How to Prepare for an Interview?

It is completely natural to feel nervous before a job interview but you can minimize pre-interview stress with some preparation.An interest in the position and the organisation you are being interviewed for is key. Potential employers like to see that you have some knowledge about what the company does and how the job role fits into this company.

Whilst you do not need to spend a great deal of time knowing all the ins and outs of a company, it is important to have a good basic knowledge of what it does, it's specific marketplace and it's history. It is unlikely you will be asked many questions about the company's history but you will get a feel for the philosophy of the organisation over the years and can tailor your answers to match with that philosophy.

Many companies have a strong team-working ethics, they prefer to have employees working together to achieve a common goal rather than working alone which can lead to communication difficulties. If this is the impression you get from your pre-interview research and from the information given in the job specification, it is important that you prepare yourself with information about your team accomplishments. Whilst it shows good self-motivation when you have made sole accomplishments, a company may be more interested in what you can do whilst working as part of a team if that is how they have better productivity.

By showing you know a little about the products and services offered by the organisation, you are also showing that you have done some research prior to the interview, this in turn shows you have dedicated some of your own time into really trying to work for the organisation. 

You can come up with your own list to ask the interviewer about the position you are applying for, and this is usually regarded as a positive trait. Being interested will score you additional points towards getting hired for the job!You may find that all of your questions have been answered during the interview process, don't worry and don't feel that you still need to ask the questions and get the interviewers to repeat themselves. Just let them know that you had some questions but they have all been answered whilst you have been talking.

Before the interview it is sometimes good to practice the interview process with a friend or in your head. Practice the answers you are likely to give to key interview questions about the position you are applying for. Think about and practice how you would respond calmly and confidently. Many interviewers will ask you to give examples of real life scenarios where you may have been in a position of responsibility or under pressure of a deadline, etc. Think about what situation you will use in this scenario and how you will describe it to the interviewer. A confident and knowledgeable manner is important when answering your questions and try not to be too evasive with your answers.