Pre-arrival – The night before
If possible, avoid having alcoholic drinks or a very strong meal with garlic the night before an interview – no matter how bad your nerves are, there is nothing worse than the Interviewer being put off by pungent smells of breath. So, avoid.
Make sure you have everything you need and placed in your case or bag ready.
Do any final checks or research and get up earlier than normal to give yourself ample time to do your final preparations and checks before you leave.
If possible, check the TV / Internet for any non-planned traffic or transport delays.
Upon arrival at the Company
If you arrive by Taxi / Bus make sure you have given yourself enough time to arrive at the Company. This will calm your nerves and allow you to focus on your key skills in answering their questions well and your responses.
If you are arriving by car, make sure you give yourself more than enough time to arrive. Find a slot in their car park which is not a predesignated slot for an Employee of the Company.
Make any necessary calls or texts prior to entry into the Company building.
Before you leave your vehicle Switch your mobile phone off.
Upon arrival at reception – be polite to the receptionist and sign in.
Take time to read the information boards and signage posted near reception. This may assist you in your research i.e., various Heads of departments etc.
Upon meeting your interviewer
Greet your interviewer with a smile and a confident handshake.
Where possible, decline a hot or cold drink as a shaky hand puts people off.
General ice-breaker questions
Normally, the interviewer will start with an ice-breaker comment to relax you into the interview. A typical starter will be:
“Did you come far today”?
“How did you find the traffic today”?
“The weather is a little mild today”?
Sometimes, the interviewer is gauging your reaction to their opening statement, for you to engage and make you feel relaxed.
Our next section will go into more depth as to the type of questions you may be asked during the 1st interview stage.