You're ready for your next interview, you want to get ahead of the game, and you want to make a good impression. Then read these 12 tips on how to make a good impression at your next interview. 

1. Do your homework!

There are lots of people that go to interviews having done some cursory research. Anyone and everyone will be able to get hold of a few stats and a bio of the company they are going to see, all of this is available on their website. To beat the competition you need to go one better. 

If you are going for s senior position or managerial post, and the company you are interviewing with is off a large size or has floated on the stock exchange, then they will be obliged to make available to the public lots of useful pieces of information about the company. These can usually be found on their website, and take the form of an 'annual report to shareholders'. In these reports you will find all the information you require to pose some well rounded and intelligent questions in your interview. 

If you are going for entry level roles, then simply ramp up your research spend longer doing it, look at the types of product the company deals with, what target market they are involved in, what they are doing on their Facebook page. Do your research make some notes, and then ask the right questions. 

2. What is the company news?

Keep up with company news, have a look at their blogs, twitter feeds, Facebook posts and see what sets that company aside in terms of their ethos. Once you cut through all the standard stuff that is largely industry based, you will get to the nub of what a company stands for. You might interview for one firm who sets their sights on being part of the community, of being the go to company for the discerning customer. To another company it could all be about the bottom line, money talks! 

Go into the interview preaching the wrong thing to the wrong person and you could quickly talk yourself out of a job, so think about the company you are going to see and who you might be sitting in front off. 

3. What is on your Facebook page?

Most CEO's and Director's will check the Facebook page of potential candidates, we live in the social media age and HR managers and company executives are tapping into the plethora of information that is available to them. 

Get ahead of your competitors by checking what is on your Facebook page. If you are going for an interview with a fitness company then having a Facebook page that clearly shows you as someone who takes fitness seriously is going to be more preferable than a page filled with numerous nights out with your friends. 

Companies expect people to have social life's, but they also want to employ people who will take the job seriously and show a good attitude towards life and those around them. Make sure your Facebook page is pitching the right balance. 

4. Pick your time wisely!

It isn't always the case that you can choose what time you interview, but if you are one of the early ones being contacted for a days session, then its likely that the interviewee may have five or six free slots. If the luxury of either picking a time, or giving some time slots you are free, is on the cards then do so wisely. 

Pick a time that suits you, one that will show you at your best. If you are not a morning person, then don't (unless you have too) arrange to meet someone at 8.30am ten miles away from where you live. The most important thing is to arrive at an interview on time, stress free and ready to show that person the best version of you that there is, this can only be done when you feel in tip top condition. 

5. Tell them about YOU!

A very common question that will come up in interview after interview will be "tell me a bit about yourself".

Most answers tend to take the form of people talking about their work achievements or the previous companies they work for, describing themselves as 'a hardworking career estate agent', or a 'dedicated and loyal employee'. This isn't what the question is asking, and is not what potential employers want to hear. 

They want to hear about YOU, that's why they have asked you to talk about YOU? They want to know what defines you, where you come from, what makes you happy and what motivates you. They cannot find this out by you talking about your previous job roles. Talk about what you like doing, where you grew up, what your parents did, what your morals are, what you believe in and what makes you different from everyone else. 

6. Wear a subtle fashion statement

You need to dress smartly and appropriately for an interview, there is no doubt about that. First impressions are hugely important and being inappropriately dressed for the job role you are interviewing for is a huge no no. However, there is no reason why you cannot add your own personal touch to your smart outfit. Your beliefs and your heritage are what define you, so don't be afraid to show it, if you are off Italian descent and are proud of it, then why not show it off with a Italian lapel pin or an Italian brooch. 

A simple scarf, tie pin or a badge supporting a charity you proudly back will not only show off who you are but could also be an important conversation starter. The person interviewing you will likely mention your item and seek to find out some more information. This then becomes your perfect opportunity to show off your personality and what sets you aside from other candidates. 

7. What is your weakness?

This is commonly the most poorly answered question by candidates, and ask anyone employer who has interviewed many candidates and they will point to this as being one of their 'pet hates' in the interview process. The problem is and what becomes very frustrating is that candidates have no ability or willingness to answer the question truthfully.

Instead they seek to try and turn one of their strengths into a weakness, such as "To be honest, my main weakness is the fact that I am a perfectionist" or "I want to win so badly that I sometimes upset those around me". These are not weaknesses, they are bi-products of your strengths. 

Prepare yourself for this question and be honest. Better examples of weaknesses are;

1. I struggle to hold successful meetings. 
2. I don't have a great ability to put thoughts down on paper. 
3. My maths is really not my strong point. 
4. I am not a designer or a creator, I prefer to get on and do, not think or create. 
5. I cannot talk in front of big crowds. 
6. My presentation skills are poor. 

If you are going for a sales job, don't tell someone you can't sell or are afraid to use the phone. Likewise if you are want to be a designer, best not tell a potential employer that you can not draw. Aside from these obvious exceptions, be honest about your weaknesses, it will at the very least set you apart from the other candidates, and also surprise the interviewer. 

8. Create some P.A.R anecdotes. 

Your interviewer may be seeing anywhere from 5-100 people for the role you are applying for, so standing out is very important. One of the best ways of doing this is by keeping conversation interesting with anecdotes. These are also the things that the interviewer will remember most about the interview, the more jovial moments, or the compelling stories that piqued their interest. 

One way of making sure you talk about relevant anecdotes and keeping them on track is to create some in your mind following the P.A.R principle;

1. Problem - What was the situation?
2. Action - How did you solve it?
3. Result - What changed afterwards?

Sticking to these rules helps you keep your stories on track and relevant. 

9. Think out loud!

You will undoubtedly be asked some very difficult questions in your interview, this is how employers differentiate between candidates, by pushing them into uncomfortable areas or by asking them questions that require a certain level of thought processing. 

What many candidates fail to realise is that these questions are more to do with the process of answering than the answer itself. 

If you are asked "how many basketballs would it take to fill this room" or "how many valuations will this company do in a year", then simply blurting out 10 or 10,000 after twenty seconds of silent thought isn't going to help you. 

The reason being is that you are not going to know the actual answer, they are both 'best guess' questions, so the process of how you guess is more important than the answer. Take the valuation question. If you thought out loud as you were answering, you might say the following;

"If you have fifty offices, some of these offices might do around 15 valuation per month, so may do around 50, so at best guess I would argue that around 30 is a sensible average for each office. If each office does roughly thirty per month, then the company does around 1,500 per month or approximately 18,000 per year"

even if the answer was 10,000 and not 18,000 the interviewer will have listened to your methodical approach and noted the sensible way in which you went about answering the question. If you just blurted out 18,000 and the answer is 10,000, then you are simply wrong, with no working out to back you up. 

10. Ask questions that cover more than one base.

When you get the opportunity to ask questions think about how they come across and take the opportunity to ask questions that open up the opportunity for you to talk about your skills or who you are. 

As an example, you might be interested in training, there could be two ways of doing this. 

1. Do you do training?
2. In my last role I went on external training courses such as 'how to be a good leader' and 'effective sales people', is this something you also offer.

The first question simply looks like you need training, but not specifically on what, which would alarm the interviewer. The second tells them something about your experience, and shows that you are keen to advance and learn, but NOT that you think you know everything already.  It's the same question, just asked in two completely different ways. 

11. The final question?

You now have one final chance to make a solid impression with the interviewer in person, the last thing you discuss needs to be bold and needs to separate you apart from those who have also interviewed, one way is to ask this question. 

"Have I said anything in this interview or given you any other reason to doubt that I am a good fit for the role?"

If the interviewer says no, at the very least you have been bold and pushed the envelope and also ended the interview on a succinct and plosive note. You will be remembered for this. If the answer is yes, then it gives you an opportunity that you otherwise would not have had, to address any concerns that they might have. In many ways it is a win win. 

12. Email a personalised thank you!

Within the next 24 hours send a personalised email to the person who interviewed you or the team that interviewed you, along the following lines. 

"Dear David and Helen, thanks so much for taking the time to meet with me yesterday, I was so impressed by your company and I wanted to convey to you how keen I am to join your company. I wish you all the best of luck in the future with your many projects. Regards, Sharon. "

This shows you're keen, that you are polite, conscientous, but above all else it opens the door for future dialogue with the company. Just make sure you send a copy to your recruiter to make sure they are in the loop with any communications you are having, so that they don't either contradict you are cover old ground.