Congratulations! You've managed to complete the first step in your search for a new job. You've got your foot in the door by securing yourself a job interview. You may already be excited but slightly anxious as your interview date approaches. You've done all the preparation you feel you needed to do and by now you're feeling confident that you're ready to tackle this challenge.
It's the day before your interview and so it’s probably best to get everything you need to take with you together in preparation ahead of the big day, maximising your chances of acing your job interview. Wondering what you should take? Let me break it down for you...
This is a key item to take to your interview, although you will probably find that your interviewer has a copy already it is a good idea to have a copy of your own CV just in case they do not or if you are asked to talk through your CV you’ll have this as a prompt.
Now this one may sound silly as there are not many people who don't seem to have their phone less than a meter away from them. Nevertheless, it’s worth putting it on your checklist. If you were to run into traffic on your way to your interview or needed to look something up last minute then you are going to need your phone to ensure you can call ahead and let your interviewer know you're going to be late, because of course, first impressions are important.
It is pretty common for you to be asked to bring along details of qualifications/certificates you have gained that prove you meet the job specification. Even if they have not asked you to bring them it is worth getting this prepared just in case! Make sure that you have all the official documents ready prior to your interview day to avoid giving yourself something extra to worry about on the day.
Ensure you take some form of notebook and pen with you, preferably a black biro because you never know when you're going to be asked to fill out a form. You can also use it to write prompts or questions you might want to ask in the job interview or to take some notes to follow up after the job interview.
Now that you know what you need to take with you you're going to need a smart, appropriate bag to put everything in. Take some time when considering this, think about the environment you are applying to work within and decide based on this which type of bag would be most suitable.