Prepare in advance for your interview. Write a clear, crisp and easy to read resume in chronological order, free of errors, abbreviations and slang. Research the company to learn when they were founded, what products they sell and how well they are doing in the marketplace. Review both the company’s website and articles about the company – any information you can use to demonstrate your knowledge and interest in the company.

Anticipate certain questions in advance, and practice rehearsing your answers with someone you trust and is willing to provide constructive feedback. Companies are known to ask both common and behavioral questions, which you must answer according to their expectations. For example, an interviewer might ask, “tell me about yourself." Discuss why you chose a particular major and college, and then briefly cover past jobs and how you got to where you are today. Keep your response limited to one or two minutes. You can also share examples from volunteer work that you may have done in the past or any other work carried out- in high school, college or university.

Create your own list of questions as you never know what approach interviewers will take during an interview. Some might ask if you have any questions at the beginning of the interview. So ask your questions in a logical sequence. Inquire about the nature of projects you would take on and with whom. Ask what criteria would be used to evaluate your performance. Toward the end of the interview, ask if the interviewer has any questions for you, this will help uncover any concerns he or she might have about your experience or background.

Arrive about 15 minutes early for the interview to allow time for parking and finding the office. Be confident, sit up straight during the interview and maintain eye contact when answering questions or listening to the interviewer. Smile even if you are nervous, as you want to appear approachable. An effective way to build rapport with the interviewer is to use his/her name periodically while responding to questions.

Ask about the job before leaving an interview. Say something such as, “I really want to work for your company as I know I could make an immediate impact in the department of interest. What is the next step of the interview process?" Being inquisitive in this way reinforces your interest in the job. Another way to find out how close you are to getting the job is to enquire about the number of candidates who would be short-listed for a second round of interview.