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On the day

Leave early in case of traffic, and try to get to the interview at least 10 minutes before you’re due to give yourself a chance to prepare yourself and to show that you are enthusiastic about the position.
Never be late for an interview.

Before the interview, check yourself in the mirror to make sure you don’t have lipstick on your teeth, toothpaste on your tie or dog fur on your suit. Turn your cell phone off.

During the interview pay attention. Listen carefully to what the interviewer is asking and respond clearly. When nervous, people tend to talk too quickly, so keep your voice slow and don’t panic if a question comes up that you haven’t prepared for – take a second or two to think it over before responding.

Rather than making you seem unprepared, this will show the interviewer that you are giving thought to the inquiry and not merely answering by rote. At the end of the interview, shake hands with the interviewers and thank them for their time.

After the fact

As soon as you get home, write everything down – your thoughts
and impressions about the interview, the names of the people you
met and the questions you found easy, struggled with or hadn’t
thought of. Not only will this allow you to prepare better for future interviews, it will also help you to remember important information that you may need if called back for a second interview.

Read the full article in Careers SA - 2008 Magazine www.careerssa.net