FTS

Dress for Success

Get your interview suit and shirt dry cleaned and in your closet two days prior to the interview. Picking things up last minute opens you up to possible problems. The last thing you want to worry about the night before an interview is pleading with your drycleaner or getting burned by a hot iron.

Be prepared for all kinds of weather. Over coat, umbrella, change of shoes, etc.

What to Bring

A leather portfolio with paper for notes says you are interested and paying attention to what they have to say. A must-have is multiple copies of your resume printed on good quality paper (28 lbs bright white, Hammermill).

Organize your portfolio, notes and research on the company, questions to ask, answers to questions you could be asked, professional reference lists or any other papers you think your prospective employer would like to see. Everything should be typed out with large, easy to read fonts.

Be prepared for anything. Bring multiple pens. An interview can often take place in a conference room where a hiring manager has forgotten to bring their own pen. Colored white board pens are good to have with so you can clearly articulate your vision on a white board. Highlighters, Breath mints, anything you can think of that might be useful and demonstrate your preparedness.

 

 

 

Dress Rehearsal

Like most things, people get better at interviewing with a little practice. Role playing questions and answers with your significant other offers many advantages. You will have an opportunity to hear yourself answer a question out loud prior to delivering the same message to a hiring manager.

Feel free to smile when a hiring manager asks you a question you are well prepared for.

Research

A visit to the company website is an obvious must. Take the time to read through current news on their site. Find out who their major competitors are and what is going on in their industry.

Make sure to Google search and hit Linkedin for all the players you could be interviewing with and who they report to.

Be Early

Early is on time; on time is late; and late doesn’t get a second chance.

Make sure you have good directions to the interview site. DO NOT BE LATE FOR ANY REASON! Leave earlier! Some job seekers make a dry run to the interview site to ensure the directions are correct and to estimate the amount of time they will need to get to the interview on time.

Preparation is the difference between getting a job offer and coming in second place. A couple of hours researching the company and practicing answers to interview questions can give you that extra bit of confidence you need to ace the interview.