Use timing to establish your value. Don’t be too quick to accept employer’s first offer.

If offer is unacceptable, go back to talking about responsibilities and importance of job. Stress how keen you are to work for company and how much you feel you can contribute. Maintain a calm, friendly, and professional demeanour at all times.

Anticipate objections and be prepared to overcome them. Assess company’s needs beforehand and justify your salary request by showing them how they will benefit from your skills, knowledge, and experience.

Be creative in suggesting salary options. If company is not in a position to offer a higher salary, concentrate on negotiating parallel benefits such as performance bonuses, company car, profit-sharing, etc.

Remember that you are negotiating your relationship with your prospective employer. It should be a collaborative process. Both parties will benefit from a successful outcome. Avoid conflict. Be firm but friendly in asserting your rights.

If you are satisfied with offer you receive, try to resist urge to accept on spot. Instead, express your enthusiasm about prospects of joining company and ask for a little time to consider offer.

When evaluating offer, consider all relevant factors, e.g. salary, benefits, responsibilities, location, environment, and promotional prospects.

Once you have accepted job offer and agreed on salary and benefits, ask for a letter of confirmation.

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5. Where do you see yourself in five years' time?

This question is designed to determine your career plan. Have you well planned short-term and long-term career goals? Is advertised position consistent with these? If hired, are you likely to commit yourself fully to company or will you seize first opportunity to move on? Show that you have a structured way of establishing goals. Demonstrate importance of job on offer as part of your career progression. Stress that you are ambitious, but realistic. Let them know that you plan to develop professionally within company and to work energetically to obtain promotion.

6. Why do you want to work for our company?

The interviewer is trying to discover how much you know about company. Once again, detailed company research will pay handsome dividends when it comes to answering this question. The candidate who displays a knowledge of company and an awareness of challenges it faces is more likely to be selected than tongue-tied interviewee who looks perplexed when asked why he or she wants to work for that particular company.

You should find out as much as you can about company's organisational structure; its financial history; its range of products, goods or services; its aims and objectives; its philosophy and culture; its trading methods; its history, current position, and future developments; its competitors; its training programmes; its attitude towards its customers; its achievements; and any problems it may have. Tailor your answer in terms of their needs not yours.

Be positive. Say that you like what you've heard about company and way they treat their staff and customers. Stress that you are confident that you can make a meaningful contribution.

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