Having a good CV may secure you an interview but how you are during the interview is what will decide whether you get the job or not.

The interview is a chance to promote yourself further and finally let your personality shine through. At this point it is vital to make an impression that’s memorable and puts you a cut above the rest. Present yourself smartly and professionally, as well as providing a well thought out response to any questions asked by the interviewer. It is vital to remember that everything from your answers, to your appearance and your body language will either help you have a successful interview or hinder your progress.

Be prepared

There can be nothing worse in an interview than not knowing what the company does, or what position you are being interviewed for. Something to also consider researching is the job the person interviewing you holds within the company.

Dress smartly

Make sure you present yourself smartly and dress your best (and that applies to video interviews too!) as this can reflect how seriously you take the job and your professional career. This is something that the interviewer will notice about you and may be before you even say anything to them. So make sure your clothes fit well and are clean & ironed. It is best to do an interview outfit test run up to a week before, just to make sure it is the best outfit to wear.

Be punctual

Being late to an interview does not support your CVs claim that you have excellent time management skills. Try to arrive at least 15 minutes before your interview in case you have to fill out any forms for the company and so you can get a feel of the company while you are there. If need be do a practice run of your journey the week before if you are unfamiliar with the location of the company, taking into account changes with traffic etc. If you are doing a video interview, make sure you have the right application installed in plenty of time before and interview and that everything works as it should (camera and mic tests etc).

Turn off your phone!
To avoid embarrassment, disturbances and being unprofessional during your interview make sure that you have turned off your mobile phone. This is another, small over looked detail that could ruin your good impression if your phone went off mid interview.

Give a firm hand shake

Make sure to greet your interviewer with a handshake and then thank your interviewer with a handshake when the interview is over, whether the interview went well or not. Your hand shake says a lot about you, so make sure it is firm but friendly. A limp handshake is a bad handshake, the same can be said for a vice like grip handshake.

Flash a Smile

By flashing a smile, you show a friendly approachable professional side of yourself that doesn’t come across in your CV. At some point you could be representing this company. You may even have to build relationships for work purposes and being approachable, friendly and professional is key.

Control you body language

Body language can show people how you are feeling, so make sure that you sit up straight, make good solid eye contact and give a comfortable, relaxed vibe. Slouching and averting your eyes around the room can show that you are not interested in the interview, that you aren’t focused and that you aren’t giving the interviewer your attention, this can in turn show that you are not serious about the job.

Take Notes

Jotting down things that you may find important during your interview, will show that you are serious about the position and that you have a genuine interest in the role. You can use the notes after the interview if you secure the job to refer to if need be. If however you do not secure the job you can always use your notes before another interview to compare and possibly improve. The notes could also help you plan better questions for next time, if you feel that during the interview your questions weren’t as strong as they could be.

Ask Questions

An interview is a two way thing, a chance for the interviewer to ask you questions and also a chance for you to ask them questions, so use this opportunity. It is always a good idea to jot down a list of questions that you feel that you would like to know about the position or that you feel are missing from the job description. Having no questions to ask does not show that you are interested and have thought about things a head of time. Asking questions shows that you are interested and been thoughtful about the position and on the ball as far as details are concerned. If you really don’t have any questions that you would like to ask, then ask the interviewer how long they have worked at the company and what they like about working for the company. You can even ask where they see the company going in the next 5 years. This can show that you are interested and have long term plans for the business.