Preparing for an interview

A prospective employee going for a job interview can be thought of as an actor going for an audition. They need to study the character, learn the lines and know the director in order to make sure the best of their talents are on display.

The goal of any job application is to get that elusive letter back that asks you to come in for a job interview. So far so good. Your CV and covering letter have done their job and hooked the employer, now you need to reel them in with a killer job interview. Now is not the time to sit back and feel pleased with yourself, though. Your hard work has only just begun. All the preparation, effort and time that have gone into your written application must now be refocused on making your performance in that interview the best you can give.

So what can you do to prepare for the interview?

Homework

When you sit down in that interview room you don't know what to expect, so you need to prepare for anything.

Your main preparation can be split into three areas:

1. Hard facts

The best place to start is with the company you're trying to get the job with. It sounds obvious but you'd be surpirsed how often prospective employees turn up without knowing anything about where they are.

Start with the hard facts. Search the Internet (caterer.com for example) or past copies of trade magazines like Caterer & Hotelkeeper, to find out about the business. How big is it? What brands does it own? How much money does it make? Are there any well-known industry figures associated with it? Has it been in the news lately? If so, why? Has there been a takeover? Perhaps it's announced plans to open new sites or close old ones.

The kinds of facts that this research can provide you with are ammunition in the interview. They will show you have done your homework and that you are genuinely interested in the company and the industry.

2. Your opinions

If it's a hotel or a restaurant, try calling them and seeing how they deal with customers. How easy is it to make or cancel a reservation? Ask about menus and prices as if you were a customer and see how much or little they know. Do the same with the company's Web site. Can you make or cancel a reservation? Do they have menus and prices on there? What would you do differently?

3. Your appearance

Obviously you will dress smartly, cleanly and conservatively, but you have to consider what your journey and interview will be like and choose your clothes accordingly. There's no point wearing a really smart suit if you have to take a six-hour train journey to get there and you arrive crumpled and creased. Is there a way you could travel in casual clothes and get changed somewhere before you arrive for the interview?

Call the company and politely ask what the agenda for the interview is. Don't assume that the interview will just involve you sitting in front of a desk answering questions. You may be given a tour of the kitchens or the grounds, so make sure your clothes will stand up to humidity or a trip outdoors.

4. Questions they are likely to ask

While an interviewer may, in theory, ask anything, there are a few stock questions you can predict with a reasonable confidence. Practice your answers to these questions, and drop in the information about the company that you've found out during your research.

For example, you'll invariably be asked to give a summary of your career to date - the "tell us about yourself" question. Can you give a short, snappy answer to this that shows your progression and growth? Remember to be quantitative where possible, saying how much you increased turnover by, for example, or what savings you made. At some point you'll probably be asked how your career experience makes you the ideal person to fill this vacancy.

Other common questions will include: "Where do you see yourself in five years?" "Why do you want to change jobs?" and "What would you bring to this company?" Rehearsing good answers to these questions should be an essential part of any job interview preparation.

(More advice on probable interview questions and how to answer them is included in the Job Interview Tips section.)

5. Questions you should ask them

One question that an interviewer is almost guaranteed to ask is: "Have you got any questions for us?" Rather than just a way of wrapping up the interview, this is a crucial chance for you to demonstrate your knowledge of the company or to simply find out more information about your prospective position. Think of some questions in advance such as "How is the job performance measured?" or "Why is this position vacant?" It's rare that salary and benefits will be discussed in a first interview, so don't worry about that too much.

(More advice on good questions to ask is included in the Job Interview Tips section.)

Finally, remember to relax and calm down. Try to treat the interview as an informal chat and you will come across as much more confident and relaxed. If you do your homework and go in knowing you are prepared for any eventuality, your performance will be so much better. If you know you can do the job then it's up to you to make sure that, when you shake hands at the end, your interviewers know that too.