Put together your Interview Tool Bag
Don’t leave bag-packing to the last minute. Prepare your
Interview Tool Bag the night before the big day:
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Tissues or a handkerchief
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Copies of your resume and work samples
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Breath mints (not gum)
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Bottle of water
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Directions including address, parking information, suite or
office number, floor number, and contact information including
name and phone number (but keep your phone on silent during
the interview, or better yet, just turn it off!)
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Notes (talking points, anecdotes, questions)
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Note paper and pen to take notes if you need to
Be your most authentic professional self
…So you and the hiring team can both assess
your mutual compatibility.
Pay attention to the signals that your body language
and eye contact send to the hiring team. It’s okay to
be a little nervous (and even to show it—it means you
care!). But try to relax and be yourself. Let your
personality shine so that the hiring team glimpses who
you truly are. If you have a sense of humor, use it to
chuckle (appropriately, of course) or express an idea
occasionally.
Your hiring manager may ask questions that seem trivial,
for example, questions about a foreign country mentioned
on your resume, or about pets. In fact they may be
attempting to get to know you better on a personal level,
to find out whether you will be someone they’d like to
see in the office everyday.
A few other interview DOs and DON’Ts
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DO arrive a few minutes early
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DO remember the names of the hiring team
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DO ask for clarification if you don’t understand a question
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DO answer the questions you’re asked as best you can, and ask
whether you answered sufficiently if you’re unsure
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DO pause if you need time to think
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DO send a thank-you note or email as soon as possible that addresses
specific and relevant issues you discussed during the interview
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DON’T assume the hiring team remembers your resume
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DON’T talk incessantly
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DON’T discuss salary and benefits if you can avoid it (till you get the job offer)
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DON’T beg for the job
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DON’T wear strong scents
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DON’T dress or behave too casually