Interview Checklist

Congratulations, you have been called for an interview. Be prepared and ensure that you have everything you need to be successful.

Interviews can be exciting and stressful all in one, but once you get that job offer it will be totally worth it. For that reason it is a good idea to put a lot of planning and organisation into it, to make it as smooth as possible. So with this in mind, we thought we’d compile a list of things to check off and remember before the big day arrives.

• Have a nice suit, cleaned and ironed and your shoes are polished
• Take care of all the grooming in relation to hair, teeth and nails
• Pack ‘just in case items’; i.e. an umbrella, a comb, mints, tights, wipes, tissues, safety pins etc.
• Know exactly where your interview will be, and plan out the route and your transport. It is a good idea to go to the place a day or two before the interview to know exactly where it is
• Find out the name of the person that will be interviewing you, how many people will be interviewing you and what format the interview will take
• Save the phone number of the company in your mobile and have enough credit or battery in case you are delayed or get lost.
• Know 3 points of information about the company, why you want to work there and why it matches with your vision and values. Check their social media i.e. Twitter and Facebook
• Have a copy of your C.V. printed off for yourself and extra copies for the interviewers
• Know every detail on your C.V.
• Know all about the position that you are being interviewed for
• Imagine the questions that you are likely to be asked, even the tough ones
• Practice and prepare all your answers, don’t expect to be able to wing it
• Have a clear structure for your answers, know the points that you want to make but don’t learn it off by heart.
• Have clear thoughts on what you will bring to the role, company and what you can add to the role
• Have examples prepared for each answer, especially those about competencies. Practice using the STAR method
• Have a list of achievements or selling points that you want to mention
• Practice in front of the mirror or with a friend to ensure that you have positive body language and that your answers are appropriate
• Prepare good questions to ask at the end of the interview

• N.B. Remind yourself that they picked you out of many applicants, so they believe that you can do the job. Remember to believe in yourself !

Breda Hegarty is the Pre-employment Trainer with Business in the Community, supporting people with barriers gain employment, and author of the blog www.thejobmotivator.com . For more information and to book an appointment for a place on our next free training course in relation to C.V.s . cover letters and Interview skills call (01) 8743840 / (01) 8743814 or e-mail employmentprogramme@bitc.ie