General tips:
Take a tissue or handkerchief with you to dry possible damp brows or clammy hands before meeting with your interviewer. Greet your interviewer by his or her surname with a smile and a firm handshake. (Do not break your interviewer’s hand.) A firm handshake shows confidence and establishes good rapport.
It is perfectly normal to show some sign of nervousness; it shows that you are taking the interview seriously.
Wait until you are offered a chair before you sit down.
Do not smoke during the interview, even if your interviewer smokes or offers you one. Also, do not smoke just before your interview. Your interviewer might be a non-smoker and this may affect their decision subconsciously.
It is acceptable to ask for a glass of water or accept water when asked, but if you are extremely nervous, better to refuse; you might spill it all over.
Never chew gum during an interview.
Use a person’s name when talking, as this allows you to get and keep their attention.
Do not be late for your interview. Always be there five to ten minutes early and announce yourself at reception five minutes prior your interview. It gives you a chance to look at the company’s newsletters and brochures and to view the overall employee’s satisfaction and interaction, which will help you to form an opinion about the company.
If you are too early for an interview, the interviewer may get agitated and you might feel uncomfortable. If you are late, they see it as part of a problem that will develop further once you are employed.
Sit upright but remain relaxed; do not cross your arms or slouch. Try to look your interviewer in the eyes, but look rather than stare. Focus your attention upon him rather than gazing around the room. Inappropriate smiling is the most common example of non-verbal behavior that undercuts verbal messages, making you seem weak and unassertive.
Fill in application forms or do tests if you are required to do so. This is often a formality or based on the company’s policies. You will create suspicion or unnecessary trouble if you argue about it or refuse to do so.
Fill all documentation in as neatly and as accurately as possible.
Do not fill in a salary figure; write down “negotiable.”
Speak clearly and concisely. Use short sentences. Do not mumble or ramble on and on.
Do not try to disguise dialects or regional accents as this will only create more problems for you later in the interview.
Technical questions can cause problems. Think carefully before giving a response and ensure that your answer shows initiative, common sense and imagination.
Good eye contact, an upright posture and an overall positive attitude can often make up for deficiencies in other areas.
If you are attending a panel interview, try not to direct all answers and questions to one person. Look and speak to the whole panel. Have a writing pad at hand with your questions and feel free to take down alternative notes.
A positive attitude is very important, even when you have doubts about the job. It is very easy to decline a position once a job has been offered, but it is not so easy to retrieve an interview after suddenly realizing it is exactly the job that you were looking for. Make sure the interviewer knows that you want the position.