbies can be asked.
• Concentrate and listen very carefully to the questions. Avoid answering with a simple yes or no. Support your answer with relevant information from your experience and relate everything you say to the job you are applying for.
• Never speak negative of the past experience, let it be the people in the previous company or the company management. It makes you look unprofessional.
• At the end of the initial round of the interview, do ask about the next step in the process.
• Do thank the Interviewer before you leave.
• It’s important to convey that you really are interested in working for the company and you should make a significant contribution to the company’s progress.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) at the interview 

• Please introduce yourself/ tell me something about yourself.
• What qualifications or experience do you have that would make you a success in this company?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What do you know about our company?
• What’s important to you in your job?
• Why do you want this position?
• What would you say are your major achievements?
• What have you done that shows initiative?
• Why you want to leave your current job?
• Where do you see yourself five years from now?
• What jobs have you enjoyed the most? The least? Why?
• What are your salary expectations?
• How will your colleagues describe you?

First impression is very important

Your appearance can influence the Interviewer’s assessment of your suitability for the job. Being smart, clean and well groomed is a good start. Make sure you arrive early for the interview and don’t rely too heavily on the public transport or a traffic-free journey. Have the names, addresses and titles of the two working references ready.

Tips for interview

1)      Study the company’s website to be familiar with their products and background. Find out as much as you can about the organization. Your ability to convince an employer, that you understand and are interested in the field you being interviewing to enter is important. Show that you have knowledge about the company and the industry. What products or services does the company offer? How is it doing? What is the competition? Demonstrate your understanding of the company. Research company and employment trends, prepare questions for them This is your opportunity to impress the employer by showing your interest in, and knowledge of the organization. Good questions to ask related to tasks, priorities, development, growth opportunities and employee education department.

2)      Arriving a few minutes early always gives a good impression. Always carry extra copies of well-organized error free resumes. Make certain you know where you are going and the time of the interview. The interview is your turn to show, all that is great about you. Remember resumes don’t hire, people do.

3)     Be fully aware of who you will be meeting with, know their names and positions. Remember names, use the Interviewer’s name several times during the interview, including just before you leave, when you say “thank you” Interviewers greatly value maturity, in employees, because mature employees are less disruptive, require less training and are more productive and successful than immature employees.

4)      You should be presentable in the most professional manner, by this we mean attire, poise and grammar. Dress formally, do not chew gum. A simple, clean business like hairstyle is a must, keep the jewels to a minimum, do not wear too much perfume or cologne and watch the heavy make-up. Watch is a must, to indicate your devotion to being punctual. Reliability, and excellent appearance and proper business manners are all part of profession. Do not talk too much about your personal life. For example, “Tell me about yourself” is not an invitation to discuss your personal life.

5)      Stand up when people enter the room. Do not sit down until the Interviewer does. Shake right hand and make eye contact, smile and be friendly. Sit up straight, don’t round your shoulders and make plenty of eye contact to show you are interested. Answer questions with short, crisp and smooth answer. Be careful not to ramble. Do not talk to much. Say positive things about past employers. It you are being interviewed by more than one person, make sure you maintain good eye contact and pay equal attention to each person in the room, above all DO NOT LIE.

6)       Be sure you are familiar with the job specification. Through out the time of the interview, it is imperative that you pay attention and listen to the Interviewer(s). During the interview your conduct is as important as appearance and qualifications. Be poised and relaxed. Avoid nervous habits, such as tapping your pencil, playing with your hair, or covering your mouth with your hand. Avoid littering your speech with verbal, clutter such as “you know”, “um” and “like”, do not bite your nails.

7)       Know yourself:-Evaluate yourself in terms of your strength and you could translate these strengths into skills, your prospective employer can use. Study your resume and be familiar with your education and experience, know what’s written on your CV and pre-prepare answers to likely question about your previous experience. Practice good answers to the standard interview questions:

• Tell me about yourself/ how would you describe yourself?
• Why do you think we should give you this job?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What would you say are your major achievements?
• Where do you see yourself going in the next five years?
• What contribution do you make when working in a team?
• How would your colleagues describe you?
• Why do you want to leave your current job?
• What do you know about our company?
• What did you like best/least about your current/last job?

8)     Have a touch and difficult situation in mind along with the positive solution that you used to overcome the problem. Highlight relevant skills accomplishments. Take a closer look at your problems and see them as they really are and not worse they need be. Decide that you have the power to change any problem. Eventually, keep looking for solution. Stop negative criticism Avoid putting others down including yourself. Remember, the mistakes of your past are not the same as your efforts for the future.

9)    Have some perceptive questions, ready to ask at the end of an interview. Ask questions that demonstrate your knowledge of the firm or the industry. Have names, addresses and titles of two or three work references ready with their prior permission.

10)   Never mention money-try to avoid discussing this in the 1^st interview. If asked, then the best answer is to say that   you are “open for negotiation” or as per the company’s scale. This question in usually asked to make sure that you can be hired within an allowable budget. However it will also be important to avoid low-balling your asking price, you shall be perceived as valuing yourself less than the company values the position.

11)   With many applicants for the same job, it will be up to you to convince the interview that of all those interviewed, you are the best choice. Have a couple of relevant questions ready to ask at the end of the interview. E.g. future company plans/objectives, number of employees/ co-workers, etc. 

12)    Appear confident and act interested and finally thank the Interviewer for taking the time to see you and that you look forward to hearing from them. Always send thank you letters after interviews, confirming your interest in the position and stating your skills and experience. If you don’t get the job, it might be worth calling up the Interviewer and asking them for feedback. You will then be able to adopt your interview technique accordingly and perform even better next time around. Write down the questions and review your responses, and decide whether there’s anything you could have answered differently. By the time your next interview comes around, you will be even better prepared. 

After the interview

Write down the questions and review your answers. Analyse if the responses could have been better. Do send a letter of thanks to the Interviewer. If you don’t get the job, call the Interviewer and ask him or her for feedback. This will enable you to adapt your interview technique in a better way, for the next time around.