In an earlier post, I mentioned a few to-do’s that, when taken care of a few days in advance of a job interview, will ensure you have a somewhat seamless experience.
There’s always room for those pesky, last-minute conundrums that creep up on the day you’re slated to interview for a fantastic position with a great company. Pets, people, printers and other objects are waiting and ready to pounce as you’re preparing to walk out the door on the big day. Keep these in mind as you’re plotting your “pre-interview no-stress plan”:
Is your printer ink cartridge full? An printer low on ink can turn the reasonably easy task of making copies of a resume into a full-fledged nightmare. You should always plan to show up at an interview with extra copies of your resume; move the “make copies of resume” task a little higher up on your interview to-do list so that you’ll have plenty of time to address ink /printer issues at least a couples of days, rather than a couple of hours, before the meeting. Better yet, try to avoid all “oh no! I’m out of ink!” panic attacks by regularly checking the status of your ink cartridge. Seriously. We meet several candidates per week, and at least 1/4 of them come rushing in through the door, confused, discombobulated, apologizing for having no resumes as their printer noshed on the last bit of its ink halfway through the first page of the first copy.
Is your cat hungry (and/or excessively furry?) Pets can be demanding at times, especially if you’re stumbling your way through the house with one shoe on, one shoe off, balancing resumes in one hand and a cup of joe in the other. To get out of the door a few minutes early, add your pets into the plan and take care of them early, before you even put your interview attire on. Brush the cat to remove loose fur, feed and walk the dog beforehand. Otherwise, those pleading eyes might cause you to run a few minutes late. Though it’s not likely to be the deal-breaker, white feline fur doesn’t really make a good statement piece with your black pantsuit.
Does your car have gas? This one’s a no-brainer. Don’t let a quick stop at the pump prevent you from arriving to your interview on time.
Do you have directions? Hopefully – if you neglected to find the office location where your interview will be a couple of nights earlier! Of course, if your GPS isn’t landing you in the correct location even with an accurate address, do not hesitate to call for real-person directions. Your goal is to arrive as scheduled, so if you’ve allowed yourself plenty of travel time, a wrong turn shouldn’t send your nerves into a complete tizzy.
Do you even know what’s on that resume of yours? Feel confident in your background and what you know you can add to the company you’re interviewing with. Be prepared to elaborate on the content of your resume – a quick scan as you ascend in the elevator isn’t a bad idea.
Now, walk into your interview with a cool head (thanks to all of that preparation!), shake those hands firmly, and get going with your awesome, professional self (sans cat fur!)