​Your most basic checklist for an interview.  If you don’t cover this, you might as well stay home​.

 

Your job interview checklist is basic stuff, but as a reminder, I post it again because everyday, I see candidates blow the simple stuff.  I used to think it was due to inexperience, but experienced candidates miss the basics just as often.   This stuff is important, and I can not stress this enough.  This stuff is IMPORTANT!  My radar goes off when candidates miss the basics, the obvious, and the expected.  There is nothing worse than when a candidates cell phone rings in the middle of an interview, or just as bad is when a candidate shows up late.  Each minute a candidate is late, I am wondering if I got the schedule wrong, and by the 10th minute where the candidate hasn't shown up, these minutes are dog minutes.  Each minute lasts 7x as long in my mind and if you didn't call or text to give me a heads up, you might as well be over 1 hour late.  I am wasting time, and I am not going to start a new project if I am expecting someone “6 minutes ago”.  Yeah, seriously, just stay home.



The checklist for interviews on the day BEFORE the interview:

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• Check the route to your interview the day before.  You don’t want to be late to this appointment.  If you are late, you just started this interview off on the wrong foot, digging yourself out of a hole and it will have been nobody’s fault except your own.   Even if you know how to get there, check where you will find parking and allot time, especially in downtown metropolitan areas.  If you are really early, wait in the car.  Don’t show up 30 minutes early.   Consider this a first date.  I don’t want to be in the shower getting ready and hear the doorbell ring and then feel rushed through my “get ready ritual”.  You think making “all this look this good” is easy?

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What should be listed on your “checklist for interviews”:



• Extra copies of your resume, cover letter and references.  Nothing worse than being asked “do you have a copy of your resume” and standing there empty handed wondering “can I ask this guy to Xerox off some extra copies”.  Unprepared and Awwwkarrddd.  Do you think I go into a board meeting empty handed with no paper?  I realize this is the year of technology and everyone is trying to conserve trees, but screw the trees, this is your job we are talking about.

• A couple of extra mints.  Nervousness can cause bad breath, and if interviews go long or go well, don’t be surprised if you are asked to stay and meet with more people.   (A great sign)

• Notebook to take notes.  This notebook should have the questions YOU are going to ask written down.  It is OK to refer to notes during an interview.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  Unless you are interviewing for a Spelling Bee, bring notes.  I don’t want to hire someone that thinks they can remember everything so act like you give a damn.  (Avoid taking notes on your cell phone.  Older generations are distracted by this, and don’t know about Trello or Stickies.  They will think you're sexting someone).

​A checklist for interviews as you end the meetings  (even if the interview is a FAIL):​ 

 

• Contact information of everyone you talked with INCLUDING the receptionist.  Once you get a name, write it down.  If you get a couple of business cards, you can figure out the email format from there and extrapolate to folks you didn't get info on. 

• If the company has product literature, bring it home.  This might help you with talking points for your thank you letter or future research.

See you at the after party,

 

​-HRNasty​