Your interview profile is an easy way to get prepared for your interview and remind yourself of the things you should be expecting to encounter when you meet the organization's representative for the first time.

I find this a really useful way to prepare because a few years ago, a couple of my clients admitted to me that they had gone along to an interview with company A thinking that they were being interviewed at company B - not a great recipe for an interview.

Every organization has specific requirements that differ from one to another so it really is better to differentiate between the jobs you have applied for and use your interview profile to note the differences and prepare carefully for each one.

So use this chart and you won't end up confused like my clients were.

YOUR INTERVIEW PROFILE

Company/Organization:
Position applied for:
Date of interview:

What type of interview is it (e.g. panel, one-to-one, etc.)?

Who will be interviewing me?
Where will the interview be held?
How long will the interview last?
What will the interview involve? E.g. tests or a presentation

How did I get the interview?

direct application (responding to an advertisement);
speculative approach (sending CVs to target companies);
networking and developing contacts;
via a recruitment consultant;
via the internet.

RESEARCHING THE ORGANIZATION

Researching

researching the organisation;
researching the position itself;
finding out more about the interview format;
find out who will be interviewing you if possible.

Preparing

preparing what to say about yourself;
preparing for common interview questions;
preparing for technical interview questions;
preparing what to ask about the job requirements;

Planning

planning what to wear (check their dress code);
planning what to take (CV, application letter, other documents);
planning how to get there (directions and map).

What You Need To Research

What does the organisation do?
What are the organisation's size, structure and locations?
What are its products and services?
What is its market position and competitors?
What is its organisational strategy? (where is it going?)
What is its financial position?
Who are the key players within the organisation?

When your use your interview profile in this way to prepare for your interview, you are leaving nothing to chance. You are sure that the important issues have been covered and you won't be floundering for answers when you go to your interview and you can be sure that the interviewers will recognise that you have taken the trouble to prepare properly.

Peter Fisher is a Career Coach and Webmaster for Your Career Change a comprehensive careers website where you can download your free Interview Strategies http://www.your-career-change.com/your-interview-profile.html document and learn the best ways to prepare for your interview.