Men and Women

All clothes should be neatly pressed.
Conservative two-piece business suite (solid dark blue or gray is best)
Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
Clean, polished, conservative shoes
Clean and well-groomed hairstyle
Clean, trimmed fingernails
Minimal cologne or perfume
Empty pockets – no noisy coins
No gum, candy or cigarettes

Men
Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern
Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best); clean and polished
Dark socks (black is best)
Short hair always fairs best in interviews
No beards – mustaches are acceptable (keep neat and trimmed)
No earrings
No heavy cologne

Women

Always wear a suit with a jacket; or a sheath dress with a jacket
Do not wear extremely high-heeled or platform shoes
Do not wear open-toe shoes or mules (they are more casual)
Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color
One set of earrings only
Conservative makeup
No heavy perfume
No heavy cologne

Of all the interview tips you will learn about, preparation for the intervew is probably the most important part of the whole process, because with good preparation, everything should go as planned. Before getting to the interview, conduct some research so that you know some basic information about the company , like its mission statement and its position in the industry. This will allow you to intelligently answer questions that might suddenly be thrown your way during the interview session

Before your interview find out everything you can about the company (read their annual report which can be obtained by telephoning them). Re-read your application, thinking through your own career and the questions they might ask you. You should try to anticipate the general questions which they will ask and also prepare some questions to ask them.

To do well at the interview you will need to convince the interviewer you are technically qualified to do the job. You will also need to show that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well and that you will fit in with the company's organizational structure and the team in which you will work.

You should dress smartly for the interview and should leave home earlier than you need to on the day of the interview - you may be delayed by traffic or for other reasons. Be courteous to all employees of the company. At the interview itself you must be positive about yourself and your abilities - but do not waffle.

Here are some tips:

1. Assemble all necessary papers

Resume or personal data sheet
Know your resume well enough that you can discuss every line if necessary
Licenses, Social Security card and/or military records
Samples of work, if relevant
List of questions you want to ask the interviewer about the job

Many employers will use your resume as a source of questions during the interview. Review your resume prior to the interview and be able to develop answers to questions that relate to your employment and educational experience listed on your resume. Be prepared to discuss gaps in employment. If called upon, you must be able to demonstrate the skills you stated on your resume. Focus your answers on the skills and experience that will be most useful to the position you are interviewing for.

2. Learn all you can about the prospective employer

What are the products and services?
What is its reputation?
What types of jobs are available?
What are the hiring policies and practices?
What are their salary ranges?
What are their goals?

Researching the company you are interviewing with and the position you are pursuing demonstrates genuine interest and initiative. It will be obvious to the interviewer whether you did your research or not. Many interviewers will focus questions on finding out how much preparation you did for the interview.

One can research a company utilizing many different sources:

The Internet
Company brochures and year end statements
The area Chamber of Commerce
Networking – ask friends, relatives, teachers, social and business contacts

You do not need to know everything possible about the company. The information most helpful for the interviewing process includes knowing the product manufactured or service offered. You should find out the size of the company and if they have multiple locations. Who are their competitors? Did they recently merge with another company? What is their sales volume and is that down or up from previous years?

3. Identify what you have to offer.

Your education, training and experience—what you have done, know how to do and can do.
Remember all the skills, abilities and talents you possess that will make you an excellent employee.

4. Consider your potentials as an employee

Why do you feel you can do the job?
What makes you qualified for the job?
What do you have to offer the company or organization?
Why do you want to work for the employer in question?

Pre- Interview Checklist

Before you leave home for your interview, check the following:

Have you researched the organization you are interviewing with?

Do you know the interviewer’s name? If not, get it from the receptionist before the interview.

Have you formulated answers for usual interview questions?

Do you have all necessary information for the interview? This includes items such as resume or personal data sheet, names and addresses of references, pen and note pad.

Is there someone you could do a practice interview with? You will benefit from suggestions for improvement.

Do not forget the most obvious research, simply knowing where you are going BEFORE the interview. What is the company address? How long should you plan for travel time? Drive by the company to be sure that you know how to get there and how long it will take. Also, remember to give yourself an extra 10-15 minutes in case they ask you to complete their job application.

Other tips on preparing for your interview:

Consider how the position relates to your talents and goals, such as specialty area and opportunities for advancement.

Schedule the interview at a time that will not conflict with your working hours. Most interviewers will understand you not wanting to take off work at your current position to interview for other jobs.

Find out the name and position of the person you will meet with and get his/ her telephone number in case an emergency arises.

Be prepared with answers to why you want to work at that particular organization, and how you would be the best candidate for this position. Understanding the company, their mission and their environment will help you with these questions.

Dress properly for the interview. Dress slacks, dress shirt, a tie and possibly a sport coat for men. Women should wear a knee length (or longer) skirt or pants, and blouse. If a skirt is your choice, be sure to wear nylons. Don’t forget the dress shoes.

What makes people lose sleep over the interviews is essentially an apprehension of the unforeseen, a dread of being confronted with something they don't know; and no matter how many interviews has one faced and sailed through, every new interview brings a new pain in the neck. Jitteriness hangs over everyone; only the intensity may differ.

And though there are no alternatives to awareness and conviction, there are certain guidelines which when followed will put off some seemingly trifling slip-ups, which could turn your interview into a dismal affair at the end of the day. These are the gimmicks that must be exercised if the interview is to be saved from some apparently petty blunders.

Your answer to the initial opening statements in the job interview are important, these are called "ice breakers".

Some times the interviewer will ask whether you had difficulty finding the company premises. Your answer should be brief and polite. The interviewer is merely being polite - if you had problems in finding the premises he/she doesn't need to know that.

Use replies such as

• I'm fine thank you, and you?
• I'm very well, thank you.

These replies express a careless attitude

• So, so
• OK
• Not so well

• Reaching for the interview late may put the interviewer off, as it can also dampen your spirit. So to have an idea as to when you should leave for the interview, just go by the venue at least one day prior to the interview as a rehearsal.
  
  
• If the company is too far-off and your dress is likely to get rumpled in the bus, better travel in a taxi. Carry a comb in your pocket. There is no excuse for a clumsy appearance in the interview.
  
  
• Reach the venue at least half an hour in advance so that you have enough time for having a breather and bracing up for the interview. Arriving at the last minute and entering the interview room panting will reveal you in a poor light and you won't be in the right kind of frame to take on the interview.
  
  
• In case the interview does not commence on the scheduled time, don't lose you focus. Don't be distracted and maintain your composure. Read some magazine or talk to the people about the company. Go out for a breath of air but don't go too far away. And don't ever let it show that you disliked being made to wait. You have got some time on hand, so use it discreetly.
• Pull yourself up the moment you are summoned inside the interview chamber, and enter the room with an air of confidence. And while you are taking on the real deal, practice the following:
  • Maintain a body language suggesting confidence and cheerfulness. Don't look uneasy or dispirited. Smile at appropriate moments.
    
    
  • Maintain eye contact while answering the questions. This will suggest that you are confident enough.
    
    
  • If there is more than one interviewer, address to all of them. Remember names if you can and address by the names. Sound confident but avoid being brash.
    
    
  • Saying 'sorry' or 'pardon' when you couldn't quite get the interviewer is civility, but making the interviewer repeat something for you too often could really make you sorry at the end of the day. You say 'sorry; once, and the interviewer willingly repeats, you say again, and he takes notice, you say thrice, and his exasperation shows, you go on to say yet again, and you just lose it all. What puts the interviewer off is the revelation that you are not all ears during the interview. So better listen attentively and minimize 'being sorry' or 'begging pardon'.
    
    
  • Don't speak too loudly or too faintly. Maintain a pitch that is audible as well within the perimeter of courtesy.
    
    
  • Don't delve too much on a topic. Neither keep the answers too short. Just speak enough on every topic.
    
    
  • Use wit and make the interviewer smile. But again, discern the faint edge between humour and discourtesy. Also, whatever you speak to bring smiles on the interviewers' face should sound germane to the topic. However, use this trick sparingly- making the interviewer chuckle twice in an interview is just sufficient.
    
    
  • Some questions may be devised to judge your self-restraint and tolerance as a professional. So if a question sounds provoking, don't fall for the trick. Avoid acting feverishly and maintain your cool. Handle such questions discreetly and with shrewdness.
    
    
  • Try to make out what is going through the interviewer's mind while you are answering to the questions. His body language may well give you a clue if he's listening to you attentively or you are just pushing on an off-putting gab. Put on the brakes the moment you discern that you have deviated off the point.
    
    
  • The interviewer might ask you towards the close of the interview if you have any questions. Don't think it impolite to ask a question or two. Rather, not asking a question could revel that you just want the interview to be over, so go ahead. However, exercise caution regarding the question you pose. Never inquire about the salary. Preferably, show inquisitiveness about your role or the organisation.

  In the end when all is said and done and you make an exit from the interview cell, you might well be knowing in your heart that you've just made it. After all, it's all about being confident and acting astutely.

And Here are the 25 things one should NEVER do during an interview

Find some More interview Tips Here