Page 124 - James Caan - Get the Job you Really Want

job specification and what you believe to be your potential
employer’s expectations.
Now it’s show time. Think of your job interview as putting on
the best performance of your life. This chapter is all about giving
yourself that extra ‘X’ factor.

Remembering the simple things

Many of the basics of performing well in a job interview, just
like the way you present yourself, should really be second nature,
pure common sense – and yet, and yet, people still forget them.
These basics start well before you arrive at the interview

venue. The simple things to remember include getting a good
sleep the night before – it’s not a good evening to go out on the
town and stay out late. Obvious, you’d think. Don’t believe it!

Punctuality is key – give yourself a reasonable amount of
leeway to take account of the usual hassles in getting to any
meeting: tra≤c jams, delayed trains, complicated directions.
Make sure you are in the neighbourhood of the interview
venue good and early so that you are not dashing in at the

last moment drenched in sweat. Allow yourself enough time
to collect your thoughts – maybe have a juice at a café round
the corner – and relax as best you can before going into the

reception area on time.
Turning up in good time and wearing a clean, smart
outfit is only half the battle. What really matters is how you
project yourself and how you engage with the interviewer or

112 get the job you really want