You should always feel in control during an interview and the best way to do that is through proper preparation. Remember the adage; failing to prepare is preparing to fail? Well, in our opinion, Benjamin Franklin hit the nail on the head in that proper preparation prevents poor performance. This is most certainly true in the case of interviews.

It’s worth remembering that interviews are a two-way conversation, and you should come armed with questions, not only about the job role, but about the environment, people, culture, company, values etc. These questions should flow naturally throughout the interview and although you’ll hopefully have prepared some key questions ahead of time, it’s always good to ask questions in response to what you learn during the interview. Paying close attention to what your interviewer is sharing with you will also help you refocus your nervous energy.

Interviews are essentially a discovery process for both parties and the more time you invest in the interview before it takes place, the better equipped you’ll be to ask informed questions to gauge whether the company, team and role are the best fit for you and your future career. And remember...nervous energy can be a good thing. So, as long as you do your due diligence with adequate preparation beforehand, you can turn the interview from an unfamiliar situation into a familiar one. Knowing a bit about the person interviewing you, preparing open-ended questions and practicing storytelling your professional and personal background is a good place to start.

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Here are a few more tips from Hadley Segal (Managing Director, Altura Search)

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1) Don’t forget to research other company platforms, such as, their social media pages. This will give you a good steer as to how they behave as a company. It might also give you some insight into their employees and how they interact with their company and vice versa, as an employer brand. What kind of language do they use, what initiatives are they running etc.

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2) Dress for the job. This sounds obvious and we normally advise to dress smartly, as you would expect for a job interview. However, this isn’t always the case. Some companies have a more laid-back approach to their dress code, where a blazer and a smart pair of jeans may be perfectly acceptable. You want to mirror their dress code, whilst considering that this is a formal setting, so you want to look sharp. Always ask your recruitment advisor for their advice, as they should have been to their offices and met with several of their employees.

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3) Don’t be afraid to interrupt. If your interviewer mentions something, whether it be a particular project, client, or something on CSR for example, that is of specific interest to you, interrupt them. I know that might seem counterintuitive, but it shows passion. For example, you could simply add, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we’re also working on that project at the moment”, or “that’s around the corner from my house, I’m well aware of it”, or “I actually based some of my dissertation on it etc....” Aside from showing interest, you’ll also break the question/answer flow of the interview and turn it into a conversation.

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4) Clarify your selling points and why you’d be successful in this role. This comes back to preparation. It’s important to really know your experience inside-out and your technical skills. This is especially important if you haven’t had an interview for a couple of years. We all like to think we can remember the skills we’ve picked up over the years or some problem-solving examples, that we can delight the interviewer with, but it’s easy to forget. Also, be prepared to tell the interviewer why you want the job – including what interests you about it, what rewards it offers that you find valuable, and what abilities it requires that you possess.

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5) Anticipate the interviewers’ reservations ahead of time! When there’s only one role and multiple candidates interviewing, your interviewer will always be looking for reasons to screen people out. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself, “why might I not be the best person for this role?” Then you can prepare your defence.

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6) The “Tell me about yourself” question is a golden opportunity, so don’t miss out. If asked, use this time to introduce all your key selling points, by focusing on your previous experience and your career path to date. It’s ok to mention a few personal points, but this is an opportunity to sell yourself for potentially 5 minutes. Use it to your advantage.

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7) Practice, practice, practice. This doesn’t mean reading your C.V over and over again, it means get comfortable with the questions you think your interviewer might ask and deliver your answers out loud multiple times. Don’t worry about sounding rehearsed in your interview, if you’re prepared, you’ll sound polished and articulate.

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8) Bring a copy of your C.V along with you. It’s likely they will have this printed out already, but it shows you’ve thought ahead and that you’re...well prepared.

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9) Paint everything in a positive light! People want to work with positive people. Even if you really dislike your current boss, mention that you’ve learnt a lot from them in the time you’ve spent working on their team.

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10) What does an employer want to see? Positivity, enthusiasm, ambition, and a long-term frame of mind. For example, you could ask the question “If today was to go well and I joined your team, worked incredibly hard and did all the right things over the next 3-5 years; what could my development path look like?

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And lastly, always leave on a positive note and don’t forget to thank the interviewer for seeing you.

Good Luck!