4 Things You Should (and Shouldn’t) Bring to an Interview

We’ve talked in the past about what you should wear to an interview, but we’ve never really discussed in detail about what you should (or shouldn’t) bring with you to an interview and the effects that those little details have on the interview process.

4 Things You Should Always Bring with You to an Interview

1. A hard copy of your resume. If you’re heading in for an interview then you’ve most like already sent a company your resume, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t bring one with you to an interview regardless. Having a hard copy of your resume makes you look prepared and professional and minimizes issues that can arise, like a interviewer having to leave the meeting to go print up a hard copy because you sent them an electronic one.
2. A list of references. If your interviewer likes you then they will most like want to contact your references and having a list right there with you can help speed up the hiring process. It also helps to make you look organized and professional.
3. Solid questions to ask. Once you find out about an interview, it’s a good idea to do some research about the company and then prepare some questions to ask your interviewer that you think will help you get a better idea about the job and the firm itself.
4. A portfolio of work. If you’re applying for a job that requires you to provide work examples (writing samples etc) it’s a good idea to bring these with you to the interview to save time.

4 Things You Shouldn’t Bring to an Interview

1. Drinks or food. Showing up at your interview with food or drink is unprofessional and uncomfortable. Food can be smelly and drinks can be awkward to work around, and don’t forget, some people have very strong food allergies, even having food in the room can be hazardous. In general, it’s just a good idea to avoid these items altogether.
2. Cell phones or electronic devices. Don’t bring anything to your interview that’s going to interrupt it. There’s nothing worse than bringing a cell phone to an interview and having it ring in the middle.
3. Nothing you think may cause you to fidget. Many people find the urge to fidget in an interview almost impossible to ignore. If you’re a person who’s prone to fidgeting, don’t bring anything that’s easy to play with (like a ring, or a pen).
4. Anything that doesn’t give the impression you want to portray about yourself. Remember, anything you bring to an interview with you will give an impression to your potential employer, the same way anything you wear will. Make sure that you don’t bring anything with you that will give and employer a bad impression.

Do you job-seekers agree with these points? Or not? Let us know what you think is useful to bring to an interview.

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