Congratulations, you have made it through to the first stage of the interview process. Your qualifications, experience and track record have got you to this stage. The interview is your chance to impress and convince a prospective employer that you are the right person for the job. In order to do this, both self-confidence and preparation are key. The manner in which you come across is of primary importance. A quick guide to interviewing would be: Before the interview - Be Prepared! Research the company, visit their website, read annual report etc and anticipate questions that you could be asked. Who is the company owned by? How are they viewed in the market? What lines of business do they handle? Have they been mentioned in the press recently? Find out about the job you are interviewing for, if it is something specific. Where does the job fit into the organisation etc Know where you are going and who you are seeing (what is their job title?) Be early for the interview, 10 minutes is sufficient. Never be late! Know your strengths and weaknesses before the interview, have examples ready. The Interview itself - Do's and Don'ts - First impressions count! Generally 85% of the verbal content of the interview will be forgotten within an hour of the candidate's departure. What remains is the overall impression, any documents submitted and some interview notes. Do Take along your resume with you. Introduce yourself, address the interviewer formally I.e. Mr, Mrs. Use a firm handshake, it conveys confidence. Dress accordingly, even if the company has a casual dress policy we would suggest dressing in a smart manner. It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed. First impressions count. Let the interviewer lead the interview, be yourself but be conscious of their style of interviewing. - Have good posture, maintain eye contact with the interviewer, do not slouch, look interested, show enthusiasm! Let the interviewer lead the interview, be yourself but be conscious of their style of interviewing. Listen to questions before answering them. Don't Do not be late - if circumstances are beyond your control, either call your recruiter or the person directly to explain, giving as much advance notice as possible. Do not be over aggressive, conceited or over confident. Try not to answer questions with 'yes' or 'no' answers - elaborate or give a detailed answer where appropriate Do not be the first one to bring up salary. Try not over emphasize your monetary requirements - wait for the interviewer to bring this up, which rarely happens at the initial interview. Indicate flexibility on this wherever possible. Do not condemn either your current or previous employers. Do not avoid eye contact Do not ignore or evade questions Do not lie!