Next to going to the Dentist few things in life are as nerve inducing as going for a job interview. In this day and age, interviews can make or break you and will determine whether you are offered the job or whether you will be given a big fat ‘NO’.

Here are some tips on how to impress whoever is interviewing you:

Be serious

If you take a casual approach in an interview, especially when you are applying for a front line job, you may be sealing your fate. You should treat every interview as if it’s your one and only chance of getting a job.

Practice, Practice, Practice

If you find yourself being invited for an interview for a job you are not really interested in, go for the interview anyway, you can make contacts for future job opportunities and get valuable interview experience and you never know!

Be enthusiastic

Bring a positive attitude to your interview. Most employers won’t even consider someone who has a negative presence or appears to be totally disinterested in the job. Don’t be an energy sapper.

Ask questions

It is essential that you have a handful of questions to ask a potential employer. Check out our “questions to ask in an interview” blog for inspiration. These questions should be job related they should not be ‘me, me, me’ questions about salary, holidays etc.

Tell a story

The employee will want to know about your skills and experience, but they will also want to know about you. When asked questions work your answers into stories or anecdotes about yourself. People remember people who are interesting.

Know when to stop talking

During an interview what you don’t say may be as important as what you do say. As a rule don’t talk about money, don’t bad mouth past employers and don’t mention outside career aspirations or part time jobs.

Be memorable

Generally, many people are interviewed for positions today so it is important to do or say something that will allow you to stand out. It could be simply thanking the interviewer for their time and shaking their hand at the end as well at the beginning of the interview.

 Ask for the job

At the end of the interview tell the employer you want the job. Most people don’t do this. But in life if you want something never be afraid of asking for it. They probably won’t offer you the job on the spot, but you will stand out.

Interviews can be really difficult but if you follow these guidelines, they will seem easier. You probably won’t have much time to impress, an hour usually at the most, but use every minute, after all your long-term future could depend on it.

Happy Job Search