Job interviews

Find some top tips for coping with job interviews.

When preparing for a job interview you should:

• do your research – find out as much as you can about the organisation you have applied to
• make sure you dress comfortably, smartly and appropriately so that you feel confident for the interview
• check out your route. Leave plenty of time to get to the interview. You may want to make a practice journey beforehand
• read through the job description, person specification and the copy of your completed application form, to remind yourself of the details
• check you have everything you have been asked to bring with you to the interview. Think of anything else you may want to take to help sell yourself, for example, National Record of Achievement

When in the interview:

• you may feel nervous but try to relax and be confident
• make eye contact with each person who is interviewing you
• if there's more than one person interviewing you, answer mainly to the person who asks the question, but keep eye contact with everyone else by glancing at them as you speak
• speak clearly. Avoiding “yes” and “no”. Answer each question as fully as you can, using lots of examples to show your knowledge, skills and experience
• if you lose track in answering a long question, ask the interviewer to repeat the question
• don’t waffle

Remember to smile!