DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT THEM!
You’ve done your research, made your mum ask you practice questions and put on your best suit. You’re ready for your interview, right? Almost, says job interview veteran and JobPage contributor Sarah Rudston. Here are seven things she says you shouldn’t leave home without…
1. A pen and paper
“Even if you don’t feel the need to write anything down during the interview, it’s a good idea to have a pen and paper to hand, just in case. Don’t feel pressured to use them — your interviewer would much rather you stayed focused than tried to impress them by writing everything down.”
2. The job description
“When it comes to discussing the role in the initial stages of the interview, it might help you to have the job description to hand. Although your interviewers will have expected you to do research before attending the appointment, they won’t be expecting you to memorise every word of the person specification. Having it in front of you will help you form more of a natural dialogue about the role.”
3. Some prompt notes
“It’s OK to take preparatory notes along to an interview as long as you’re not reading directly from the paper when it comes to answering questions. Bullet points or spider diagrams will help you to feel more organised and in control when it comes to answering tough questions — and make sure you don’t forget to mention something crucial. Most likely, you’ll never need them. But just knowing they’re there will give you extra confidence. Just make sure they’re in a little notebook or on a crisp sheet of paper. A crumpled, tatty page won’t give the right impression.”
4. Tissues
“No, not for crying if it goes horribly wrong! Whether it’s freezing cold or hayfever season, come prepared. Sniffing or sneezing in a job interview is not the best look. If you’re feeling nervous before the interview, use tissues to dab moist palms to avoid giving a sweaty handshake.”
5. The directions
“The address might sound simple enough on paper, but office complexes and industrial parks aren’t always easy to navigate — and if you take a wrong turn you can easily find yourself lost in a car park or by the fire exit. Allow plenty of time, and print out the directions and instructions before you go. Don’t rely on your phone — your battery could die or reception might be bad.
6. The name of the person you’re meeting
“The first question is not ‘Why do you want this job?’ — it’s ‘Who have you come to meet?’ Keeping the receptionist waiting while you look it up on your phone is not a great start. And it looks even worse if your interviewer is already waiting for you and sees that you’ve forgotten this crucial piece of information.”
7. Emergency phone numbers
“Ideally, you’ll have left plenty of time to get where you need to go, but traffic jams happen and trains get delayed. If the worst happens and you’re going to be late, you’ll need your interviewer’s phone number so you can call ahead and let them know you’ll be late. Don’t leave it too close to the interview start time to make the call. Be apologetic, but try not to sound flustered or panicked. Give them a realistic time when you’ll be there — not an optimistic one. The extra time will give you a moment to gather your thoughts so you can stop stressing about the fact that you’re late — and refocus on the interview itself.”
*WHAT HAVE WE MISSED?
Jobseekers – is there anything else you’d recommend applicants take when meeting an employer? Do you have a lucky charm you keep in your pocket? If you’ve ever had a really good interview, please share your tips. And if you’ve ever had a really bad one, please share your shame!
Hi Guys,
Another tip before applying for a job. Look at the company’s annual financial reports to see how much money they make each year. These gives you two advantages:(1) Job secruity, (2) The ability to negotiate a better salary.If the company is making profits your job is likely to be more secure.
You will find most employers will try to pay you the least amount possible even if they are making record profits. Trust me this is the best weapon you have against them when negotiating your salary.
Finally, I want you guys to realise that taking in the company’s financial reports is perfectly fine. In fact, the employer is going to be impress that you have done your homework about the company before coming to the interview. However, you do not have to do this, which is ok. But at the end of the day atleast you will have an idea how safe your job will be at that company. Thanks (^_-)-☆
Very useful tips indeed. I have also found it useful to bring along a copy of my CV and the cover letter as well as any references. Another thing that might be useful to illustrate points of good customer service and such like would be copies of any thank you emails but do take care that you do not disclose any confidential information by accident!
Passport (or other appropriate documentation) should could on that list too. Been asked for that at pretty much every interview I’ve been to.
Except one supervisor who didn’t seem to realise (even after he took me on) he was required to demonstrate he has evidence of an employee’s right to work in the UK, though I had the passport ready anyway.
*could be on that list
It’s important to save/print a copy of the job description after you have applied as it can take a month or more before you get interviewed. When I was first jobhunting as a new grad there were a few times when I was called to interview so long after applying that I couldn’t remember anything about what the job was.
Of course, such effort will be wasted if, in attending the interview, you find that
i) the personnel clerk destined to interview you had left the company, but having failed to notify the personnel department that they were scheduled to interview candidates and/or where the job went the personnel clerk
ii) the personnel clerk destined to interview you had failed to do their job, and deemed it entirely optional to read either the CV or completed Application Form.