Be prepared

The best place to start is by finding out as much about the company as possible. Ring the company's marketing department and get them to send you a copy of the annual report. You don't have to be a whizz with figures. Use it to find useful nuggets of information that you can drop into conversation at your interview. Another good tip is to look up the company's website which is likely to be full of background information, history and up-to-date news. The more you know before your interview, the more confident you'll feel and appear.

Think of the questions you're likely to be asked and brainstorm some answers. One way to do this is by mind-mapping - a system developed by neuro-psychologist Tony Buzan in the 1970s, which recognises that we don't think in a linear way. In simple terms, it means taking a piece of paper and writing a central theme in the centre, out of which irradiate several little lines. Then, for each line write down a question that occurs to you and think about how you'd answer it positively.

It's also a good idea to get some practice under your belt. Ask your nearest and dearest to run through a mock interview with you and give you honest feedback on how you look and sound.

You may be more knowledgeable about the company than the managing director, but when it comes to the interview itself no amount of preparation can prevent the butterflies in your stomach, the dryness in your throat and the pounding of your heart.

A little adrenalin is healthy, but you don't want to appear like a startled rabbit caught in the headlights. So try to keep it in perspective: an interview is not a firing squad. The worst thing that can happen is that you don't get the job. Take sensible precautions: wear something comfortable, leave yourself plenty of time to get there, use the toilet before you go in and ask for a glass of water (in case your lips stick to your teeth). A few quiet deep breathing exercises will make you look and feel less agitated.

Before you go into the interview visualise success. Imagine yourself sitting there being cool, calm and collected and answering all the questions. Visualise someone coming up to you at the end and saying "That was fantastic, you've definitely got the job." The idea is to make yourself feel more relaxed - you don't want to come across as cocky or too laid back.

It's unlikely you'll get the first job you're interviewed for, or that you'll be offered a job after just one interview, so you're probably going to have to go through the process all over again. What's more, unless you stay in the same job for the rest of your life, you'll face many more nerve-racking interviews during the course of your career. The good news is that you will get better at it - practice doesn't make perfect, but it helps. And comfort yourself with this thought: in a few years' time it might be you sitting on the other side of the desk.