So you had a good covering letter and an impressive CV and you got the interview. What now? From the moment you know you have got an interview you should be preparing. You need to outshine the other applicants and promote yourself as the top person for the job.

Here are some helpful tips to get you fully prepared for your interview. The rest is up to you.

Preparation
In order to enter the interview room in a confident and authoritative manner you need to be well prepared. Spend some time researching the company you are being interviewed by, if you know who will be interviewing you find out some information on them as well. You can look at the corporate pages on this site for more information or look at the company's own web-site. Industry magazines such as Property Week and Building will also be a good source of information as to what projects the company has been working on. Don't overload yourself with information, just have what you need to make informed comments and ask intelligent questions in the interview.

Don't forget to do some research on yourself, work over your CV and prepare some answers to questions they are likely to raise.

Getting to the interview
ALWAYS be on time, don't ruin all your hard work by getting there late, hot and flustered - there are no excuses.

Make sure you have clean, smart and conservative interview clothes on. Polish your shoes, brush your hair and if you need to, have a shave. It's the first impression so make it count, they very rarely get changed.

Know exactly where you are going for the interview the date and time, work out how long it will take you to get there and if need be, make a practice run. Aim to arrive early and go to a coffee shop to gather your thoughts and settle yourself down. Arrive at the building 5 - 10 mins before your interview time. This will allow you to check in at reception and to look over any promotional material the company may have before your interviewer comes to meet you.

The Interview
Offer a firm handshake to your interviewer/s look them in the eye, without staring, and address them by their correct name/ title.

Remember the interview is for you to see if you like the company as much as it is for them to see if you are suitable.

Once in the interview room your body language is a huge factor in how you come across. Make sure you are comfortable and place your bag or briefcase on the floor beside you. Don't cross your legs and don't play with your hands, hair or anything else within reach. Sit slightly forward in the chair and keep eye contact with whoever is speaking. If you are speaking make sure you address all your interviewers. When being given information nod and Mmm so that the interviewer/s know that you are listening.