Preparing for an interview is just like going to a festival!

It’s festival season again and although most of us are cutting back on costs, tickets for this year’s festivals are selling within weeks of going on sale.

Preparing for a festival is much like preparing for an interview and with many of the happy campers who are attending on the job hunt, here is my essential guide to getting your perfect job:

Check out the line up
What’s the first thing you do when you’re going to a festival? Find out who’s performing of course! Although you’ll have an idea of the genre of music you’ll be seeing you’ll still want to find out exactly who’s playing so you can start planning who you want to see. The same should apply for when preparing for an interview.
It is always important to check out the website of the company you are going to see so that you learn more about the company. Sometimes it may also be possible to read information on the person you are interviewing with and learn about their background. This is always beneficial as it can help you to feel more relaxed when meeting them for the first time.

Make sure you know where you’re going
Although you are usually provided with one when you first arrive at a festival, it is usually possible to print off a map of the site beforehand. This will help you when it comes to finding your camp site, locating the main stage or more importantly directions to the nearest bar!
Most company websites will also have a map which will enable you to locate their premises. I would strongly recommend that you print one out before you set off. Even if you think you know where you’re going, there is nothing worse than arriving late to an interview.

Dress appropriately
When it comes to dress code, at most festivals there is an element of "anything goes" but generally there tends to be a theme depending on the genre of music. At a hard rock festival for example you may expect to find lots of people wearing black. Alternatively, at a dance festival you are probably more likely to find a number of people wearing fluorescent colours with glow sticks in hand!
When you’re preparing for an interview, it is always important to consider the kind of company you are visiting. If you are interviewing for a position within a merchant bank you would want to go for formal attire such as a suit. If you’re going for a job within a trendy media company, you may want to go for a slightly more funky or stylish approach. But remember that it is always better to arrive at an interview overdressed than underdressed!

Remember the basics
So, now you know which bands you’re going to see, how to get there and what clothes to wear, now you need to think about your sleeping arrangements! These days it is possible to stay in a local hotel, pull up in a caravan or even hire a tepee. The majority of festival goers however choose to sleep in a tent. There are tents of all shapes and sizes available but as all good campers will know if you forget the tent pegs, the tent is near enough useless.
This links nicely to applying for jobs and attending interviews as it is very similar to preparing your CV - you may have fantastic experience but if you forget the basics, your CV won’t hold together. Many candidates forget important information such as their qualifications or their previous career gaps. In some cases contact details have been forgotten which can make it very hard for employers or recruiters to arrange interviews!

Be prepared!
Finally, it is very important to be prepared for adverse situations. Even though most of Britain’s festivals occur over the summer months you can usually guarantee that if you’re spending a weekend in the great outdoors it will probably rain at some point! For this reason it is vital that you are prepared and that you pack your wellies and a waterproof jacket.
When getting ready for an interview it is also important to be prepared for any difficult questions that may arise. If you have any gaps in your CV can you explain them? If you only spent a short time with one company, what was your reason for leaving? Even if you have a very straight forward and easy-to-understand CV there may be areas that the employer or recruiter are unsure about so always ensure you read your CV fully before your interview. This will enable you to feel more confident when talking about your experiences and avoid making any mistakes when trying to remember any details.

If you are currently preparing for an interview or indeed a festival I really hope you will have found these tips helpful. Preparation is key so if you follow my advice there is no reason why you can’t have a fantastic festival weekend or, more importantly, impress in an interview and bag yourself a fantastic new job.

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Happy Birthday Om!

Om celebrated his birthday last Sunday and yesterday we all went out for lunch to celebrate.

Although we ate loads, we still managed to find room for the cakes you can see in the photo below!

Many Happy Returns Om!

We Love Sunny London!

Who's been enjoying the weather then? Hasn't been amazing?! Some people have said it's been too hot but like all cats we've absolutely loved lazing about in the sun over the past few weeks.

We feel very lucky to be able to work in such a vibrant and lively city where there is always so much going on. When the weather is good London has to be one of the best cities when it comes to sightseeing, chilling out in parks or attending live events.

Over the past couple of months between us we've managed to see Blur in Hyde Park, The Killers at The Royal Albert Hall, Derren Brown at the Adelphi, the FA Cup Final at Wembley, Twenty20 Cricket at the Oval and the Isle Wight Festival.

It also seems to be stag do season with Jonny in Krakow, Om in Tallinn and Adam in Dublin all within the space of two weeks!

During this time we've also been really busy in the office which is great. We're working on a number of jobs at the moment so make sure you keep checking the jobs page on our website for updates.

In the meantime, let us know what you've been up to over the Summer so far. All stories welcome, the funnier the better!

**After all our talk about the summer heat it is now absolutely chuking it down on Charlotte St! Typical English weather!**