This can be one of the most daunting things to do and also one that can be overwhelming throwing you into sheer panic before your interview.

Many people going into an interview now have maybe just been made redundant and it’s been years since you have completed an interview. This article will help you put some of it into perspective.

Tip – Don’t over prepare. You will have too much information in your head that you will want to blurb out to them you will be unstructured. You will also end up telling you them everything you prepared rather than answering their question.

Here is a few pointers to follow that will help you organise your preparation and keep you stress free (well at least less stressed!)

1. Brainstorm your career history and why you want this role.

2. Take out the responsibilities of the role provided and if possible a role profile of the job.

3. Understand the company values and also have these in front of you.

4. Sum the responsibilities up into 5-7 key headings eg Communication, People Management skills, change management.

5. Under each heading you have come up with think of 2 strong examples that would answer a question relating to that eg under Communication. A time you communicated a message to a large group and a time you had to deliver a difficult message. Under People Management. A success story around performance and also a time you had to use performance management to discipline someone. You get the idea.

6. Jot down your strengths and weaknesses.

Now it’s time to structure your answers. Write each answer out as this will help you remember the structure better.

For your introduction get your speech on your career and what brought you to this role into about a 2 minute conversation. Don’t waffle. If it’s shorter than that don’t try to bulk it out.

Now for the bulk the main interview.

1. Start off by how you prepared for the event. What was your thought process prior to doing what you did.

2. What did you actually do.

3. What did you achieve

4. What did you learn and what would you do differently

5. How could you implement this into the role you are applying for?

This structure is what makes the difference between a good question and a great question.

For you close answer the following questions:

What can I bring to the role and why should you hire me?

What are my strengths and weaknesses? This question is to identify if you are self-aware and that you value self-development. So make sure that when you talk about your weaknesses you also have something in place that you are doing to rectify them and a success that you have had already.

Practice talking about each area in front of the mirror. I know this sounds silly but it works. If possible try practicing with a friend or family member. They may well throw you questions that you hadn’t thought of.

The question structure that you have used will allow you use these questions to answer various questions. Be sure to listen carefully to the question and don’t be afraid to take a few minutes to think about your answer. Just say you are trying to think of your best example. The interviewer will appreciate this.

Now you are ready for your interview. Make sure you dress smartly, smile, give a firm handshake and look like you are enjoying the process (even if underneath you are distressed). You will inject your passion and enjoyment into the interviewers.

If you feel you really lack confidence then google ‘improving my confidence’ and you will find some good techniques to help you increase your confidence.

If you are going for this job and you’re not even sure if you want it this will come across. I know we can’t be picky with the recession but that’s where people are wrong. This could be your opportunity to do something you really want. It could even be that you don’t actually want to be in the ‘rat race’ anymore. If you have considered your own Business but you can’t afford the investment required for a traditional brick and mortar Business then investigate your options online. Here is an excellent profitable online Business Opportunity which you can have a look at www.businesswealthwithroberta.com.

In the meantime I wish you good luck for your Interview.

Author Bio: Having interviewed in the Financial Industry I have tried to write this article taking into consideration experiences from both an interviewer and interviewee. If you are sick of the Rat Race and want to use your talents to start your own Business then go to http://www.businesswealthwithroberta.com

Category: Career
Keywords: getting ready for interview, interview tips, preparing for an interview, interview, job interview