You know you’ve made a good impression when you’re called in for an interview. The interview is your chance to show why you’re a great choice. We can help you prepare for any interview.
Interview checklist
Before the interview:
- Research the business or organization so you know the basics if asked during your interview
- Prepare answers to a list of common interview questions and practice answering them
- Plan for how you’ll respond to difficult questions, like if you were fired from your last job or if you have a criminal record
- Prepare a list of questions to ask your potential employer
- Plan how you will get to the interview location 15 minutes before your interview starts
Day of the interview:
- Dress appropriately for the position—first impressions matter
- Silence all notifications on your phone
- Arrive 15 minutes early and check in with the receptionist or otherwise let your interviewer know you’ve arrived
What to take with you to the interview:
- A copy of your resume (if you have one) and/or a copy of your completed application for each person interviewing you, plus one for you
- A list on a separate sheet of paper of two to three references, including each person’s title, phone number and email address
- A list of questions to ask the employer during the interview
- A notebook and pen to take notes during the interview
During the interview:
- Introduce yourself and shake hands
- Make sure to get the interviewer’s name and title, information that will probably be shared when you introduce yourself (if there is more than one interviewer, you may want to take notes about who is who in your notebook)
- Collect business cards from all interviewers so you have correct name spellings and email addresses
- Look the interviewer in the eye; if there is more than one interviewer, try to pay equal attention to everyone when you are responding to questions
- Take your time when answering questions; if you don’t understand the question, ask for it to be repeated before you respond
- Ask your questions when appropriate and ask about next steps in the hiring process and when you might find out if you'll be moving forward in the process
- Thank the interviewer (or interviewers) and tell them you look forward to hearing back soon
After the interview:
- Send a thank you note or email to each interviewer within a day
- If you have not heard back within a week, follow up with a phone call to the person who organized your interview
