To improve on your interview performance, treat every job interview as a learning opportunity. By reviewing your performance and getting interview feedback, you will perform better next time.

Prior to the interview

The learning process begins as soon as you get the call to invite you for an interview. Prepare yourself by anticipating commonly-asked questions and learning more about the company. Find out the nature of their business, their products or services, their organisational structure, the name of their key managers, and so forth. You can do this by browsing through their website or talking to friends who are currently working with the company.

During the Interview

Job interviews should be a two-way process. It is not just about the interviewer assessing your suitability. You should see it as an opportunity to assess the company and the position being offered. This will help you make an informed decision about joining the company if you are eventually offered the job.

Ask relevant questions during the interview, such as:

• What are your requirements for the ideal candidate for this job?
• How well do you see me fitting into this position?

Remember to raise these questions only towards the end of the interview. Otherwise, you will create the impression that you are assuming yourself to be the right candidate.

Make A List

Always take note of all the job applications that you have sent out. If you think you might forget, make a list of the company names, the contact persons' names and the positions that you applied for respectively. This will avoid embarrassing and awkward moments when your potential employers call you for the first or subsequent interviews. Avoid the situation where you have to ask the caller which position you have applied to with their company.

Conduct a Self-Assessment

No matter how well you thought you performed as an interviewee, go through the interview session in your head. Be very honest with yourself in answering these questions: What went well and what didn't? Did you develop a rapport with the interviewer? Did you link your answers to suitable examples of what you have done in the past? Did you highlight your strengths? Were you relaxed?

Follow-up Calls

If you do not hear any news regarding the interview with your potential employer, you could make follow-up calls. This will show that you are very keen in the job. However, do not call too often as this will be a turn off to busy hiring managers.

Write a thank-you note

A thank-you note to the interviewer shows consideration and allows you to confirm your interest in the job. It also opens another opportunity to highlight your strengths and to address anything you did not get across during the interview.

Request for feedback session

If you were rejected by your potential employer, politely request for a feedback session with their HR department or the recruitment firm that arranged the interview for you. Explain to them that your objective is not to challenge the company's decision of not hiring you. Rather, you are genuinely looking for useful feedback that will help you improve on your performance in future interviews. If your request is turned down, do not push for it. It is often difficult to get interview feedback from companies. Besides having many candidates to attend to, hiring managers may not be able to offer feedback as it is against their company policy to do so due to confidentiality reasons.

Make full use of the feedback session

When granted with a feedback session, be friendly and courteous. Besides taking notes, prepare a list of questions beforehand to find out what they thought your style was like in the interview, that is, if you appeared friendly, over-confident or unclear. Remember that the interviewer is a busy person, so try to be concise and do not drag the feedback session longer than necessary.

Make constructive use of feedback

Analyse the feedback given critically. Adjust the areas that need improvement. Do you need to have better examples to illustrate your skills and achievements? Do you need to change your style to ensure clarity in communication?

Keep trying

If you didn't get the job, always remember: you may not have necessarily done anything wrong in the interview. There was just someone else the company believed to be more suitable for the position. Continue to place yourself out there and keep sending your applications for other jobs. Always bear in mind what you have learned from previous interviews.

You are nervous. Your voice is croaky and your hands are sweaty. So far the interview has not gone as you have planned. If you are starting to think that this is the end, you are wrong. You still have a chance to get that job.

You can control one component of an interview by asking questions about the role and the company. By asking intelligent questions, you are showing the interviewer that despite experiencing interview jitters, you do not lack knowledge or enthusiasm. You should elaborate on your previous experience and show your interest in the role.

Here are some questions that you could ask towards the end of the interview:

• How do you see me fitting into this role? By asking this question, you would be able to roughly determine how well or how badly you have done for the interview.
• Do you have any feedback on my resume or on this interview? Is there any room for improvement? Acknowledge that the interviewer is the expert in this area.
• What is the company's vision? What is the company's direction for the next 2 to 5 years? Asking these questions will show the interviewer that you want to be part of the company's long-term vision.
• What is the dynamics of this position? How will this position contribute to the company? Do not ask these questions if the hiring manager has already shared some information about this earlier in the interview process.

It is also worthwhile to ask specific questions related to the industry that the company is in. For example, if you were going for a job in the tourism industry, you could say that while the tourism industry is currently benefiting from recent events held in the country, how does the organization itself see the future of the industry?

Be observant throughout the interview and try to understand that type of personality the interviewer looks for in a candidate. For example, the interviewer may mention that the ideal candidate for the job is someone aggressive, focused and no-nonsense. Conversely, she could be emphasizing on a warm and friendly personality. Understanding this would enable you to position your questions and responses accordingly.

The use of body language is important in creating a favourable impression to interviewers. Through appropriate body language, candidates could demonstrate their confidence, personality and interest in the job. Here are a few tips on using non-verbal cues to enhance your performance at interviews.

Your appearance

Nonverbal communication includes your personal appearance -- what you wear says a lot about you so be sure to pick an appropriate, professional attire for the interview. As a rule of thumb, it is always best to appear formal; this means a jacket for ladies, a shirt and tie for men, and no loud prints. You can afford to be a little more creative if you are applying for a "creative type" position (e.g. in advertising, fashion, design, etc).

Pre-interview impression

Be wary of your body language while in the waiting room or reception area. Pacing the room nervously, sitting slumped in a chair or frowning at the receptionist can all work against you.

A smile, a handshake and good manners

A warm smile and a firm handshake is a great way to start the interview. Watch your manners -- do not sit until the interviewer invites you to and have your mobile phone switched off before you enter the room. Remember to stand and sit upright as slouching will give the impression that you are not interested in the job or that you are a sloppy worker.

Facial expressions

Your facial expressions play a big part in projecting a good impression, so be sure to look interested by maintaining good eye contact, smiling and nodding appropriately while you listen to the interviewer. Avoid staring, squinting or glancing away as flitting eye movements can be distracting.

Your arms and hands

If you are sitting across the table from the interviewer, it is advisable to place your hands on your lap. Use appropriate hand gestures to support what you are saying; for example, an open palm gesture is commonly regarded as a sign of openness and sincerity. Do not cross your arms around your chest as this is a strong sign of defensiveness.

Unconscious gestures

Be wary of 'unconscious' actions like fidgeting in your seat, shaking your legs under the table, biting your nails, touching your hair, fiddling with your ring/earrings or constantly glancing at your watch. Not only are these gestures distracting, they give the impression that you are nervous, uninterested or in a hurry to get out of the interview.

Private space

Studies on proxemics or the use of space suggest that all of us have an invisible 'bubble' around us -- we become uncomfortable when other people invade this personal space. Always respect the personal space of your interviewers. Avoid standing or sitting too close to them as this might annoy them or make them feel awkward. Likewise, do not touch their personal belongings, e.g. paper weights or stationery.

Appropriate gestures and facial expressions are important factors towards a successful job interview and securing that dream job. However, body language alone cannot deliver the desired results; it must be supported with enough 'substance' to convince the interviewer to hire you.

You need to prepare for the interview by obtaining information about the company and the job. You also have to communicate your experience and skills clearly and convincingly to the interviewer. The right knowledge, confidence, clear communication and positive body language should all come together to create success in job interviews.

1. Lack of preparation

The most obvious blunder is coming to an interview unprepared. No matter how hard you try, nothing will conceal the fact that you have not bothered to read up about the company and the position that you are being interviewed for. Always make sure you do your homework; otherwise you will appear clueless and unable to ask intelligent questions.

2. Poor non-verbal communication

Beware of non-verbal cues that can work against you. Poor eye contact, a limp handshake, slouching and fidgeting will all demonstrate a lack of confidence and poise. Make sure that you guard yourself from showing such negative body language.

3. Dressing inappropriately

Dressing too casually or in a flamboyant manner is likely to leave a poor first impression. It is always safe to stick with conservative business attire. Keep accessories minimal and tasteful. Pay attention to personal grooming: ensure that your hair is neat, your fingernails are clean and your breath is fresh.

4. Not knowing your resume well

Not remembering what you have written in your resume can lead to an interview flop. The interviewer will be suspicious of your credentials if what you say and what you wrote do not tally, so always remember to review your resume before attending an interview.

5. Being arrogant

There is a difference between discussing one's achievements and bragging about them. Some candidates cross that line and appear arrogant. Others may brag about achievements that are not even relevant to the position. There are also candidates who state exceptionally high salary expectations without first understanding what the market is currently offering, and immediately turn down job offers that do not match their expectations.

6. Being negative

Complaining about your ex-colleagues and bad-mouthing your ex-employer is not a way to impress the interviewer. Always keep a professional approach. If you have specific reasons why you left the company, explain in an objective and tactful manner.

7. Talking too much

Interviewers are turned off by candidates who provide unnecessary information, are long-winded and do not know when to stop. Always be concise and focused when answering interview questions.

8. Not listening attentively

There are instances when candidates are not able to answer questions correctly due to poor listening. There are others who are too caught up with memorised responses that they fail to listen carefully to what the interviewer is asking. Always concentrate on what is being asked.

9. Not asking the right questions

When candidates fail to ask about the job description, duties and career prospects, interviewers will start to wonder if they are truly interested in the job. The other blunder is to ask about salary and benefits before the interviewer brings up the subject.

10. Giving up too easily

Even if the interview does not seem to go very well, don't give up. Maintain your composure and try to answer the subsequent questions as well as you can. You may not be suitable for that particular position but you'd still want to be viewed as a good candidate worthy of consideration for other vacancies.