ine before the interview because if you are asked the "tell me about yourself" opener, you have an answer without thinking further. More than this, if the interviewer has not prepared well, this can actually set the agenda for the whole interview.

Finally remember they don't expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to fit in so the way you express yourself and project yo

You get only one shot at the interview itself, but if it is important you can have as many dry-runs as you need. Think of it as a rehearsal for a major stage-play. You wouldn't walk on stage without preparing or rehearsing until you were word perfect would you?

So why do people go to interviews which may land them a job with a life-time value of hundreds of thousand of dollars without even the slightest preparation.

This then is how you can influence the result of the interview, before the interview.

One word: PREPARATION.

Research the organization; find out what it does and what THAT job means in THAT organization.

Determine in advance how you can describe your own skills and experience, in meaningful and specific terms, in ways that show you understand their needs and can bring some value to the position. You do this best by identifying your prior successes, quantifying them with scale and dimensions and then showing the interviewer HOW you can both repeat and improve upon them for the new organization's benefit. What they want is someone who can add something.

Before the interview you should practice by testing yourself, or get someone else to do it, with difficult questions about your experience, your strengths and weaknesses and how well you have worked with other people in previous employments.

Make sure that you can run quickly through the main points and dates of your CV or Resume - its surprising how many people get their dates wrong then look as if they are making things up. This is good discipline before the interview because if you are asked the "tell me about yourself" opener, you have an answer without thinking further. More than this, if the interviewer has not prepared well, this can actually set the agenda for the whole interview.

Finally remember they don't expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to fit in so the way you express yourself and project you

t even the slightest preparation.

This then is how you can influence the result of the interview, before the interview.

One word: PREPARATION.

Research the organization; find out what it does and what THAT job means in THAT organization.

Determine in advance how you can describe your own skills and experience, in meaningful and specific terms, in ways that show you understand their needs and can bring some value to the position. You do this best by identifying your prior successes, quantifying them with scale and dimensions and then showing the interviewer HOW you can both repeat and improve upon them for the new organization's benefit. What they want is someone who can add something.

Before the interview you should practice by testing yourself, or get someone else to do it, with difficult questions about your experience, your strengths and weaknesses and how well you have worked with other people in previous employments.

Make sure that you can run quickly through the main points and dates of your CV or Resume - its surprising how many people get their dates wrong then look as if they are making things up. This is good discipline before the interview because if you are asked the "tell me about yourself" opener, you have an answer without thinking further. More than this, if the interviewer has not prepared well, this can actually set the agenda for the whole interview.

Finally remember they don't expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to fit in so the way you express yourself and project yo

derstand their needs and can bring some value to the position. You do this best by identifying your prior successes, quantifying them with scale and dimensions and then showing the interviewer HOW you can both repeat and improve upon them for the new organization's benefit. What they want is someone who can add something.

Before the interview you should practice by testing yourself, or get someone else to do it, with difficult questions about your experience, your strengths and weaknesses and how well you have worked with other people in previous employments.

Make sure that you can run quickly through the main points and dates of your CV or Resume - its surprising how many people get their dates wrong then look as if they are making things up. This is good discipline before the interview because if you are asked the "tell me about yourself" opener, you have an answer without thinking further. More than this, if the interviewer has not prepared well, this can actually set the agenda for the whole interview.

Finally remember they don't expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to fit in so the way you express yourself and project yo

or get someone else to do it, with difficult questions about your experience, your strengths and weaknesses and how well you have worked with other people in previous employments.

Make sure that you can run quickly through the main points and dates of your CV or Resume - its surprising how many people get their dates wrong then look as if they are making things up. This is good discipline before the interview because if you are asked the "tell me about yourself" opener, you have an answer without thinking further. More than this, if the interviewer has not prepared well, this can actually set the agenda for the whole interview.

Finally remember they don't expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to fit in so the way you express yourself and project yo

ine before the interview because if you are asked the "tell me about yourself" opener, you have an answer without thinking further. More than this, if the interviewer has not prepared well, this can actually set the agenda for the whole interview.

Finally remember they don't expect you to know everything, but they do expect you to fit in so the way you express yourself and project your personality is more important than absolute knowledge.