How do you go on in an interview? Do you find it easy to answer questions and put yourself over well or do you freeze and stumble and come out feeling as though you have made a fool of yourself? Whichever category you fall into a bit of practice and some advice on how you can improve and get good interview skills wouldn't go amiss.
Performing well in an interview is not just about being able to answer technical questions well or coming across as being really confident. Employers will be looking at the whole package that is you and make decisions based on what you say, how you behave and they will also pick up subliminally on any body language you are displaying.
So let's start at you walking in through the door of the interview room. Shake hands with the interviewer if they have stood up to let you into the room. If they are sat behind the desk then don't because it will appear awkward. Wait to be asked to sit down. In can look so flippant when you come straight into a room and throw yourself onto the chair without an invitation. Sit up straight and put your hands somewhere where you won't fidget with them. Held loosely together on your lap is a good idea. Just don't grip too hard and turn your knuckles white with the pressure.
Don't be afraid to smile but try to avoid looking like the grinning village idiot. This is a serious process and should be treated with respect. Quite often the opening question will be to ask you about yourself. You should have something prepared in advance so that you don't stumble at the first hurdle. Keep it brief; employers do not need to know war and peace about your life. Your name, age, current employment and perhaps why you are looking to change jobs will suffice. Your answer should not last more than a minute. This is fine, because if the interviewer wants to ask more questions they will and this part is usually just to settle your nerves as opposed to finding out lots of information about you.
Once you get into the general flow of questions and answers, remember to keep eye contact. If there is more than one person look between the two or three occasionally but don't make yourself dizzy. Try not to ramble. If you forget what you were saying half way through an answer, simply apologise and ask the interviewer to repeat the question.
At the end of the interview, unless you have some burning questions that you need answers to, just politely say no thank you when asked if there is anything you would like to ask. Most interviewers will be seeing lots of people in one day and just want to get candidates in and out as quickly as possible. Follow this advice to make sure you have good interview skills and you won't go far wrong.