The dreaded job interview – we all go through them and they can be just as daunting when you’re older and wiser as they are when you’re new to the workforce. Whether you’re a veteran or a virgin interviewee, nerves can still be a problem and you can still leave wishing you’d said or asked something you didn’t – or worse, wishing that you hadn’t said something you did say!

How do you overcome these hurdles? The best way is a little pre-interview preparation. Think about the position you’ve applied for and the qualities they will be looking for. Make a couple of notes about things you’d like to know about the company or business, and what interests you about the position. Then, visualize the interview and imagine being asked a few questions like “why are you leaving your current position?” or “what interests you about this position?”

When it comes to the interview, here are some do’s and don’ts that will help you come across as professionally as you can:

• Don’t be late. In fact, aim to arrive at the job interview location 10-30 minutes early. That way if there is a traffic problem or public transport delay you’re likely to still arrive on time. You don’t have to go inside until 5-10 minutes before your interview time. Arriving early let’s them know the interview is important to you and you’re a punctual person.
• Do wear appropriate clothing. If the position is in an office, wear office attire. If it’s a manual labor position or a factory floor position, wear neat casual clothing. For women, you might think that you have the right to wear any clothing you like to an interview but there are many conservative bosses out there so wearing that short skirt or low cut blouse may do you more harm than good. Err on the side of caution.
• Do shake hands with the interviewer/s and smile. A warm greeting will get the interview off to a good start.
• If there’s been no mention of salary, don’t let the question “how much does it pay?” spurt forth before your backside hits the chair. That gives the impression that you care more about the money than the job – and even if that’s true, they don’t need to know that! If you’re of the opinion that proceeding with the job interview will be a waste of time if the money isn’t right then you should have asked before applying.
• Do ask questions. When they’re done asking the questions, have a couple of your own ready. This is a good time to show that you’re interested in their business and any training and career advancement opportunities they might be able to offer you in the future.
• Do make regular eye contact with the person interviewing you. If there is more than one person conducting the job interview, look at and address all of them with your replies, even if only one of them is doing the talking.
• Do the best you can and if you feel you didn’t perform well in the interview all you can do is think about why and resolve to do better at the next job interview.