Preparation is everything. Noah did not start building the ark when it was raining" – Warren Buffett
As I write this I am just about to start watching the second of England's three qualifying soccer matches at the 2004 European Championships. If they do lose to the Swiss I really am not eating Toblerone again.It was interesting to read, after the disappointing two goals in the last 3 minutes victory of the French over England on Sunday, that England's goalkeeper David James admitted that in his pre-game preparation he omitted to have any information on set pieces taken by the French striker Zinedine Zidane. A FA spokesman explained: 'We've video-taped all of France's recent games, around seven in all, and highlighted all the significant set-pieces. 'The fact is there were no free-kicks by Zidane during that period that were at all threatening.' James even has his own videos made, but still omitted Zidane's free kick work.
Zidane has been voted FIFA World Footballer of the Year three times, became the most expensive footballer ever when he transferred to Real Madrid for US$66 million and has played almost 90 times for France and scored nearly 25 international goals – almost a 3 games to 1 goal ratio.
This serves as a great reminder of the importance of preparation before a big event – like interviews. Whilst you may not get asked half the questions that you expect, the chances are that if you are not prepared you will NOT perform as well in an interview. You should anticipate the questions and also research the company that you are interviewing with.