When I say BIG Interview it is nothing but your IDEAL JOB or IDEAL COMPANY!!!
Before you go in for a BIG interview you have to be very well organised and very well planned as we all know. But quite often lot of people forget to write things down about their plan and how they want to present themselves for the interview. Most people say that its a waste of time writing everything down and they can keep their plan in their mind. It's a matter of fact that it won't take no more than 5 minutes to prepare your plan. If you vision your interview plan properly it will be very easy for you to drive the interview by you rather than the interviewers.
At the end of the day interview is nothing but sharing information, ideas and more importantly selling your skills to the interview panel.
Interview Tips:
Preparation - Do some research in the employer's website and learn about what they do, who their clients are, what their current project is, what is their turn-over etc. And when they ask you what do you know about the company, you can mention these which will then show them that you have spent some good time researching about them.
Possible questions - Try to get together a list of questions you come up with about the company during your research and write them down.
Better be on-time - It is always better you arrive the interview venue at least 10 or 15 minutes before your interview time. It will then give you a lot of breathing space and you can relax for few minutes by sitting in the reception or in the cafe. As a worst case scenario if you're running late you better give them a call and let them know that you are running late. They will then be prepared for it.
First Impression is the best impression - Smart professional attire. A good handshake has to be firm and gentle with a SMILE on your face. Ask them how their day has gone so far and try to build the rapport right from your handshake to make you both comfortable.
Spare CV's with you - Always have spare CV's (4 or 5 CV's) with you to present to the interview panel. They wont be expecting this and you can impress them. Also they will remember you even after the interview.
Be Specific in what you speak and convey across the board - As you know communication is a two way thing, you will also need to let them give their comments as well. Also don't talk too much, be specific in what you want to convey.
Have valid reason for leaving your previous employer - This is something you really need to focus on. You should not criticize your previous employer as well and try to talk about their achievement's, what you have learnt from them etc. It is always better to focus on their positive aspects.
Interview Feedback - Ask for the feedback right after the interview whether it is a positive or negative feedback. If it is a positive feedback ask for the job (other words ask them "when do you want me to start"), it is a negative feedback (appreciate them for providing that feedback and also let them know "it is quite useful for me to focus on that area because I am a sort of person learn from my mistakes").
Salary Question - In my experience I have found many candidates have struggled with their salary question and also one of the most trickiest question once you get through your technical round. Most of the companies test the candidates interest about the role & the company with this question by just asking his salary expectation.
The best way to handle this question is not to mention any salary figures to them and its better to tell them that "Good question but to be honest I am more interested in this specific opportunity and I am not salary focused. I am sure companies like XXX will pay me the right salary for my skill set which goes in line with all the other engineers within the organisation".
Even if they insist you to give any sort of figures just tell them that "I am getting XXX per annum. You have analysed my skills for the past couple of hours and its up to you to decide on my salary front".
Don't forget to sell your skills - Last but not the least, if you want your ideal job or if you want to get in to your ideal company you really have to sell your skills right after the interview. Give them a summary of what you have gone through out the interview and tell them that you are the ideal candidate for the job.
Thank everyone - Thank everyone who interviewed you for spending their time with you. Tell them that you have learned something and enjoyed through out the conversation. don't forget to get their business cards or email address etc.
Email everyone who interviewed you - After coming home email everyone who interviewed you by saying many thanks for their time and you really enjoyed the conversation etc and also express your interest about the role once again. Also if you have not answered any question during the interview just go back via email with your answer saying "I was thinking about the question asked by XXX through out my travel and I came up with this answer so I just thought of putting my comments in to it etc" . By this way you can still impress them that you're really looking forward for some positive result.
Good Luck!!!
Tips for Job Seekers