There is so much information available on interviews these days, but let me share some tips from experience...

I have been on many many interviews in my time...many good and many bad! Let me share a bit with you. I'll briefly outline one very bad experience with you, and then one good one...

Once I had an interview in for a Application Developer role. I had to drive about 25 miles to get to the company. I left out in good time, mapped out a route from my home. However I made a few wrong turns shortly after I started driving. The thing is, I wasn't familiar with the area. I soon started feeling anxious, getting rather angry. By the time I got to my destination, I was about 10 minutes late...driving around the town like a crazy man looking for a parking spot. I wanted to urinate as well...disaster! The interview wasn't a shambles. I could hardly answer any of the technical questions. I wasn't relaxed or confident. No surprise, I didn't get that one!

A good experience for me though was when I went for a well-paying role in the City of London, working for a financial giant. I was on time, confident, relaxed, and prepared. I got the job, and stayed in that contract role for nearly 18 months.

Let me share a few points with you. I don't want to give you the same old advice you would get on another site or from a recruitment agent. Here goes...

• Know you CV - In nearly all interviews I have attended, I have been asked to give a summary/run-down of my CV. Make sure you are clear about what your responsibilities and accomplishments have been for each role you have worked in, and the skills you used/developed. If you can do this confidently and smoothly, you will come across very well.

• Know Yourself - Do an audit of yourself, and be honest. What is it you really want to achieve? What are your strengths and weaknesses. How can you contribute to the success of the team you will be joining? Are you quiet and reserved, or outgoing? You have to be honest about who you are, because whether you like it or not, the person who interviews you will usually be able to get a feel of the 'real you' not necessarily what you think you are portraying to them.

• Before you go to the interview, imagine how you want things to go. One thing I like to do that makes me feel relaxed, is to briefly visualise the process of getting to the interview and the interview itself. I visualise myself being relaxed, confident, and not stuttering. I imagine or play out in my mind how I will respond to difficult questions, and make a mental note of body language etc. This is very good for me and hope it helps you too. 

• Try and make the interview conversational. Some people see interviews as something to be dreaded. I was like that once too. However, the more interviews I attended, the more I realised that the interview process is the meeting of two equal parties. By this I mean that although you may go into the interview wanting the job, there is also the possibility of your view about the job changing once you go to the company and see what is what. Therefore, the interview is your chance to find out about the job and company etc. Therefore in a way, you can interview the interviewer a bit. You should go in wanting to find out about the role, company, people you are working with etc. With this information, you will be in a position to really know if the job is what you want. Trust me, I have gone into interviews, done well at them, but was actually not want the job...even when offered to me.

• Get some 'interview practice'. Before the big day, if possible, get someone close to you  to give you a 'mock interview'. This has been really helpful for me. On several occasions I have asked my wife to interview me the night before the real thing. It can really be beneficial. She tells me how I am coming across and areas I need to improve in...for example 'honey you need to smile more' or 'honey, keep your head up'. It is really good if you can get someone to help you out in a similar manner.