Be prepared

This basic, easy-to-read guide takes you through the fundamentals of job interviews, such as the purpose of interview, different types of interview, interview preparation, presentation and etiquette, answering and asking questions and how to exit the interview well.

What this book does differently to some other straightforward interview how-to manuals is to acknowledge the importance of emotions as well as practical considerations. Chapter 4 deals with handling nervousness, controlling emotions, relaxation techniques and deploying emergency measures.

There is also a really interesting chapter on body language. The book claims that "knowing the basics of body language can increase your performance at interview greatly". The chapter goes on to discuss 'The Golden Rule' (match your interviewer's body language), the meaning behind certain gestures (literally keeping your chin up denotes positivity) and the importance of eye contact (although excessive eye contact is a no-no).

Some of the advice is arguably misguided, such as, "Of course, there's no point in preparing detailed information on companies until you know you've got an interview with them". This implies that you don't need to bother researching an organisation before deciding to apply to work for it. But how do you know you want to work for it if you haven't researched it?

Overall, however, this is a good basic beginner's guide to interviews and is well suited to first-time job hunters or people returning to work who feel out of the job-searching loop.