Know your CV
The first step to success here is thorough extensive job interview preparation . The golden rule is to ensure that you know your CV backwards, as the CV is going to form a key source from which your job interview questions will be planned, and you don't want to score any own goals by saying something like “is that what it says on my CV”! Also, if you have some obvious gaps in your CV, be ready and prepared to explain them! It's also wise to provide reasons as to why you have left previous jobs.

Research your potential employer
Another vital aspect of job interview preparation is researching the employer. Obviously you can look at their consumer and corporate websites, but it is worth delving a bit deeper, and searching some news sites, forums and blogs. A useful website to help you with this is www.metacrawler.com which searches all the search engines on specific categories, such as “news”.  For financial information on companies, you could try www.carol.co.uk or www.ft.com . It's a good job interview technique to impress your interviewer by being specifically knowledgeable about their recent financial results or corporate news items, and it also helps to build your own confidence knowing you are armed with recent and relevant information about the company.

Who are the employer's key competitors, and what might be their major threats in the forthcoming future? What are the employer's core products and services? Think of some questions to ask regarding some of these issues, as part of your job interview preparation .

Research the job role
Make sure you have studied the job description carefully, and ensure your job interview preparation includes formulating any questions that you want clarification on.

Be aware of what the key competencies are likely to be for this role, and be well drilled in being ready to demonstrate your possession of these competencies along with relevant examples in your interview.

What is the employer likely to be looking for?
Recruiters use interviews to test whether an applicant has the required skills, knowledge, and desire to contribute and fit into the company's culture. They also have job interview questions designed to check your career objectives are in line with opportunities available at their company.

You need to consider how you can display your abilities and experience in an honest and positive light and provide potential employers with the evidence that you are the right person for the job.

Employers look for an objective analysis of your abilities, which will be reflected in their job interview questions , for instance strengths - why you think something is a particular strength and examples of where you have demonstrated it. For weaknesses - what steps could you take or are you taking to improve them?

Team working is almost always a key attribute as you will rarely be working alone, so what examples can you have ready that show you as having the ability to work well in a team environment and to cooperate successfully with fellow employees?

Job Interview Tips

• Prepare yourself with answers to traditional job interview questions such as those mentioned above. Rehearse your answers with a friend who can provide you with honest feedback regarding the content of your answers and your job interview body language .
• Concentrate on the employer's needs, rather than yours
• Focus on clarity, brevity and above all, honesty. Offer honest answers with a positive tone.
• Be specific in your answers. Don't ramble or go off on a tangent.
• Seek for clarification if you are unsure of the question.
• Emphasise how you can help the company achieve its goals.
• Don't downplay your accomplishments or attribute them to luck.
• Take responsibility for communicating your strengths. Don't rely on the interviewer to eek them out of you.
• It's a good job interview technique to try and validate your answer with a specific example of where you have demonstrated a certain attribute in the past.

Equal Opportunities
As you are probably aware, discrimination on the basis of sex, marital status, age, race, national origin or disability is illegal. We sincerely hope that you would never be faced with a question which is discriminatory, and in our experience it is extremely rare, however with inexperienced interviewers it may occur, and in such circumstances it is best to address the bias behind the job interview question rather than directly confronting the interviewer. For example:

Q: Are you planning to start a family?

A: Are you asking if I would be able to work overtime? Are you asking if I would have the necessary commitment to this position?
If you are concerned that the job interview you attended was discriminatory, please contact us and explain your experience.

Job interview body language

An equal handshake
This might not always be possible to achieve, but if you can mirror the grip of the person you are shaking hands with it will avoid any submissive/dominant overtones.  Either way, you should steer clear of the extremes, i.e. the “bone crusher” and the “feather-light” approaches!

How you sit
How you sit can convey subtle information to people and its vital you don't give bad body language in your job interview. So don't take the seat like it's the electric chair! Instead take a moment to get comfortable. If you look relaxed, it is also likely to put your interviewer at ease in your company. But again, avoid taking things to extremes, i.e. lay back like you're at home on the couch. 

Express yourself
If you can be expressive with your body language at your job interview when speaking, it will demonstrate confidence in the things you're saying. For example use your hands to help express your answers or give shape to what you are saying.

Maintain eye contact
Maintaining eye contact is important, but it's perfectly natural to blink and don't go over the top with the crazed look of a psychopath!

Touching and scratching, folding and crossing

Avoid all of the above at all costs! Seriously though, if you keep touching your nose or ears or scratching, it is a clear sign that you are either nervous or being less than truthful about what you are saying. Crossing and folding arms is also very defensive and obstructive, and such negative body language at a job interview is to be avoided.

Job interview questions from you
Have some questions for the job interview ready yourself! Ask about the role, the company or its future plans, for example. 
It's another opportunity to demonstrate your insight and enthusiasm.
It's also the opportunity to get a good understanding of how good a fit the job and company are for you. Finally, you are likely to want to know what the next stage in the selection process is, and likely timeframes so its well worth asking.

Feedback to us at PureGenie
“It's good to communicate”! Please let us know how you felt the job interview went, if you remain interested in the role or any potential concerns that you might have.