Interviews - A 10 Point Plan of Action

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

• Plan carefully. Do you know where you are going and how to get there? Who are you seeing? 

• Make sure you know the names of the people who will be interviewing you. Practice saying them if they are difficult to pronounce.  

• 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.

• Why does this job exist? What problems will it solve? What are the Key Result Areas? 

• Remember: employers buy experience. Think about what evidence of achievement you can talk about in the interview; rehearse your success stories. 

• 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 

• Second guess the employer's "shopping list" from the job details - what skills / qualities / experience do you have to match? 

• Be your own worst interview nightmare. What is the most difficult question you might have to face? Practice the answer. Practice again. 

• Be upbeat. Employers latch on to negative messages, so don't give them any. 

• 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.