Here are some basic interview tips – while nothing is certain these will make sure you don’t fall at the first hurdle.

1) Make an effort with your appearance – you are an ambassador for yourself and possibly the company. If you can’t represent yourself as smart and professional, then what chance you can do that for your future employer? If you are shaking someone’s hand, clean nails would be a good start.

2) Do some research – I’ve been in that horrible situation of going into an interview and coming out knowing I should have done more. Does the company have a website? Go check it out. Have they sent you a job description? Read it, digest it and prove that you have the skills they want.

3) Know what you want to say – some questions come up again and again no matter what the job is. Don’t have an answer that you parrot out, but think about what the key points you want to get across are. It might well be worth writing down some bullet points on cards and memorizing them. You can take them to the interview and run through them when you arrive early.

4) Use examples – anyone can say they are good at something. Only you can prove it. Like any proof, it requires evidence. Even if you are still in a job, its worth keeping a stock list of examples of your success so if the job you really want comes up you can point to them without having to think too hard.

5) Interviewers are human too – interviews can be nerve wracking. However, remember there is pressure on your interviewer(s) as well, to find the right person. They may be new to the task. If you are feeling tense, remember that they are not all seeing, all knowing gods!

Telephone interviews are often conducted by companies as a first step to the hiring process. They are frequently conducted by someone in Human Resources and typically follow a standard interview format. They are meant to weed out the undesirable candidates so that the hiring manager has only a short list of pre-qualified candidates to interview. For these reasons, it is important to make sure that you are well prepared for the telephone interview.

Start by researching as much information as you can about the company and the position. Pull up the company’s website and read everything you can about the company’s history, the industry, their products, the company Directors and any articles that may be posted there. Perform a Google search on the company name and/or the Directors and you might find some additional information.

Prepare yourself for any possible interview questions that might come up including questions about your successes in your last job, your employment history, your reason for wanting to leave your current employer and salary expectations. You should also prepare yourself with some questions to ask the interviewer. This will give the impression that you are interested in the job as well as help you to evaluate whether or not you want to take things to the next step. Also, don’t ask what the job pays unless the interviewer brings it up first. If the interviewer tells you specifically what the job pays, then you can then ask for further clarification on whether there are bonuses or a car allowance for example.

Although you do not need to worry about your attire when conducting a telephone interview, it is a good idea to dress as if you are going to a face to face interview – not because the interviewer can see you but because you will respond more professionally and be more tuned in to the process.

Make sure that before the interview, you have a quiet place to take the phone call. Put your dog outside or in another room and have someone in the household take him or her for a walk. Send young kids over to the neighbors and make sure that the television and radio are turned off. Don’t chew gum or smoke while you are on the phone – the person on the other end of the phone can hear you. This may seem obvious but some people forget to get rid of their gum before interviews so it’s worth mentioning. Drink some water before the interview so that your mouth is not dry. It also serves to keep you more alert during the interview. If you have call waiting on your phone, don’t answer any incoming calls while you are on the phone with the interviewer.

Be conscious of how you sound on the phone while you are talking. The pitch of your voice can elevate when you are nervous so you’ll need to take a few deep breaths to relax. It helps to stand up during interviews because it keeps you from constricting your breathing and it also increases the energy and enthusiasm in your voice.

If you are nervous, spend some time before the interview just getting quiet and consciously slowing your breathing down. When you’re prepared, you feel much more confident and in control so make sure that you give yourself enough time to mentally prepare for your appointment.