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Know what you have said- Your CV is a summary of what you have achieved and won't be the sum of all you have to say. The interviewer will have been given a very good idea about you but will now want to know more.
Be aware that career changes, gaps in employment, anything that doesn't convey a smooth and seamless record will need explaining. Set your weaknesses in the past, as things that have made you into a stronger candidate.
Have your thoughts ordered but remember that they want to see some personality too. Organized thinking shouldn't prevent you from coming across as someone they could work with on a daily basis. Leading with your achievements needn't sound arrogant, as long as your actions speak for themselves and you don't work too hard trying to market yourself More interview information What to wear Looking and sounding right Shake hand firmly- Try to remain in control without taking over. Keep natural eye contact and sit as comfortably as your new suit will allow. The more at ease you look the better your responses will be received. Don't be fazed by the situation. Sitting face to face with a potential employer may make you feel the need for deference, but the more you talk as equals the more you will be listened to.
Pitch what you're saying carefully.
If the interviewer is very formal steer clear of familiarity. Equally in young companies interviewers can be equally interested in seeing how you respond to them on a personal level. Either way, go with instinct and make sure that as you relax the content of what you're saying remains king.
The more relaxed the conversation gets the better you know you are doing. Enjoy it and resist sets of stock answers the interviewer has probably heard many times before. Remember they want to see you respond not answer, and ultimately for you to sound unique with what you have to offer clearly presented with tangible examples.
Ask the right questions.
Asking too many can appear an obvious diversion tactic but if you are responding naturally to the interviewer your questions shouldn't prevent you from giving them the answers they want as well. Make it a two-way discussion but remember who is being interviewed. If you do have genuine queries ask, the answers may help you structure what you need to say and raise any issues you need to know before you consider how well the job will work for you.
Leaving on a positive note and asking what happens next
Make it clear that you have enjoyed the interview but avoid seeming grateful. After all you have skills that are worth paying for. End on a note that looks forward to the next time you will be speaking. You may want to ask what will happen next in the interview procedure, leading the interviewer to assume that you are someone to be considered seriously for the next step: most likely another meeting like this.
NEGOTIATING THE DEAL-What is an offer and how to get it Know your worth. Know the market.
Experience carries expectations of salary and benefits with it. Look through job adverts and the trade press and be able to benchmark yourself by naming a price. Even if this is something you'll keep close to your chest until the very end it's good to have a fair idea of what you are worth and what you can expect to receive from the very start. More negotiating information The right time to negotiate An employer will always want to get the best deal and if they can get your skills and pay less for them they will do. Each job on offer is like a project in itself, with a very big budget. Imagine how much will be spent on you if you stay the duration, how savings get compounded over the years if they get you cheap, but in turn how much they'll save if their investment pays off and they get you to stay. Less money on recruitment and less on training. If you've been offered the job you're in a position to negotiate.
At the beginning of the interview process you have no power to negotiate details. You are one among many, and the recruiter will be looking to reject people quickly before any real investment of time and money is made to sift through a large pile of applications.
Even by the second stage, after having been short-listed, hold off from discussing your salary or what you expect to receive. The longer you leave it the better, the more they have spent recruiting and the more they want you to have the job. By this stage the recruiter will not be keen to start their search again and will be more open to discussion.
Do your homework.
If a specific salary or range was posted with the job advert you will have a clear idea of what kind of figure you will be paid. Have very good reasons why you should be at the higher end of a band or why a set salary should be open for discussion. Extensive experience and the specific knowledge and skills you bring with you and could take elsewhere all argue your case very effectively.
The whole package andfringe benefits
Be aware of the extras.
The packages on offer for most jobs nowadays include a range of benefits to lure you in and make you stay. Does your prospective employer offer a package of base, variable and indirect pay, and what kind of difference will it all add up to?
Base pay or basic salary is the easiest to compare with your current package. How much variable pay, usually in the form of bonuses, and fringe benefits add to this can be more difficult to weigh up.
Bonuses are usually paid annually at the same point each year as a percentage of your salary, or may be performance related in the form of commission schemes and one-off goodwill payments. Either way, for most employees these lump sum payments are invaluable when it comes to paying for luxuries and expensive necessities and as such are often the biggest incentive to get people to stay.
Remember that companies may require you to have worked a minimum period before you are entitled to bonuses they offer, even if they are calculated proportionately, depending on how long you have worked if not the full year.
The benefits of indirect pay can vary considerably and include whether you receive a company car, laptop or mobile phone that you can use whilst outside the office. Try to gauge why you are entitled to these extras if you are, as many companies are strict about personal use of their equipment. If you will be required to work away from the office these benefits may soon become invaluable necessities only benefiting your employer.
Check about expenses. Do you have to pay for them yourself and get reimbursed, or will you receive a company credit card. Expenses you have to cover yourself can make living through the month quite difficult and lessen the enjoyment of free business lunches.
Think ahead.
For most people the availability and push to join good company insurance, assurance and investment schemes mean they organise all they should for the future in good time.
Find out about the company's pension fund and the incentives in place for you to join. Find out whether you are entitled to stock options, what discount you receive and how long you have to hold before you can sell and release your funds and a profit.
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