Top tips for interview success

So you’ve worked hard and won that all-important interview, it can be easy to think the hard work is over and relax. In fact the important part of the application process is still ahead of you.

For this year’s Careers Guide we asked a whole host of industry experts to get you the answers you need to get ahead in the jobs race. One of the questions asked was ‘How do I get the most out of my job interview?’

So we asked Paul Boross author of The Pocket Pitching Bible for his top tips for interview success.

He gave us lots a great advice. Here are two snippets of what he had to say:

Practice
You should know what questions to expect from the interviewer, and every question they ask is carefully crafted the get the information they need.

Don't think that you can 'wing it' and make it up as you go along, because you can be sure that no interviewer wants to hire someone who does that. If there are holes in your CV, don't hope for the best, ask yourself challenging questions and practice your answers.
If you fall short in some areas, demonstrate your willingness to learn and take on a challenge. If there are gaps in your employment, show that you were still doing something useful with your time.

Desire
If you were interviewing people for a job, who would you rather employ – someone who acted like they couldn't care less or someone who really seemed to want the job?

If you want the job, and I'm presuming that you do because you applied for it, then don't be afraid to show it. And when the interviewer asks, at the end, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to say, “Yes – Do I get the job?”

You can read the rest of Paul’s advice and lots of other essential careers advice in the TNS Careers Guide 2012.