It's important to be totally honest about your motivations and reasons for leaving a job. Make sure it is the right time to leave. You need to be able to clearly communicate and validate these reasons to any future employer. Be honest with yourself about why you are really looking otherwise you will probably find yourself in another unsatisfying job.

Once you have decided to consider your options, you must be very sure of what your expectations/aspirations are. Try and write a list of the most important aspects your next career move must possess, and if possible try and differentiate between essential and desirable. It's also important to consider why these aspects are important to you.

Typical drivers include:

1. Relationships with manager, peers and subordinates
2. Work/life balance
3. Kind of work you are doing – autonomy, growth opportunity, responsibly etc 
4. The company – values. Leadership, industry sector
5. Financial considerations – basis, bonus, Benefits, future opportunity

Knowledge is power – and the internet offers more than you could ever wish for. If you’re serious about the post, you’ll be serious about the company you’re working for. So as well as browsing their website and annual reports, explore any recent news stories to get a feel for the organisation and any key issues they might be dealing with.

Dig deeper into your Google Results and you’ll often find all sorts of other information, from blogs to reports of social activities. All part of getting a really good ‘feel’ for the company.

Increasingly, companies may take a closer look at prospective employees than you expect. So think carefully about your digital footprint. Make sure you don’t get embarrassed by inappropriate Facebook photos or an empty LinkedIn account. So if you have any kind of web presence, make sure it’s an impressive one.

There’s a lot of psychology in – and about – recruitment. Some is pretty obvious. Non-verbal communication (or ‘body language’) really does matter, from a confident voice to a friendly smile. Or take ‘mirroring’, for example. Here people who are getting on will tend to subtly ‘mirror’ each other’s body language. Obviously, scowling or defensively-crossed arms do not usually succeed in engaging your audience.

It’s also well established that good first and last impressions are vital – because they tend to be what people remember more. This is why it’s always worth taking time and trouble to arrive with poise, confidence and a friendly approach – and to leave by coming up with something interesting in response to that ‘anything else?’ last question.

But other findings are more surprising. So, for example, there’s evidence that people sometimes don’t always recruit the obviously ‘best’ person – instead, they look for reasons not to recruit. And if they can’t find a good reason to say ‘no’, they say yes. So think about the kind of negative reasons why you might not quite be right – and address them. If nothing else, it’s a good way of examining yourself from the perspective of the other side of the table.

The right post in the right place at the right time can really transform a career. So go for it. Do your research, consider refreshing your CV – and, if necessary, practice responding to some tough questions with a friend.

Above all, though, people are looking for the kind of colleague who will do well – and fit into the company culture. Which means it’s no bad thing to show a little character as well as expertise. So take another look at any interests you’ve listed on your CV and consider if they reflect well on you.

It’s important to make a good impression – and, by and large, we reckon being honest about yourself is the way to go. Hiding behind jargon or a false ‘interview persona’ that doesn’t quite feel right – even if it’s only a nervous reaction – is definitely not the best way to make a good impression.

Humans are wired by millions of years of evolution to be exceptionally good at ‘reading’ each other. So stick to projecting positive qualities. Integrity, transparency and courtesy are values that will always be in fashion. (And courtesy is for everyone: don’t forget the story of the guy who didn’t get the job, even though he was the best qualified, because he was rude to the receptionist).