It’s difficult to get job interview practice as it’s hard to re-create the pressure of being questioned by a stranger when there’s a valuable new job position at stake. However there are a number of things you can do to help you gain that extra bit of experience to make you feel more comfortable in those vital job interviews.

If you do have gaps in your employment history you should be re-assured that this quite common for most people and that it is not a factor that will hold you back when applying for new positions. You may feel uncomfortable with these out of work gaps because they may imply that for a period of time you were perhaps lazy, unproductive or a failure in some respect. In almost all cases this is not true and even if it is (for whatever reason) there are ways that your resume can be worded and organised to either mask these gaps or turn them into positive factors. In most instances a person’s work gaps are so minimal (a matter of months) that you can simply close the spaces by stretching the dates between employers so that each period of employment appears to have followed on from the next. If the gaps in your employment span many months or even years they may be too long to simply close. In this instance you will need to explain your gaps in meaningful terms which give the employer confidence that you are a mature individual and will be a willing, loyal employee.

During a job interview, an employer needs to make judgements about your personality which they couldn’t do purely from reading your resume. You need to be aware of issues they will be concerned about.

Here are the various aspects of a contract offer that you need to consider:

A huge portion of your waking life is spent at work. Therefore we all have a subconscious awareness of how important a job interview can be and the effect its outcome can have on your life.

It is essential you overcome any nerves and maintain a professional and confident approach. Here are some points to consider: