6 Necessary Items To Bring Along For That Interview

By Francine Fluetsch on March 10, 2016

This article is brought to you by Dream Careers, the largest global internship program for college students offering all-inclusive programs in 11 cities worldwide. To learn more about Dream Careers, please visit us at SummerInternships.com.

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You know what makes everyone nervous? Interviews. No matter how much you prepare, you can’t help but feel the shakes and jitters of the nerves bubbling under your skin.

While getting rid of nerves might take lots of practice, here are six things you should bring to an interview (and that you should have ready to go the night before) that may help in quelling your nerves and making you feel more prepared.

1. Basic personal essentials

The key to a good interview is to eliminate things that could cause you to worry more. If you are talking through the interview in a hushed voice because you had coffee earlier and are afraid your bad breath will travel, chances are the interview won’t go well. Make sure to have some gum or mints so you don’t have to worry about this.

Because nerves make us sweat, make sure to pack some nice smelling deodorant in your bag that you can quickly apply in the bathroom before you get called in. This way you won’t have to discretely (on not so discretely) sniff yourself during the interview. No one wants to smell like B.O. in front of their future employer!

Also make sure to bring water to cure cottonmouth and give you a minute to think about a question as you bring the water to your mouth.

2. Directions

Knowing exactly where you are going and how to get there is essential to calming your nerves the day of your interview. While we all tend to rely on our phones now to give us step-by-step directions of where to go, it’s still a good idea to know the route in your head or write it down, in case your phone dies or you accidentally drop it or something. Also, make sure to bring a phone charger so you can avoid it dying.

If you have time the day before, drive to where you are going to have the job or internship interview and scout out the parking situation and where the building actually is. Sometimes, the directions take us close to where we need to be, but they don’t help us with parking garages, or suite numbers, so finding this out the day before will really help you out.

3. Copies of your resume

Even though you sent in your resume when applying for the job or internship, it is still a good idea to bring a few copies, just in case. It will show that you are prepared and ready for anything, and will be a great thing to reference if you blank on a question. Even if you don’t end up using it, just having it with you will make you feel more confident and ready to take on their questions.

4. Knowledge of the company

You want to make sure that you do a good amount of research on the place that you are applying to, especially about the position you want. If you are great at remembering things, store them in your head, but if you’re like me and easily forget things under pressure, it might be a good idea to write some key points down to bring with you. You’ll be able to read up on it right before your interview, and can keep your paper on your lap to reference if they ask you specifics about the company.

5. A notepad

You want to bring a notepad where you can write down key information that they tell you about the position. This will make you look professional and engaged, and will help you out too because you might have a lot of stuff thrown at you during the interview.

This notepad is also a great place to store any questions that you might have about the position while the hiring committee is talking to you. They are going to ask you if you have questions, so whether you think of questions beforehand and jot them down or during the interview, the notepad will help collect all your thoughts and make sure that you don’t forget anything important.

6. A good vibe

Whatever happens, no matter how anxious or nervous you feel, or how your day is going, it is essential that you bring about a good, professional, friendly vibe. Be all smiles when you meet them, give a solid handshake, don’t be fake but don’t be timid either. Smile until you make it. Make them feel honored to be in your presence. The more they like your personality, the more likely they are to hire you.

What’s on paper is of course important as well, but how you execute what you do and the environment that you will contribute to is a big factor as well. The faster you can start flowing in conversation with whoever is interviewing you, the better! You want to be confident in yourself, but not arrogant, and you want to show that while you are highly qualified for the position, you know there is still much to learn and you are happy to take on guidance.

These are just a few things to consider bringing along for your big day. Good luck out there!

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