having the right foot to put forward
Have you ever come out of an interview and said, ‘Damn it, I should have told them about that!’
Preparing for an interview is critical to performing well and making sure you have everything you need to ‘put your best foot forward’.
Look at the job and person specification and make a list of all the skills, experience and personal qualities they are looking for. Then think about the things you’ve done that demonstrate you have those skills, experience and qualities.
Think back on the various jobs you’ve had as well as things you’ve done in your community. Think about your achievements and successes. For example you may have taken on a role in a sporting club or on your child’s school council that demonstrates you have a certain skill. You could have solved a problem in your workplace or introduced something new that achieved good results. You may have led a project that had a great outcome. Once you start thinking about it you’ll realise you’ve done a lot of things you could use to demonstrate your worth to a prospective employer.
Then go back to the original list you made. Under each heading, list your examples to demonstrate the skill, experience or quality. Short bullet points are best. You just need enough information to jog your memory about the example you can give.
Take the list to your interview and have it beside you so you can refer to it. No one is going to think badly of you because you have some notes. On the contrary, they will see that you care enough about getting the job to have done some preparation. And someone who plans and prepares is a good person to employ.