More than fifty percent of another person's perception of you is based on how you look and therefore your appearance is crucial to making a good impression. Pay particular attention to your shoes. Managers, especially those who have been in the military, can determine a lot by looking at your shoes.

What to wear for a job interview has to be researched by doing a good job interview preparation. These tips can guide you but are not applicable in all situations.

General tips on what to wear for a job interview for both man and women:

• Be conservative. Conservative is best for the interview regardless of the dress code at the organization.
• If you're unsure, call them and ask! Do not ask the HR manager. Asking the receptionist or an HR assistant is easier. If you are still unsure, go for a conservative look.
• Well-groomed hair style.
• Clean, trimmed finger nails.
• Minimal cologne or perfume.
• No visible body piercing.
• No gum, candy or cigarettes.
• Wear one ring and limited jewellery.

What men should wear for a job interview:

• Conservative suit - two piece suit & tie, conservative & solid color.
• Long sleeve shirt.
• Avoid bow ties. Wear a conservative tie.
• Dark shoes & dark socks.
• Avoid beards & mustaches. (if you cannot help the moustache, make sure it is well trimmed).
• Get a hair cut. A short and conservative style is best.
• Do not wear any earrings.

What women should wear for a job interview:

• Avoid dresses.
• Shoes should have conservative heels.
• Use a briefcase rather than a purse.
• Conservative nail polish.
• Minimal use of make up.
• Limit jewellery to one wedding ring and one set of earrings.

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What You Should Know!

To improve career salary negotiations you have to research, plan, communicate and act.

What is your bargaining position? Your strengths, weaknesses and achievements. Learn about your competition.

Negotiate your career salary after you are convinced that you have mentioned all your positives. You have to negotiate when your interviewer is interested in hiring you.

From your research you should know more about :

• Maturity of the company (startup, developing, constant).
• Pay scales within the company and organizational structure.
• Profitability of the company.
• What qualifications and experience are the norm for this career.
• Unemployment rate in this industry.
• Situation of the industry in which this company works.
• General economy situation.
  

Your bargaining points on the career salary:

• Other similar vacancies.
• Your unique experience and qualifications.
• How long can you stay out of a job.
• How many people are trying to pursue this career.

Know the interviewer:

• How important is this position for the company?
• How urgently do they need it filled?
• Who decided on the career salary you will be getting?

Knowledge is power. With the above information in your hands you can better negotiate your career salary. This information will also help in answering interview questions.

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Tips on how to prepare yourself with information and skills prior to a job interview.

• Allocate time to for the job interview preparation.
• Make a list of the basic things you would like to know.

Where and how to do your job interview preparation:

• Public Library
• Local Bookstore
• Access Books
• Journals
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Reference Materials
  

Tip: A lot of investor packs contain a lot of information for job seekers. Such information is excellent for preparing for job interviews.

Competitor's websites are also a good source of information for your job preparation. Try the following related search "related:[Web site Address]" in Google to see other related sites that might be competing with your interviewer.

Your network of contacts is an extremely useful resource to tap during your job interview preparation

• Alumni network
• Family members
• Friends
• Workers Unions
  

Your research for the job interview preparation should give you a better insight on

• The Job Description.
• What business the organisation is in.
• Hiring process procedures.
• Early experiences on the job.
• Corporate culture
• General Organisational Structure.
• History.
• Career paths.
• What to wear for a job interview.
• General knowledge about current state of industry.
• Protocols before and after the interview.
• The location of the interview.
• Size of organization
  
• Number of employees
• How long has the company being operating
• Are there any subsidiary companies involved in this company.
• Who are the major competitors of this company
• Who is the direct supervisor
• Information on your direct supervisor

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Some General Job Interview Tips

• Do not smoke, chew gum, or eat garlic beforehand.
• Wear suitable interview clothes.
• Take copies of your CV with you.
• Arrive on time for your job interview.
• Any applications handed before the interview begins, are to be filled in as accurately as possible, make sure they match the information in your Cv and Cover Letter.
• Always greet the interviewer by his/her last name and try to pronounce it correctly.
• Have a good firm handshake.
• Look alert and interested. Scan the room once and then keep your eyes on the interviewer.
• Wait until you are offered a chair before you sit down.
• Stress your achievements.
• Always conduct yourself professionally and if something beyond your control occurs, show a sense of humor.
• Be enthusiastic and show it in your replies and body language.
• Answer the interview question by more than a simple yes or no but try not to go over the 60 second limit.
• Avoid at all cost complaining about your current or former employer in your job interview.
• Do not answer questions about politics or religion if the job is completely unrelated.
• Do not raise salary discussions on your first interview - this is usually done on the second interview. Make sure you do your wage research before hand.

Your answer to the initial opening statements in the job interview are important, these are called "ice breakers".

Some times the interviewer will ask whether you had difficulty finding the company premises. Your answer should be brief and polite. The interviewer is merely being polite - if you had problems in finding the premises he/she doesn't need to know that.

Use replies such as

• I'm fine thank you, and you?
• I'm very well, thank you.

These replies express a careless attitude

• So, so
• OK
• Not so well

There are various kinds of interviews:

• One to One Job Interview
• Panel Job Interview
• Group Job Interview
• Phone Job Interview
• Lunch Job interview

Each job interview has it's own strategies and particular points one should be aware of.

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Some employers actively look for reasons not to employ you. It is easier to find flaws in a person and decide which candidates have the least, rather than compare their skills and achievements. This is why it is important to show them only weaknesses you want them to see.

In CV writing it is important to understand what will be considered to be a weakness in the job you are applying for. One job's weakness is another job's strength. A weakness or a perceived weakness by a recruiter can have a huge impact on your chance to be called for an interview.

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