Ken’s Interview Prep Tips: Things to Do 48 Hours Before Your Interview
- Get all the info. Location and time are a given, but who are you meeting with, what are their titles? Should you expect more than one interviewer? You want to make sure you bring enough resumes and portfolio samples, right?
- Do your research. 48 hours before the interview you need to do additional research on company, interviewers, office area, and staff. Utilize LinkedIn, Facebook and Google search. Having info about who you are meeting with could be very valuable especially if you find out they went to same school or know a fellow colleague. Any info you have could be that slight edge over other candidates will help make sure they remember you.
- Try on your clothes. Yes, this sounds simple enough but I know that not everyone wears a suit everyday in the A&D world and you need to make sure it fits right, all its buttons are in place, etc. Make sure you are dressing the part…Dress for success but dress as if you were already in the role. I always tell candidates to dress as if they were making a client presentation and you are showing your potential employer how you would look representing the company. Pay attention to the little details about your attire: make sure your shoes are polished (men and women). Always dress towards the conservative side if you are not sure. Keep it fashionable not flashy. Treat yourself to a new dress or suit so that you have that little pep in your step that most have when they are wearing a new outfit.
- Wash your car. Get your car washed if you are driving. No one ever feels great getting into a dirty car when they are dressed up so give your car a cleaning so it fits your attitude of cleaned, prepped and ready to go. Plus you never know if the interview goes great and the interviewer walks you to your car, what do you want them to see?
- Map the route. Whether you are driving or taking public transportation you should drive the route or take the transportation to the location at the same time your interview will be the day before so you can gauge the time needed to get there. Make sure you give yourself an extra 15 minutes in case of traffic and always bring the contact info for the company with you in case of an issue. Never be late but if there is something that delays you make sure you call right away and don’t try to “make it” and then call 5 minutes before saying you are running late.
Taking time to properly prepare for an interview will usually make all the difference. As the great Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.”