It's easy to let your nerves get the better of you when it comes to the crunch of an interview, but if you follow these performance tips, writes Sandra Deeble, you could sell yourself to anyone.
This is it. You've done your homework and hopefully you're feeling confident. But interview nerves can be crippling and however calm and composed you might feel, when the curtain goes up it's easy to lose it.
Some of us freeze, others talk nineteen to the dozen. What's important is to be in the moment and really focus on the person or people you're meeting. Read their body language, meet their gaze, listen and respond intelligently. Resist the urge to tell anecdotes, or worse still, jokes. Don't fidget. Look interested and desirable. And remember that they're selling to you just as much as you're selling to them.
The voice has it: You may not have the voice of Vanessa Redgrave or Richard Burton but there are things you can do to help yourself. Practice reading out loud. Tape your voice and force yourself to listen to it. Ask good friends if there are any particularly irritating expressions you over use. Do you speak too slowly? Or too loudly?
The night before, you should avoid smoke and go to bed with a hot toddy (honey and lemon with brandy or whisky). And have an early night.
Smell sweet: Don't arrive at the interview smelling of the cigarette you've just put out. And don't give off fumes of alcohol, garlic or spicy food. The same goes for overpowering perfume or aftershave. You don't want to miss out on a job just because the interviewer can't stomach Davidoff Cool Water.
Be groomed: Nails, hair (go easy on the gel) pet hairs on your clothes and dandruff are all things that need attention. "Take a good look at yourself in a full length mirror beforehand," says Lesley Everett, author of Walking Tall - Key Steps to Total Image Impact (published by McGraw-Hill Education). Which basically means you need to ask the person on reception to wait until you've come back from the loo before letting your interviewer know that you've arrived.
Wear a jacket: Leave your comfy cosy cardie at home. Instead, wear a jacket. "It can be a deconstructed jacket but if you don't wear a jacket this could be perceived as disrespectful," points out Ms Everett.
Wear posh shoes: Dead posh. According to Ms Everett, we're talking Church's, Jones and Barkers for blokes. She doesn't specify brands for women simply because there is too much choice but she says that we should be looking at a contemporary court shoe - slingbacks, two to three-inch heels for elegance - and you could start off in LK Bennett. You could even go kitten.
Get your feet under the table: Particularly if you've come out in your slippers, something that happened to a person who later told her unfortunate story to Ms Everett.
Actually, getting your feet under the table is based on advice given by John Lees, author of Job Interviews: top answers to top questions (published by McGraw-Hill Education). "Look as if you already work there," he says. "Don't go in with your briefcase - leave it at reception."
Equally, Ms Everett says that you shouldn't be cluttered on arrival. Shed umbrellas and any other paraphernalia and go into your interview as you would a meeting, carrying nothing but a beautiful leather folder.
"Not for me, thanks": Or "No, thank you" is the correct response to the question "Would you like a cup of coffee?". Mr Lees advises all candidates to pass on the drink. It's a case of bright red lipstick on white china, a rattling cup if your hands are shaking, slurping noises, spillages and all sorts.
Be political: "You need to do what the politicians do," advises Mr Lees. "Have two or three really clear messages that you want to get across." Even if you get to the end of the interview and your third message isn't out there, it's not too late, he says. Don't flirt: You know that old chestnut about making up your mind in less than three minutes? Well it takes about three seconds to work out that you fancy the pants off your interviewer. Take a deep breath, tell yourself that you're a professional and act as if you don't fancy that person. You don't need to go there.
Maintain eye contact: No matter how many times you hear this, it's still easily forgotten when you're feeling nervous. But it's essential, insist both Mr Lees and Ms Everett. And good eye contact is one of the best ways to convey your enthusiasm for the role, says Ms Everett.
Mirror and match: Based on an NLP technique, Ms Everett says that it's one to practise if it doesn't come to you naturally. So if the interviewer is sitting back looking relaxed, you don't want to be leaning forward. "This is really good for building rapport," she says.
Don't become obsessive about this, it could be disconcerting for the interviewer if you change positions every time they do. Just be aware of the fact that there are ways of putting people at their ease through your own body language.
Be subtle. Just because they start blowing their nose, it doesn't mean you have to.
Don't let the panel faze you: "Work out who the real decision maker is," suggests Mr Lees. "And do make sure that you vary your eye contact," says Ms Everett.
Focus on the job: Not the salary, or having a look behind the scenes, or meeting more people in the organisation. All this stuff can wait until you've got the offer. "Then you can say 'I'd love to come and spend the day with you'," suggests Mr Lees.
Have something up your sleeve: You know that moment when the interviewer says "Have you got any questions?" or "Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"? Well, it's important that you do ask a question.
"Most people say 'No, you've covered everything'," Mr Lees points out. He is adamant that it's far better to have a question up your sleeve.
Something like "How will the job develop?" or "Please can you tell me whether there will be ongoing training?" would be ideal, he suggests.
Basically, you want to leave them with something that hints at your future with them, rather than saying a final goodbye. If you want the job, that is.
"Why do you want a job?" This question could come up if you have been freelance or self-employed and are suddenly showing signs of wanting to be part of an organisation again.
Employers might wonder why someone who has been free as a bird is now finding shackles so attractive. "This might be perceived as you wanting a stop gap," cautions Mr Lees.
So have a convincing reason ready. "I miss working in a team and I have millions of ideas that I want to share with you" probably isn't perfect, but it's a start.
