By Olga Smith
A job interview can be a stressful experience. What can help you to overcome this stress?
1. Allow plenty of time to arrive for your interview; do not rush, because if you rush you are likely to be stressed. Arrive at least 15 minutes before the interview. Never be late.
2. When you go into the interview room don't sit until you are invited to do so.
3. Be positive, upbeat and confident, but not overconfident because it could be taken for arrogance.
4. Only speak when you are spoken to first, do not initiate; be polite and never interrupt. Do not appear over-keen.
5. When you speak do not over-vocalise, speak calmly and naturally.
6. Do not gabble, avoid rushed speech. Take your time, and make short pauses to think about your answers. Avoid long pauses, just take a second and think about the answer.
7. Avoid unprofessional vocabulary, such as "yeh, gonna, etc". Use "yes, going to" instead.
8. Do not slide into sloppy speech and avoid parasite words, such as "like, you know, basically".
9. Make sure that you pronounce professional vocabulary correctly.
10. Make your answers concise, go straight to the point and do not beat about the bush. “Brevity is the soul of wit” W. Shakespear, Hamlet a quote from Polonius's character. Meaning conciseness is at the heart of cleverness.
11. Wear good quality clothes and hairstyle, groomed hands and nails will help you to feel confident. Make sure your shoes are polished and well-heeled. Do not use very strong perfume as some scents could be irritating to others.
12. Keep a straight posture and maintain good eye contact. It will help you to create a strong presence.