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The interview is an opportunity for the employer and you to determine a 'Mutual Fit'. The employer wants to see if what you are on paper matches what you are in real life. You should be finding out whether you want to spend 8 hours a day working there.

The employer also wants to see if you will 'fit in' to the existing work group, whether your skills, goals and personality will match the company's requirements. Attitude and personality are important factors in job appointment decisions.

Be prepared to answer any questions and remember to ask some of your own.
Prepare for the interview by doing the following:

1. Be aware of the company's history, work locations and even
product lines.

2. Find out what the job is that you're applying for and determine
what skills you have that are applicable.

3. Check for unusual work hours, difficult locations etc. and be
prepared for questions on these subjects.

4. Honestly work out your interest in the job and your reasons for
applying. Try to match those back to the job itself and be
prepared to answer questions about:

Strengths/weaknesses
Personality
Goals
Work Environment
Responsibility
What you can offer

5. Know what salary range is acceptable to you, and any other benefits that you seek.


BODY LANGUAGE

Confident body language looks natural and should not be forced. Some people are more extrovert and use large gestures. Every gesture or movement you make should reinforce what you are saying. If it does not, it can reduce your credibility.


FIRST IMPRESSIONS.

* Smile and make eye contact with the interviewer.
* Pause before speaking to gain attention.


THINGS TO AVOID.

* Fiddling with pens or coins in your pocket or with ties or jewellery.
* Nervousness often shows in unconscious movements like swaying and
wandering feet.
* Avoid mannerisms such as rubbing your nose, scratching your neck, and
looking at documents constantly.
* Don't "eye dart" i.e. look only for a second before looking away again.

APPEARANCE

Besides protecting us from the elements, clothing is a means of non verbal
communication. Research shows that we do make assumptions about people based on their style of clothing.
As we get to know others better the importance of clothing shrinks which suggests that clothing is especially important in the early stages of contact. In an interview situation your style of dress (and personal grooming) can make all the difference between the chance to progress further and outright rejection.

To stress the importance of appearance, a survey conducted in the US showed 45% of employers indicated appearance as the most influential factor and 42% indicated that their first impression affected the rest of the interview.


OVERCOMING NERVES

WHY DO I GET NERVOUS BEFORE AN INTERVIEW?

People get nervous before an interview because they worry about the following reasons.
A Making fools of themselves or being ineffective.
B Drying up and forgetting their words.
C Being challenged by a more knowledgeable person.
D Not being able to answer a question.
E Looking nervous e.g shaking hands, sweating, trembling voice.
F Not being perfect e.g mis-pronunciation/ dropping something.

Everyone gets nervous, however, some people don't allow the fear of failure to prevent them from giving a good performance. They have learned to use their nervous energy positively.

WHAT TECHNIQUES CAN I USE TO OVERCOME NERVES?

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW

* Mentally rehearse the interview procedure. See yourself at the interview in
your mind.
* Try to anticipate interviewers questions, work out the correct responses.
* Look professional. Dress the part and see yourself in the position.
* Breathe deeply as you walk into the building where the interview is to be
held. When people feel nervous their breathing is generally too shalllow.
* Arrive early so you can settle in.
* You need to be comfortable. Your documentation should be in order


THE INTERVIEW

* Arrive in plenty of time, calm down.

* Dress appropriately, it's usually better to overdress than vice versa.

* Be well groomed, 'clean and tidy'.

* Have your resume with you and any supporting documents (originals).

* A photocopy with the original documents is a nice touch.

* Be prepared to complete an application form.

* SMILE and be ready to shake hands with the interviewer. Introduce
yourself confidently.

* Don't be too informal with the interviewer.

* Don't act, just act naturally.

* Answer all questions honestly and openly.

* Don't just answer 'yes' or 'no', elaborate as necessary, but don't overdo it.

* Don't be presumptuous or overbearing.

* Listen and show and show an interest in the job.

* Don't smoke, avoid alcohol prior to the interview.

* Don't forget to ask questions yourself, at the appropriate time.

* Thank the interviewer for their time.