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How to handle your job interview

An interview is part of the process by which organisations hope to select and appoint the right person for the vacancy, and every vacancy represents a problem which the organisation has to solve.

Information you may not know:

Are they appointing someone to a newly created position ? Or are they replacing someone who has moved on or been promoted, or perhaps worse, someone they have let go because the individual was not up to the job ? So don't worry about the whys and wherefores of the vacancy prior to your interview. If it is relevant, they will tell you that. What you need to concentrate on is how to convert that perfect CV (Resume) into a firm offer of a job.

In hard economic times, you may think any job is better than none. But step back and think. Make sure this is the job you can do and want to do as any interviewer will realise straight away if you are having doubts.

So, let's prepare for the interview. The first thing to do is to check their website. Read it carefully and get a feel for their methods, image etc. Look up other organisations in that industry (if any) and see how they compare with your prospective company and visa versa.

Next, make sure you know their product/service offerings intimately. Have a look at their investor relations section and read all their recent press releases. You need to be armed with background on the organisation and its people. Have a look at their Annual Report. Do they belong to any trade associations? What reputation have they in your industry? Be very curious!

Now the day of the interview has arrived and you are probably feeling nervous? If you are, that's good! Many seasoned actors are nervous every time they're waiting to make their entrance. And that's the point – you are there to give a performance. Your entrance into that interview is more important than you think, according to some researchers, people make up their minds about you within the first minute of meeting you.

So what are the essential elements of your performance ?

Firstly, preparation. Check on the dress code. Most websites have corporate photo's and if you see all wearing suits and ties, it is probably a good assumption to make that that is the dress code.

It is better to go in smart rather than too casual as you can always tone down your working attire once you get the job.

If you're offered a drink before you go in, best to avoid tea or coffee. Water is best. After all, you're probably anxious and the last thing you need is caffeine in the system! If you have a few minutes spare, visit the wash room. That's your last chance to check yourself over in the mirror and to make sure you are comfortable during your interview..

When you go into the interview SMILE. Its friendly, and we human beings always respond to a smile generally by smiling back.

You may be interviewed by one person , or a whole panel of people, just try to acknowledge each member and make eye contact.

You will be asked to sit, when you do, don't sit on the edge of the chair – that will indicate you are anxious. Also don't lounge back with your legs crossed at the feet – that signals overconfidence which is just as bad.

It is important to engage with the interviewer/s – look him/her in the eyes when answering questions.

You will probably have rehearsed answers to the questions you predict may be asked. If you've rehearsed a good response to a particular question, be aware that there may well be supplementary questions that come out of your rehearsed reply which you have not considered – so if you've not prepared “in depth” for the interview, it all comes down to how quickly and confidently you can think on your feet!

It helps if you've got a good memory for names, particularly if you're being interviewed by a Board of directors or other large committee of people. If you can remember 20 plus names on hearing them for the first time, you don't need any further thoughts from me. If not, the trick is to remember the names of 3 or 4 of them, and if you're lucky enough to be asked a question by one of them, reply by name.


The interview will probably start by going through your resume. When answering questions about previous jobs, remember your reply should be in terms of what you did and not the rest of your department.

Increasingly, interviews include some form of aptitude or psychometric assessment. This is something you can't rehearse for – your consolation is that these tests are objective – not designed to trip you up. They're there to make sure that you're not a round peg trying to squeeze into a square hole.

Towards the end of the interview, you will almost certainly be asked if you would like to ask any questions. If you say no, there's a fifty percent chance you'll have blown the interview.

Fact. The reason the question is asked is not just to fill in the gaps in your knowledge. They're looking to see what you have got out of the first contact with the company and to gauge how much you have gone into their background.

You should have prepared at least three lines to open up often from information you get from their press releases. If unluckily your 3 lines of questioning have already been dealt with during the interview, then you should find something to go back on. If you can remember a particular comment or question from someone whose name you remember, so much the better.

A good ploy is to start as follows “ Yes, just one point that Mr X made a while back. He said.... Interviews like to know that you have been awake during the interview, so getting extra clarification on a point will indicate an interest and understanding of what has been discussed. Remember this is not the point to ask about salaries, perks, pensions holidays etc. Leave that to negotiate when they make you an offer.

Lastly they may well offer you a tour of the offices, building. This does not mean you have the job, its just how some companies work. Don't make comments such as 'Is this where I will be working?. Wait for them to indicate, if they do, where the successful candidate will be placed in their building

There are many good websites which go into detailed analysis on how to conduct yourself during an interview. It would be well worth your time to check out a few. After all, success comes down to preparation – and if you're prepared and you're confident that will come across to an employer.







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