Never go into an interview unprepared. Don't even think about it. You can't just play it by ear, even if you're great at your work. You're going to get thrown a few things you don't expect, so the more you put into your preparation, the better.

There's a percentages element, as well as strategic considerations, in preparation. Your overall performance in any interview is reviewed, and the fewer percentile errors or lower rated responses, the more effective your interview comparisons. Some people blow a couple of questions and in the process blow the interview, because they don't cover all the requirements.

Interview preparation is really pretty simple. You have a few known quantities to work with, and you get the interview because you meet the basic requirements on your application. Your experience and qualifications are also additional supports.

You'd think it was easy enough to answer questions about something you've been doing for years, but it isn't. Some people are pretty awful at interviews, but the other problem is lack of understanding of questions, and what those questions are supposed to be finding out about the applicants.

Each and every question in an interview relates to the job criteria, and the requirements of the job.

To prepare for these questions, you need to revise and refresh on:

• Each of the job criteria, one at a time. Think about these criteria. What's involved? Why is this a job issue? In this kind of job, what does 'problem solving' mean, in practical terms?
• Each of the skills, in relation to each of the criteria. How do you communicate when solving a problem, for example? Skills and criteria are inextricably linked, and you have to demonstrate you meet both requirements with each answer.
• Motivations and logic. Some questions are more about 'why' than 'how', and you're trying to present your career motives clearly to employers. A question like 'Why do you want this job?' needs a good, logical answer. Keep the answers simple and structured, so your logic makes sense.

Relevance and practical values in the job are the real issues with all interview questions, on any level. It is quite possible to give an answer which has almost nothing in common with the requirements of the job. That's not where you want to be.

Important note: If you're not sure what a question means, ask for clarification. Don't try and bluff your way through, because it won't work.

The problem for interviewees is that the exact meaning of the questions isn't always obvious. You have to respond to what might seem to be a cryptic question with a very clear answer. If the question is something like 'What do you consider success in this field?', use straightforward analogies and examples.

Basic guideline:

Simpler is always better. You can extrapolate on a simple answer, but you have to explain a complex one. Interviewers aren't interpreters. The clearer you are, the better you'll do.