It's natural to feel nervous about an interview, but it's important to project a sense of confidence, present yourself and your ideas well, and demonstrate that yes – you are the best person for the role. How? Through a mixture of solid preparation, being well presented and forward planning. Gathering key facts and figures in advance, as well as thinking through your responses to certain interview questions, means you can walk confidently into the room knowing you're ready for anything. Now you can relax (well, sort of) and let your personality and enthusiasm shine. Make sure you're prepared with these interview tips.

What To Take

You don’t want to be overloaded with bags when attending your interview, it's a generally a good idea to take a copy of c.v with you and a notebook, any questions you might have for the company and of course a pen to write notes if needed. If you are taking your phone make sure it is turned off or at least on silent

What to wear to your Interview

Whether we like it or not, first impressions count. Plus, knowing you look the part will lift your confidence and help you to give your best possible performance, Even if the company you're interviewing for has an informal dress code, you'll still need to look smart, professional, and well-groomed. As a guideline, you should aim to dress one level above your usual workwear, even a simple polo shirt with black jeans for a casual interview in a factory or manufacturing role sets you up for the interview.

Preparing for Interview questions

There are a few common themes in almost every interview, which give you a good idea of which questions to prepare for. Make sure you have an answer ready for things like "Why should I hire you?", "What makes you the best candidate for the job?", and the classic, "Why do you want this job." Look at the job description to understand what qualities they're looking for and base your answers around those, peppering in real-life examples from your career to date. If the interviewer can picture you actually doing the job, this should help your chances. The interviewer wants a concise career summary, not a full life history.

Planning your Interview

Firstly leaving enough time to get to your interview allow for traffic and always try to arrive early, being late I bad first impression. Go through the job description and think about what questions they may want to ask you, then you can plan your answers accordingly. Make sure you research the company, too, to ensure you come across as informed and keen. Make sure you have prepared your outfit the night before to ensure you are not rushing around adding extra stress to the interview day. Make sure you know where the company is and where to park ect.