Preparing for an interview? Feeling nervous? Read our top tips for presenting your personality and its strengths at their very best.

So you’ve applied for a brand new job, your CV had all the right requirements and you’re through to the next step – you’ve been called for an interview.

This is the part of your career journey which can be the most daunting – when your CV and achievements come under heavy scrutiny from your potential employer and you’re worried about being put on the spot – but with a bit of confidence and some solid preparation there’s no reason you won’t sail through your interview with flying colours.

Below are our top ten tips for interviews to help you get ready….

1. Articulate your achievements – with context. By all means say what you achieved, but remember to set it in context of business or team objectives. What was it that you personally contributed that made a crucial difference to an outcome?

2. Make sure you can discuss your achievements in detail with ease. That means having evidence ready that you can present or explain, with specific examples of what you did to ensure you succeeded.

3. Bring your strongest skills in to the conversation, and times where you excelled – the things that will stick in the mind of an interviewer are when you went above and beyond to add that extra value.

4. Do the less obvious homework. Everyone can read a website, but if you get chance, take the time to personally see or experience a company’s products or services for yourself. Find out about their competitors and get an understanding of their brand identity, history and USPs.

5. Be prepared to take a – modest – slice of humble pie. Interviewers will always be impressed by candidates who have enough self-awareness to point out the areas they need to work on.

6. Demonstrate when you have overcome challenges and performed under pressure.

7. Don’t underestimate the power of being likeable. If all else is equal, employers will choose the person they like the most.

8. Dress the part. Needless to say, give some thought to first impressions and make sure your outfit and overall appearance is smart and appropriate.

9. Have an awareness of how you respond when people have different views from you. Employers want to be reassured that their employees can be flexible and resilient with a mature approach.

10. Be genuine! It’s important that you bring the real you to the interview. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, don’t feel the need to hide it! Just make sure you speak with confidence and your communication will be open and clear.