After weeks and weeks of sending out your resume and submitting applications, you finally got the call for a job interview. Congratulations! Once you’ve landed an interview, most of the hard work is behind you. Clearly, the company thinks you are qualified for the job and is interested in learning more about you and your skills. And, with .
Interviews can be a bit intimidating, but they really come down to about 20 percent execution and 80 percent preparation. The employer already knows about your skills and qualifications and has decided that you are a good candidate for the position. The interview is just an opportunity for them to get to know you a bit better and find out if you seem as great in person as you do on paper.
Making sure you are prepared for your interview is extremely important when it comes to landing the job. With the right preparation, all you will need to do on interview day is go in, be yourself, and engage in a professional conversation with your prospective new employer. When you are preparing for an interview, here are a few things to make sure you have:
1. Extra Copies of Your Resume
Even if you already submitted a resume when applying for the job or you do not feel like it is a position that requires a resume, it never hurts to have one. Print off copies for yourself and for each person you will be interviewing with. If you are unsure of how many people will be at your interview, print off three to five copies.
If you don’t have a resume, put some time and effort into writing one. There’s a lot of free advice online, including on this blog. Do some research to discover what makes a good resume, and avoid the temptation to just use a fill-in-the-blank template. You can also consider hiring a professional resume writer.
When printing your resume, quality matters. Use nice resume paper and, if your ink is streaky or unclear, use fresh inkjet cartridges to ensure that your text is sharp and clear. Unless you are applying for a creative position in art or design, use black printer ink or toner.
2. Professional References
Think of a few people who would be able to vouch for your abilities. They should be people who are familiar with your skills and would be able to express why you are a good candidate for the job you are qualified for. They should not be family members. Choose people who are likely to return a phone call from an employer, and let them know ahead of time that they might be getting a phone call. Type up each reference’s full name, address, phone number, and how you know them. Print this list, and bring as many copies of it as your resume.
3. A Pen and Notepad
There is a lot of information that you may want to jot down during your interview—notes about the job, addresses and phone numbers for drug testing facilities, directions to another office or location, etc. Having your own pen and notepad makes it easy for you to write down anything that you might need to remember for later, and it shows the interviewer that you are prepared and organized. Even if you only need the pen to sign something during the interview, having your own pen instead of needing to ask to borrow one looks great.
4. A Few Questions
An interview is not just a time for a hiring manager to ask you questions and learn about you. It is also an opportunity for you to ask questions and learn more about the job and the company. Think of a few questions you would like to ask and write them down. Interviewees often freeze up when asked if they have any questions, but having yours written down will enable you to address any concerns you may have. Just remember that questions like “How much does this job pay?” should not be brought up. Wait for the interviewer to address that type of information.
Need some inspiration? Try asking things like “How does the company define success?” or “How do managers provide feedback to employees?” or “What is the company culture like?”
And as an aside, bring a briefcase or folder, too! If you bring all of the things listed above to your interview, you will need a way to keep them all together. A briefcase or folder ensures that you will not accidentally leave anything out, and it helps you keep everything you need all in one place. Plus, having everything neatly in a briefcase or folder makes you look organized.
and last, but not least…
5. Your Confidence
You landed the interview, and you have prepared everything you need to take with you. Now all you need is some confidence. Get a good night’s sleep the night before your interview, dress for success, and make sure you have all of the above listed items with you when you head out the door. Hold your head up high, knowing that you are a great candidate for the job and that you are going to ace that interview.
Before you know it, you will be worrying about what you will need for your first day on the job!