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Seems to be a repetitive saying "make sure you prepare for your interview" These sayings seem to be very old hat but couldn't be more true! I believe a lot of unsuccessful interviews are down complacency or not doing basic things right. I'm hoping in this blog we can highlight these. 

Having worked as a careers advisor - interviewing, as a internal recruiter-interviewing and now a recruitment consultant interviewing. I have done my fair share of interviews and been on the receiving end of a few also. 

In my opinion the most important is first impression. Whether it is attitude, behavior, persona or dress we are able to pick this up. Remember to dress smartly and look attentive, speak clearly and confidently. 

I normally aim to get to the interview fairly early for e.g. if my appointment was at 10am I normally aim for 9am. This allows me to find the location without rushing and gives me time to regroup and prepare one last time. 

It's important whether you are working with a recruiter or with HR that you find out exactly what type of interview you are going to undertake such as competency, informal chat or presentation. 

Always remember to keep a copy of your application and CV you submitted for this role as this can be embarrassing if you cannot remember what you mentioned in your application!

Always remember to prepare answers to standard questions such as "why do you want this job"? The simple questions are usually the ones that catch you out! 

Take your time when answering questions- make sure you understand the question (remember what your Maths teacher used to say at school!) Also ask if you have answered this correctly? They may prompt you further. 

Prepare good questions for the interviewer - this will really get across how keen you are for the role! Also get feedback on your performance. A question such as "does anything concern you about my about my application? will go a long way to getting you some valuable feedback.  

Good luck!!