Quick tips

~ Mock interviews

A mock interview is a great way to anticipate questions as well your own responses to them.

~ Make a note of where you falter.

~ Get a friend to play the interviewer or rehearse in front of the mirror.

~ What if an interviewer is extra nasty to you? Or asks you particularly contorted questions?

Take it in your stride. There are times when people try and stress you out to see how you manage under stress.

In most cases, how you answer a question is more important than the answer itself.

The important thing is to keep your calm and answer in a matter-of-fact tone. Respect the interviewer but do not let him or her cower you down.

~ What if you do not know an answer?

If you have absolutely no clue, it is better to say so than give a really farfetched answer and look foolish.

Be sure not to do this with every second question though or you will certainly look ignorant.

On the other hand, if you are reasonably (but not 100 percent) sure or you know at least some information and can make a knowledgeable guess, go for it.

You could always preface your answer with a comment indicating you are not an expert or that you know a little but not everything about the subject.

Again, if you do this once too often, you will be labeled a 'bluff master' (Interviewers have been known to ask bizarre questions to which there are no answers just to find out how honest the person is. For instance, is Abracadabra a place in New Zealand or Australia?!).

The trick lies in figuring out which questions you can afford to take a guess on and to which questions you need to honestly confess ignorance.

In any kind of job, there will be situations where it is imperative that you be sure of the facts and there are situations where you will not be 100 percent sure. More often than not, this is what the interviewer is trying to gauge.

Last but not the least -- to minimise this situation, try and know most of what you need to know about the interview, your job profile and the company.