Fail to prepare and prepare to fail - Interview Advice

Interview advice

So you've landed an interview congratulations! Your application was great, and you're excited about the chance to prove yourself in a face to face meeting. But be warned its not always plain sailing and youll still need to prepare. No matter how great your CV is, first impressions count and this interview will be your chance to show what a perfect candidate you are.

So there's no choice really, it's time to start your interview prep.

You might not always have a lot of time or notice before your interview, so we've focussed on the basic interview preparation that you should start with. No matter how little time you have, our tips will make sure that you cover the basics and show yourself off at your very best.

1) Practice makes perfect

Start to think about the questions that you could be asked, and how you'll respond to them. Some questions are inevitable, like the open ended "tell me about yourself" (they really mean tell me why you'd be good for this job) and the more difficult what would you say your biggest weakness is? Practicing these questions will mean that on the day your answers are calm and thoughtful tick one to you!

2) Get wardrobe planning

On the day itself, you'll want to be as calm and panic free as possible in order to beat any nerves. This includes running around half an hour before you have to leave the house because you can't find a clean shirt or a coat with a hood to battle that typical rain! Think about what you're going to wear in advance, and make sure it's clean and ironed before the big day. Make sure it's a suitable outfit too - no matter what the dress code is where you're interviewing, you're better off appearing too smart than too scruffy.

3) Plan your journey

And while we're on the subject of planning, make sure that you've given some thought to how you're going to get to your interview. Always leave plenty of time for interruptions, particularly if you're using public transport! If you're driving it's best to do a little research as well, and find out where you can park in advance.

We've said it before and we'll say it again - if there's any chance of rain: take your brolly with you!

There's nothing worse than attending an interview with wet hair and a damp collar. Not only does it suggest that you weren't prepared for the rain, you'll be uncomfortable too!

We've got loads more interview advice for you to download and read through, why not check out our career advice section? It's full of useful interview tips and tricks!