Well youve worked hard and finally have your interview! Its your dream job and your really want it. Want to know how not to make a mess of your job interview? Here are ten mistakes you should not make.

1. Being late you are going to be anxious and nervous and you are visiting a place you probably dont know where it is? How about planning out your journey beforehand and giving yourself an extra hour. Better to find the building that you are being interviewed in and then spend an hour relaxing and preparing for your interview, than making a mad dash and arriving flustered and late.

2. Not knowing the basics you should know all you can find out about the company you hope to work for. You will be asked about why you want to join the company and you should have a sensible answer ready. Your new company will like to feel chosen by you and they will want to employ a prepared and organized person.

3. Being unprepared bring copies of your resume/CV with you, even if an agency obtained the interview for you. Know the job specification off by heart. Prepare a list of questions that you want to ask. Potential employers like candidates that show a keen interest in the job.

4. Trying to Wing It - practice get a list of questions that you could be asked, prepare your answers and practice, practice, practice until you are natural at it. Our resource box gives you some suggestions as to where you can obtain some help on this.

5. Forgetting that your interviewer is the expert! pretending you know more than you do is a great way to blow an interview! Be yourself, dont say you know something you have no idea about you can be sure that your interviewer knows the answer because they work in that environment all the time. As an interviewer myself in the IT and business world, I often put in a technical question to check whether the interviewee really knows what they are talking about.

6. Not dressing the part first impressions count, if you are interviewing at a bank, for goodness sake wear a suit and if you are hoping to enter marketing, dress design etc then dress appropriately. Your interviewer will understand that you might not have enough money to own an expensive suit, but there is no excuse for shabby and unclean clothes. Dont forget your shoes!

7. Not being enthusiastic no one wants to employ someone who appears bored, inattentive and answers all questions curtly. Maintain eye contact, greet the interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake and show common courtesy. Don't be afraid to display your passion for the job and industry. Answer questions as fully as you can and be confident.

8. Not listening - Focus on the question that is being asked and don't try to anticipate the next one. It's acceptable to pause and collect your thoughts before answering a question. If you dont understand the question, then ask for clarification by saying my understanding is. Pay special attention to technical or work related questions that are related to the job specification. The interviewer may have provided information you will need to answer the question earlier in the conversation. Employers will be looking for your ability to assimilate new information, retain it, and, most importantly, recognize that information as useful to you later in the interview.

9. Not marketing yourself correctly - define yourself and map your skills to those that the job spec/advert are requiring. Know your major strengths and accomplishments as they relate to the job you are applying for. Use your answers and questions you ask to make you stand our and be memorable to your interviewer. If you have an unusual hobby, job experience or skill, then bring this up naturally. This is not the time to name drop though. Be careful that you do not make the interviewer feel inadequate or uncomfortable.

10. Being impolite remember your interviewer maybe your future boss! Dont sit down until asked, ask to take of your jacket if hot, say thank you to offers of refreshment etc. Express your interest towards the job you are interested in and thank them for their time. Even if you end up not being interested in the job anymore, you can never know if that person cant become a great contact person for you. If you obtained an interview from an agency, then also ring them back promptly and advise them of your interest in the role.

Good Luck with getting the job you deserve!

Lee Lister

Lee Lister is Management Consultant and Program Manager with more than 25 year's management and consultancy experience and more than 20 year's program and project management experience in projects for Banking, Finance, Insurance, Leisure and Government bodies. She also have more than 10 years bid management experience ranging from bids for medium companies to large international and infrastructure bids.

British born, Lee received her BA(Hons) Financial Economics from the University of Essex. She went on to work in or for a considerable number of countries within Asia and Europe as well as Australia and the United States. While building a name for herself through helping company restructure, change management and project management consultancy, Lee became a well-known figure for her skills in analyzing, problem solving and trouble-shooting. She has consulted for many major industries, including banking, telecommunications, insurance, transportation, leisure and governments from many different countries. Some of the companies who have benefited from Lee?s expertise are Hewlett Packard, Siemans Nixdorf, Electrolux and the Philippines government.

Whilst working in the Far East she became a recognized expert on preparing and evaluating large World Bank Proposals (infrastructure projects within developing countries). These accomplishments called upon the skills of bid and project management, risk assessment, contract negotiation and supplier management and required dedicated work to very tight time scales. This expertise was acknowledged by an invitation to be the principle speaker at an International Business Development Conference in Washington, USA. She has also consulted at very senior level in several countries.

She owns and manages two companies, Biz Guru LLC in the USA and Biz Guru Services Ltd in the UK as well a considerable number of profitable web sites. She works almost entirely via the internet, visiting clients on site during major consultancies and training. Her Internet skills span from when major companies first started to consider obtaining their own web sites. During these years, she has kept up to date with the rapid changes on the internet, including the dot com boom and the resulting bust ? which her own web based companies survived.

She regularly consults, writes and lectures on business, bid management and marketing and has published numerous courses and books.