Interview Advice

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:

• Tissues or a handkerchief
• Copies of your resume and work samples
• Breath mints (not gum)
• Bottle of water
• 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!)
• Notes (talking points, anecdotes, questions)
• 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

• DO arrive a few minutes early
• DO remember the names of the hiring team
• DO ask for clarification if you don’t understand a
  question
• DO answer the questions you’re asked as best you
  can, and ask whether you answered sufficiently if you’re unsure
• DO pause if you need time to think
• DO send a thank-you note or email as soon as
  possible that addresses specific and relevant issues you discussed during the
  interview
• DON’T assume the hiring team remembers your resume
• DON’T talk incessantly
• DON’T discuss salary and benefits if you can avoid
  it (till you get the job offer)
• DON’T beg for the job
• DON’T wear strong scents
• DON’T dress or behave too casually