Everyone gets nervous before an interview - its normal. However, becoming overwhelmed by the adrenaline due to lack of preparation and practice should be avoided at all costs.

The key to interview success is: practice, practice and more practice! The tips below should enable you prepare and use the adrenaline to your advantage and enhance your performance.

Interview Answers

The interview focuses on \"what you say\" and \"how you say it\". In this step, we focus on \"what to say\".

As you know, there are many different types of interviews and interview questions.

Lets keep it simple. Youre going to be asked about:

What you know

About your work experience, education, training, goals, character, personal qualities, the job that youre seeking, the company that youre interviewing for, and the knowledge required to perform the job that youre seeking

Identify a problem or issue

Given a scenario, identify the problem or issue. The question may focus on how you would handle a hypothetical situation or a situation that youve handled in the past i.e. a competency based question.

Identify a solution

Given the problem or issue, how do you proceed? The question may focus on a problem or issue that youve handled in the past or how you would proceed in a hypothetical situation.

The questions may be straightforward or combine the above. For example:

\"Tell us about a safety issue at your current job. How did you handle the issue and what reports were you required to file?\"

Your goal is to provide an answer that not only answers the question, but also reinforces your qualifications for the position.

Preparing for the questions you will be asked in interviews

People prepare for job interview questions in many ways. Often people will write specific answers to as many specific questions as possible and memorise the answers.

We recommend

Looking at categories of questions and using outline answers.

With practice

You will hit all the important points and although your answer will be slightly different each time, it will come across naturally and with confidence.

The key

Is to be able to think during the interview and adjust your answer to fit the question. For example, take the category of \"General Experience\". The answer to the question, \"How does your current position qualify you for the job?\" is simply a variation of your answer to the question, \"How does your experience qualify you for the job?\".

Examples of interview questions you may be asked:

Tell me about yourself?

Talk me through Your CV

What are your daily duties?

What are your strengths? Give examples

What are your weaknesses?

Give me an example of where you have influenced a customer

Give me an example of working to targets

How do you feel about working in a targeted role?

Give me an example of when have you dealt with a difficult customer

Give me an example of when you have delivered excellent customer service

What do you like and dislike about your present and previous roles?

Why are you looking for a new job?

Do you feel you work better in a small or large team and why?

When have you had to handle a demanding workload?

Give me am example where you have influenced people concerning the sale of goods?

How do you organise and prioritise your workload?

Would you describe yourself as ambitious and why?

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

What do you know about our company?

Why should I offer you this position?

As you answer the interview questions, cite your work and life experiences in examples to reinforce to the interviewers that youve already done what theyre looking for, and youve done it successfully.

The interview will typically focus on the job description. If the interviewer starts the interview with a description of the job, make sure that you relate your experiences to the job content.

Try to use the same wording as contained in the job description. If you use different wording, then you are depending on the interviewers to make the connection between the words you use and the job description. For example, if the job requires someone to supervise, use the word \"supervise\" and not the word \"manage\".

Do you know the company and the job that youre interviewing for? Check their website, financial sources, annual reports and news media for information on the company, their culture and current events. If possible, visit the company, their stores or offices to get a sense of the culture.

What salary are you seeking? What is the appropriate salary for the job that you are seeking, for your geographic area and for your industry? Dont guess. A guess or inaccurate information can cost you real money.

Dont use limiting words, such as \"only\" or just. For example, I only supervise five employees. Youre making an assumption that five employees is a small number. The fact is that you dont know what the interviewers consider as a small number or a large number.

Use appropriate wording. You wont receive extra points for every word that has more than 10 letters. Use technical terms only when appropriate to the question.

Use action words. Heres a sample:

accomplish lead achieve

manage co-ordinate negotiate

delegate organise develop

prioritise direct recommend

establish reduce evaluate

reorganise execute resolve

expedite review expand

revitalise implement supervise

improve train increase

transform initiate upgrade

introduce implement

Be concise, logical and to the point. Use short sentences.

Make sure you prepare the questions that you want to ask the interviewer: this can very often be a trap for the unwary who have not thought about intelligent questions they want to ask

If youve followed our interview tips, you should be ready the day before the interview. Dont forget the following checklist of things to do on the day of the interview:

Always dress in a professional manner - never dress informally because you have seen the companys employees in casual attire.

Take into account the time of your interview and traffic, go early to find parking - and make sure that you have money for parking meters.

Do you know the company and the job that youre interviewing for? Check their website, financial sources, annual reports and news media for information on the company, their culture and current events. If possible, visit the company, their stores or offices to get a sense of the culture.

Plan to arrive for your interview at least l0 minutes beforehand.

Our top tips when you are in the interview:

Dont smoke, chew gum, tobacco, or anything else.

Make a positive and professional first impression by being assertive and giving a firm handshake to each interviewer and addressing each interviewer as they are introduced.

Reinforce your professionalism and your ability to communicate effectively by speaking clearly and avoiding \"uhs\", you knows, and slang.

Use appropriate wording. You wont receive extra points for every word that has more than 10 letters. Use technical terms only when appropriate to the question.

Use positive words. Instead of if, I think, I feel and I wish, use when, I am and I would.

Establish rapport by relating to each interviewer. Note the wording that is used by each interviewer and when appropriate use similar words. Maintain eye contact with each of the interviewers throughout the interview.

Sit comfortably. Sit erectly, but dont sit stiffly or sprawl over the chair.

Project confidence and a positive attitude. Maintain awareness of your voice, posture, energy level, and enthusiasm. Make hand gestures to emphasise important points, but avoid distracting gestures or making too many hand gestures.

Smile confidently, but not to the point where you would appear to be too casual. Smiling will also help you relax and establish a rapport with the interviewers.

Emphasise your strengths and qualifications that make a compelling reason that you are the ideal person for the job.

Dont dominate the interview. Time does not equal quality.

Manage weaknesses or barriers so that they appear to be indications of your strengths

Be attentive. Listen to each question carefully and dont interrupt. If you arent sure of what is being asked, politely request that the question is repeated.

Close the interview with a strong closing statement of your qualifications for the job.

Thank the interviewer. Shake their hands individually and thank each interviewer by name.