Your tips for a great job interview?!

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I have one tomorrow for a job is really really like. I'm self employed and hate it! It would be the first time I've been employed by someone else for almost 7 years .

Top tips please

Loads and loads of preparation, so I hope it's not in the morning!!

Look at the role profile and the person profile and have prepared examples of occasions of when you've demonstrated every one of the required characteristics. Then practise them until you can talk about them without it sounding scripted.

Erm oh dear! I know the organisation and topic extremely well and have buckets of experience. However the interview is at 10 and I have the dc to get to school and childminder beforehand.

Basically that level of prep is never going to happen even on a good week.

If I prepped too much I would stuff it up.

Enthusiasm

Practical examples that demonstrate your experience (there are always "tell us about a time when you" questions)

Dress smartly, appropriately for job, but have some great shoes on or something that won't detract but will help them remember you.

First 45 seconds counts the most. Eye contact, warm smiles but only if you can sincere no rictus grin, good handshake. Talk to the whole panel, most people talk to the left (less often right) of the room so try to keep aware of that and keep all the panel engaged.

Remember an interview is to work out whether you want them as well as they want you. This always helps me to keep things in perspective and nerves at bay.

Can kids go to breakfast club/early drop off so you have time to be there in relaxed fashion?

Oh well I suppose everyone has to do what suits them but that's how I've always approached it and I've never been to an interview and not got the job

The last job, that I really wanted, I spent 3 whole evenings preparing.

Read the person spec right before you get there. Helps you focus on what they're looking for.

Make god eye contact, smile, firm friendly handshake when you first go in.

Bring a bottle of water (dry mouth...ugh!)

If you have time to prep, even just mentally, tonight...think of a few solid examples of your experience / scenarios that you can talk about to demonstrate key points on the person spec. I try to think of examples that are multi-purpose - so one that could be used to, say, demonstrate good team working and the ability to prioritise and the ability to think on my feet. Just means you have fewer examples to remember if you can make one work for more than one key skill/bit of experience.

Good luck!

Wow marathonfan that's quite some record! With that much prep I'm not surprised you did well.

It's just not me I'm afraid. I've got a good list of a few examples in my head and have thought them through a few times so I haven't done nothing.

Urgh i have a job interview on Tuesday, my first one in 6 years so watching this thread with interest.

Good luck vito! For the first time ever I don't feel Urgh! I'm actually really excited about it. If I don't get it so what, life goes on but if I did get it, life for my whole family would change massively.

I'd miss my dc terribly but that's the only downside.

My advice is to accept a drink of water - that way you won't get a dry mouth, and you can buy yourself a couple of seconds if you need them. And think up a couple of questions that you want to ask at the end - not about the annual leave , but about the company's future plans etc.

What has stood me in good stead is IF they show an interest / pride in any aspect of what they say they do (eg I'm a team leader and the focus is on blah and we've just completed a really interesting project to do with X) then if you know anything about X say, oh how interesting X is and that must have been fun and challenging or whatever. Basically I have found that if you can "connect" over something that they obviously LIKE it makes them warm to you and both times i have managed this they have strongly hinted that the job is mine there and then, and then I got it.

Obviously only do this if they give you something fairly obvious that you know enough about to chat into it without it sounding unnatural or you sounding like you're bullshitting!

So that's that.

All the other advice here is great too.

Good luck!!!!

How did it go OP?

Went really well thanks. I didn't get it but enjoyed the experience.

Just out of interest ( as I'm in the same boat) what did you do re references? If you were self employed?

Onwards and upwards OP Always remember that getting an interview in this climate is a massive achievement, and each interview is great experience. Keep at it and good luck

References came from a managers where I've done long term contract work.