Father: "I want you to marry a girl of my choice" Son: "I will choose my own bride!" Father: "But this is Bill Gates's daughter." Son: "Well, in that case - OK!" Next - Father approaches Bill Gates. Father: "I have a husband for your daughter." Bill Gates: "My daughter will choose her own husband." […]

An interview is simply a tool used by a potential employer to assess a candidate's ability to perform a role. The interview will normally be the first time that the employer has the opportunity to meet you. They need to assess whether or not you have the qualities to perform the role competently, the experience that you have so far in a similar role, and also whether they like you as a person and whether you are likely to fit into the team environment. It is also your chance to find out if you want to work for the company, so it is a two-way process.

There are different kinds of interviews though, and some jobs will require more than one, and there may be more than one interview, so it's just as well to be prepared for this eventuality.

Human nature is funny. Put a person in a room with a "specialist" and they tend to want a little bit of free advice. My friend Robin, a lawyer, says whenever she goes to a party someone usually asks for a little legal advice. My friend Steven, a doctor, says it's always "By the way Doc, I've got this pain..." And me, the Customer Care Coach, I get the customer abuse stories. It's hard for people to resist telling me the last time they got left by the airline, or the last time a bank teller ignored them

As a working mum I run my own business, and keeping everything up in the air takes military precision and timing. Everyone can benefit from getting themselves organised at home and at work.

Here are my top 10 work tips:-

Job fairs and trade shows are very important for any growing business. Job fairs allow for the recruitment of qualified personnel through direct interaction and on-the-spot interviews, while trade shows give time for companies to interact with colleagues and other companies within their industry, while attracting the attention of potential new customers. Both of these kinds of exhibitions can be intensely competitive, so it's important to make your business stand out as much as possible. Some of the tried-and-true methods include pop up displays which showcase new and upcoming products, include tutorials about intended uses and the way they work, and feature general information about the company, including company history, with a large-print version of the company's logo or trademark.

People don't always realise that offices are a direct reflection of the company and the staff within it, and appearances may have a bigger impact on potential clients than you may think. Mess and clutter equals disorganisation and clumsiness whereas a clean, smart and tidy office screams success and professionalism. So which reflection would you prefer for your organisation?

A company cannot claim to be up to date in business and have the latest most competitive approach in their profession without an office to match those claims. However before you panic about losing business over old fashioned chairs and untidy desks, there’s no need to fear, there are a few simple steps you can take to make a powerful impact.