N.B PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME TO READ THESE NOTES, THEY CAN BE OF HELP TO EVEN THE MOST EXPERIENCED OF INTERVIEWEES

1) Research the company and always have questions to ask regarding the company. Remember, the owner of the company or even the Managing Director will always want to talk about themselves and the company.

2) Ask questions about the role and what type of person they are looking for, early in the meeting. For example, if you go off on tangents as to what a wonderful talent you are in Store Management and they are looking for a high calibre Area Manager then they are not going to be impressed. Find out what their problems are and therefore what skills this person is going to need and then convince them that you have these attributes and you are the person who can solve their problems and drive the business forward. Address yourself to their needs as they see them.

3) Have your questions written down if necessary. Remember you need to get as much out of the meeting as they do. It also shows that you are interested in their company and the job.

4) Close them! Ask them what reservations they have about you being able to do the job. You may find that they think that you are weak in a particular area when you are actually not. They may not have listened to you correctly or you may not have explained yourself clearly. This gives you the opportunity to ask for another meeting or even for the job if they do not have any reservations.

5) If you find that you want the job at any stage during the interview(s), don't waste time, the world is full of people who sit waiting for the telephone to ring or that "dreaded" letter in the post. By going after the job you will be displaying the kind of attributes an employer is looking for, a proactive "go getter". In the employers eyes you will be an action orientated person. The chances are that your competitors will still be waiting for the post or the telephone to ring when you already have the job.

6) Do not discuss money, that is what we are here for. If you are the first to mention a salary figure that you are looking for, you will do one of two things (a) You will never know what they were prepared to offer you, it might have been more than you asked for. (b) You might blow your chances for the sake of £50 a month, the employer would lose face by having to offer you less than you asked for. Either way you are the one that loses. Remember, we know what you are looking for and we will endeavour to negotiate a package that you are happy with. If they do ask you the question, refer them to us, it is what we are paid for!

7) Always show an interest in the company and the position, never give any negative vibes, even if you have a few reservations. You can always turn down a second meeting or an offer of employment if it is not right. But if you say no before an offer is made then you will never know what that offer was going to be, it could have been significantly better than was anticipated by you and us.

8) During your meeting if an offer is not made then ask for one, they may surprise you and say yes. If an offer is made and it is unacceptable, then say you would like 24 hours to think about it and let us know. It may be that we can fine tune it, so that it is mutually acceptable to the both of you. Never say no to an employer, that is our job.

9) If you are interested in taking it to the next stage then immediately put pen to paper or E-mail them thanking them for their time and letting them know that you are very interested and would love to meet with them again to discuss it further. Remember you are a "headhunted" candidate and not an "agency candidate", you are not desperate for a job but exploring the opportunity that they have on offer. Imagine what you would think if you received a letter the next day from somebody you had interviewed, you would be impressed. An "agency" candidate will not send a letter or E-mail - BE "ONE STEP" AHEAD

10) Be no time, but no more than 10 minutes early. If you are going to be more than 5 minutes late then ring ahead and let them know why.

11) Give a firm handshake, make eye contact during the handshake.

12) Maintain eye contact throughout the meeting

13) SMILE!.demonstrate a positive attitude, your belief in your ability and project your personality through smiling. A "cold fish" rarely makes it into a second interview.

14) Do not interrupt, never step in on the end of an interviewers statements or questions, let them finish

15) Maintain good posture, lean slightly forward in you chair and never rock back.

16) Have a professional appearance, dress conservatively in a business suit, have a fresh haircut, shiny shoes etc…. Remember Retailing is a relatively small world and it will benefit you to impress everybody you meet in the industry

17) CV, bring a clean, professional copy of your CV with you, in case you are asked for one (if you are not sure about your CV then ask us). We always provide the client with a profile on you, but they may have misplaced it just before the interview. You know how it is!

18) "Tell me about yourself", if you are asked this question, respond, where would you like me to begin.

19) If you carry anything into the meeting e.g. briefcase or purse/handbag, place it n the floor by your chair and not on your lap or the desk.

20) Be prepared to answer questions with answers like I planned, created, originated, initiated, developed, conceived, implemented, formulated, organised, directed, led, supervised, guided, managed, was responsible for, contributed to, demonstrated, reduced, achieved and increased. Always have facts and figures readily to hand, that can quantify your achievements.

IF YOU HAVE GOT THIS FAR THEN THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, YOU ARE INDEED SOMEONE WHO PAYS ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND WANTS TO SUCCEED IN YOUR CHOSEN CAREER AND PROBABLY WILL.

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