Job Interview Readiness
part 1- before the interview

Getting a potential employer to invite you for interview is the most difficult part, it means your job application process (cover letter, CV and follow up) was successful. Some consider winning an interview to be harder than getting a job offer. But having won it, there is still work to be done to ensure that the outcome is an offer of employment. You must get it right if you want to be in control, whether or not you decide to take the job. In this Part I, the Interest Zone, outlines what you should do before the interview to maximize your chances.

Finding you way
An early task is finding out how to get to the interview-you may need to ask someone or consult a map to find the exact location. In numerous cases a job seeker is late to the interview because he/she was lost or could not locate the exact place. You should also know how long the journey will take from where you are to the interview location. Consider, too, where you will park (if you drive). These are potential delays you are better off getting out of the way.

Researching the company
There is simply no excuse for not finding out as much as you can about the company where you are scheduled for an interview. Being asked 'What do you know about us?' and replying 'Not a lot' reflects very badly on you. It is essential to know as much about the company as you can.

There are many sources of information to exploit, including:

· The company itself (websites, annual reports, promotional material)
· Newspapers and magazines (articles, ads etc..)
· Employees and company sales teams
· Competitors and their sales teams
· Business Associations (Chambers of Commerce, etc..)
· Online business directories

Obviously it will be impossible (or unnecessary) to find answers to everything, but try to include areas outside of your immediate focus.

Timing of the interview
Midweek is by far the best choice. Many people are not at their best early on the first working day of the week, or on late Thursday; so why take the risk? The best time is probably first thing in the morning, so that other interviewees are compared with you (the next best choice is the final interview of the day, so that you leave a lasting impression).

If you want to change your appointment, telephone the firm, confirm your interest in the post and ask for an alternative appointment. Having won an interview, no reasonable company will refuse your request if you offer a credible reason why the time they suggest is inconvenient for you-make sure you have one.

Looking good
Dressing for an interview can be a problem but very much depends on the type of employer you are considering. For jobs in the law, accounting and finance or industrial management, smart, conventional dress is a must. In other situations where creativity and individuality are rated highly, as in the media, the fashion world or advertising, conventional dress might count against you.

The most important thing is to look clean, well presented, and dressed in a way that will be acceptable to the prospective employer and appropriate to the work environment. You need to ensure that your appearance does you no damage before you have had a chance to show what you could do for the firm. A casual sweatshirt and jeans is not yet accepted interview dress, even though you may be wearing them once you get the job.

Don't overdo it, however, and appear so immaculately and expensively put together that you intimidate the interviewer-moderation is the name of the game

Be punctual
Be punctual, you potential employer is entitled to think that a candidate who arrives late is generally unreliable. Being late for an interview could cost you a job. The solution is to arrive with time in hand to gather your thoughts.

If you are delayed, telephone your interviewer's office as soon as possible to explain what has happened; the interviewer will appreciate having been warned and will probably await your arrival. When you arrive make an immediate apology for the delay and then forget about it.

Plan to arrive at the interviewer's office about five minutes before the appointed time. If you arrive very early, it can create embarrassment and if you are late, it gives you less time to relax and can question how reliable you are..

In Part II (to appear next week on the Interest Zone); we will present interview do's and don't and the questions that could be discussed during the interview.