Multiple Copies Of Your Resume
Above all else, you should bring multiple copies of your resume to the interview. Though the interviewer, whether the recruiter or hiring manager, should have a copy of your resume, it is better to not assume so. You should print at least five copies of your resume. Our recommendation is to print your resume on resume paper, which leaves a long-lasting and more professional impression.
Four Things To Take To A Job Interview
Outfit? Check. Answers? Check. Checklist? Check
OK, so you may have all of the above covered, but figuring out what to bring with you on the day of your interview can often be left until the last minute. But having the right things can be a great way to demonstrate your dedication to employers, so its vital to get yourself organised in advance.
Weve already covered how to prepare for an interview, but here are four things you should always take with you on the big day:
How To Nail A Job Interview In The First 5 Minutes
The first few moments of your interview can have a decisive impact on how well the rest of it goes. Heres how to start strong together with some cautionary tales of what not to do from real interviewers
1. What time should I arrive at my interview?
Whilst it’s important to make sure you arrive early enough to allow yourself time to settle in remember that the interview starts long before you shake hands and sit down infront of your interviewer. You never know who you might bump into on your commute, or whilst in the companys building lift. So make sure you project a friendly, confident, professional manner from the moment you set off.
On arrival put your phone on silent mode, make conversation with the receptionist and take in your surroundings you might notice something that will make a useful ‘small-talk’ topic later. Dont try and cram in any last-minute facts you want to come across as calm and organised, not flustered and under-prepared.
What not to do:
I once heard someone standing outside our building, smoking furiously and complaining loudly on their phone about the early start time of their meeting and wondering aloud why they were even there. When I got to my next interview, I realised to my dismay the noisy moaner was my next candidate! Not a great start.
2. What should I do before my interview?
What not to do:
3. How can I create a strong first impression?
What not to do:
4. How can I prepare for the small talk?
What not to do:
What not to do:
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Answers For The Interviewer
Though this may seem like an odd point, you should utilize online resources to look-up common interview and internship questions. Practice answering these questions in front of a mirror or with a close friend or family member. You should feel comfortable and prepared in your responses. This will also help you not get caught off-guard with any questions.
Contact Information And Directions
While there are many things you can control during the interview, getting there is not one of them and traffic or public transport can easily let you down. Plan ahead how you will get there and make sure you have the contact details of the person you are meeting in case you need to contact them for anything.
Have directions to where you are going before hand and if you can, find your way there before the interview, so you know exactly where you are going.
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What Things To Bring To An Interview
Your “What to take to an interview” list is a confirmation of your attention to detail. The goal of each item is to minimize the risk of an embarrassing situation and eliminate all obstacles to a successful self-presentation. Given that the interviewer will conduct a comprehensive assessment of you, as a candidate, taking into account all the necessary information as part of the decision-making process, foresight will play into your hands.
Putting It All Together
Hopefully you now have a good sense of how to become an interview-destroying urban scout!
There is no magic bag. There is no secret technology.
Like so many things, it is all about knowledge, planning and commitment to excellence. Now go get that job, you notebook-toting, tissue-offering, water-drinking interview ninja!
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Items To Bring To A Job Interview
This article has been approved by an Indeed Career Coach
Youve applied to a job, received the callback and probably passed a phone screen. This means its time for the in-person interview. Take a moment to congratulate yourself at this stageits taken a lot of hard work and persistence to get here. Once youve mentally prepared and chosen what youre going to wear, the last step is making sure youre bringing the right items.
General Advice For Acing Your Interview
Acing an interview is easy if you prepare properly both by packing the right things and by practicing the right things. First, run through your answers to the most commonly asked interview questions before your appointment, by yourself and with a friend or relative. Once youre prepared to answer any question thats thrown your way, make sure you have some pre-prepared questions of your own for your interviewer. As aforementioned, write these questions down and bring them with you.
The night before the interview, choose an appropriate outfit and lay it out. Be sure to get a full night of sleep, and eat a solid meal before your appointment. Self-care goes a long way in keeping your mind fresh and ready to tackle the mental math of interviews.
Once youre there, make sure to take notes on what you and your interviewer talk about and what questions they ask. Then, use these notes to follow up with a thoughtful thank you note.
Way to go, you! Youre on your way to a great interview. Upfront preparation for an interview can make a huge difference on your performance, and youre taking the right steps to having a stress-free experience. Now, go knock them dead!
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Perform Research On The Company And Role
Researching the company youre applying to is an important part of preparing for an interview. Not only will it help provide context for your interview conversations, but it will also help you when preparing thoughtful questions for your interviewers.
Researching the company and role as much as possible will give you an edge over the competition. Not only that, but fully preparing for an interview will help you remain calm so that you can be at your best. Here are a few things you should know before you walk into your interview:
Research the product or service:Even if the role isn’t directly related to the company’s product or service, you’re still looking to be part of the team. It’s important to learn all you can about the product or service the company produces and promotes. You don’t necessarily need to understand each and every detail, especially if it’s a technical product, and you’re interviewing for a non-technical position, but you should have a basic understanding of the main products or services the company offers.
If possible, request a sample of the product to familiarize yourself with the customers perspective. The more you can tell them about the product from both a company and customer standpoint, the better you’ll perform in your interview.
Is It Ok To Bring A Gift To A Job Interview
While its okay to bring a small gift to an interview, its not necessary or recommended.
They are taking time out of their day to speak with you but thats part of their job responsibility.
There are other ways of sticking out in an interview such as properly preparing for the interview questions, dressing the part, or sending a follow up thank you email after it wraps up.
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A Bag Briefcase Or Portfolio That Neatly Contains All Your Items
Once you have the things you need to bring to the interview, you should decide how youll organize and carry them. The goal is to look put together and unburdened. Choose a handbag, briefcase, messenger bag or portfolio that can hold everything and looks professional. Backpacks are appropriate for some settings but not for others. Use your best judgment based on the company research youve done and what you know about their culture.
Sharpen Your Internship Interview Skills With These Tips
Elizabeth Hoyt
gettingthey know Im inexperienced so I dont need to prepare.beforePracticeCustomizeAttireMaterials Information OrganizationI lost my contact information. Can I get it again?Who am I interviewing with again?The Elevator SpeechArrive EarlyGive Thanksalways send a handwritten thank you note!theFollow-upYouYouyou
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How To Prepare For Your Interview In Advance
In this article, we’ve outlined the essential items of what to bring to an interview that will help ensure a smooth, successful meeting.
But, while important, this list is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to comprehensive job interview preparation .
For more information on how to ace the job interview process from start to finish, check out these additional resources for further reading:
Questions You Want To Ask
Before heading to an interview, make a list , of questions youd like to ask at the interview.
Asking intelligent questions shows that youve done your research on the company, youre interested, and eager to learn more. However, it can be hard to come up with questions on the spot, so make it easier for yourself by preparing in advance.
You can also give some thought to how you will answer some of the most common questions asked in interviews, such as your strengths and weaknesses, or how youve handled challenging situations in previous roles.
While its impossible to know exactly what questions will be asked, you can practice at home by asking a friend or parent to help conduct a mock interview.
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Examples From Your Career Story
Memorizing every possible answer to every possible interview question and behavioral question that might come your way could drive you full-on nuts, and it may also put you at risk for coming across as robotic and disconnected.
Instead, consider thinking about how youd weave examples from your career story around common questions like, Tell me about a time when you disappointed a client, Whats your greatest weakness?, or Describe a stressful situation you had with a colleague, and how you handled it.
You might even jot a few notes down in that notepad you brought along to refer to later. Youre heading into that interview with the expectation that it will be a genuine, engaging conversation. Its mighty hard to pull this off if youre madly searching your recall for the perfectly memorized response for every question.
Directions On How To Get To The Interview
After all your careful preparation, dont let a late arrival undermine your chances of getting the job. You should plan to arrive 1015 minutes early, and you should study your route to the interview beforehand. If youre using public transportation, add extra time to account for delays or unexpected interruptions. If youre driving, be sure you have information about parkingif youre working with a recruiter, you can ask them to provide these details.
If after all this preparation you are still running late, call the office or recruiter you are working with and let them know. More often than not they will be understanding, but it is important to be respectful of their time.
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Things You Should Never Bring To The Job Interview
Heres a quick tip explaining how to ace an interview never-ever attempt to bring the following items into the room:
Also, consider leaving any other bulky items like a tote with groceries, a suitcase, or another random item in your car or somewhere else.
Copies Of Your Resume & Cover Letter
Always be prepared. Just because you already sent them your resume and cover letter doesnt mean you shouldnt bring your own copy.
Why 5 copies?
Just in case. You could be a part of a group interview, say if the HR representative brings in your future supervisor and the team youll be working with. Its best practice to be able to hand them each a copy of your cover letter and resume so they wont disrupt your meeting to go print it out.
This holds true whether youre going to an internship interview or standard job interview.
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Important Information To Have On
In addition to the items above, you should also have the following information readily accessible:
1) Office Address and Directions. Dont just wing it with Google Maps on the big day. You want to do your research ahead of time! Write down the office address and unit number, and review the location/directions before you depart.
If you’re able, do a test run in person ahead of time. Head over to the office and get familiar with the street, the building, and where you’ll be going on interview day. If you’re not able to make it in person, use the street view on Google Maps to get an idea of what the street looks like, where the office is, and plan your route. I always planned to arrive 15-20 minutes ahead of my interview in case anything happened.
2) Phone Number of the Front Desk or Content. You may need to call the front desk or the contact you’ll be interviewing with if you have trouble finding the address or encounter other issues . Adding them as a contact in your phone will make it easy for you to find their number instead of having to dig through your email.
4) The Emails of Your Interviewers. After your interview, you’re going to want to send a post-interview thank you email. This is the polite thing to do, but it will also help you stand out! According to a survey on hiring, only 24% of candidates actually sent thank you notes while 80% of hiring managers factored thank you’s into their decision. You want to be in the 24% of people who do send them!
What To Leave Behind
There are some things you just dont need at an interview, too. Heres what to leave in your car or at home before you head into the interview room.
Your phone. If you need to bring a phone with you, make sure it is off.
Your morning coffee. To minimize messes, dont bring a leaky cup into the room with you especially if youre running late!
Hot food. To avoid bringing undesirable stenches into the interview room, leave lunch for after your appointment.
Luggage. Dont bring your bulky bag with you. If you need to catch a flight or train after your appointment, ask the front desk or office manager where to store your personal items.
Your earbuds. Dont walk into the interview room listening to iTunes. Pack your earbuds away before you enter the building.
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Directions And Contact Information
If you have any doubt about whether you know how to get to the interview, print out directions. You don’t want to get lost, because getting lost could make you late, and being late could cost you the job. On the top of the directions, write down the name and contact information of the person you’re interviewing with. You want to be sure you can get in touch with them should anything go wrong.
What Do You Wear For A Job Interview
If youre unsure on what to wear to an interview, youre not alone – its a big decision.
For traditionally formal industries, like law and finance, a suit is expected, or a skirt or trousers and a blazer for women.
For other industries, men can do well with trousers and a jacket or a button-down shirt. Women might want to wear a sweater with dress pants, a smart dress or skirt with a cardigan, or a blouse and trousers.
Whatever you select, make sure youre comfortable in the outfit. Prepare it the night before, laying out what you want to wear and making sure your outfit is ironed and cleanthis will save you valuable time in the morning.
If youre working with a recruiter or a career counselor, ask them what they recommend in terms of attire, based on their knowledge of the industry.
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