Congratulations. If you’re reading this, then your resume was good enough to get you a job interview-great work! Now all you need is a job interview checklist to make sure you crush the interview. Here’s my five-step job interview checklist that any millennial can use to position themselves for a job offer.
Your Resume
I’m sure you just said “obviously” in your head. But that’s exactly why it’s on here- it’s so obvious that it’s likely to slip your mind when you’re stressing over how the interview will go.
My suggestion is to print several copies of your resume the night before. Put one in a folder in your car. Put another in a folder by your front door, your nightstand, and anywhere else you might walk by on your way out.
A Business Card
Personal branding is where millennials can use their “me-first” reputation and social media aptitude to stand out from other candidates. Your business card is the physical representation of your personal brand. It should have, at bare minimum, your contact information and social media links.
Does willingly exposing your social media accounts to employers sound insane to you? Hear me out. When used correctly, social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter can actually be a vital tool in landing that dream job. But I digress- check out those hyperlinks if you want to read more on using social media as an asset.
My point simply is this- If you follow that advice and use social media to build your personal brand as an emerging thought leader in your chosen industry, then your business card is your non-verbal way to say to the interviewer: “Hey-I’m awesome, talented, and transparent.” Plus, it gives the interviewer something physical to remember you by.
Questions
I’ve done at least a dozen interviews in my last job, and it always amazed me how many candidates had no questions for me. “Do You Have Any Questions?” should not make you freeze. It should excite you, because this is your chance to go on the offensive. If you need help figuring out the right questions to ask, then you can find what you’re looking for here and here.
Energy
The fourth and fifth steps on this job interview checklist, energy and confidence, are both intangibles, but they’re arguably the most important things to “bring” to an interview.
It’s easy to feel nervous during a job interview. You worry and worry about how the interview is going to go that you are stiffer than a corpse when you get in there. You HAVE to let your personality shine in order to have the energy and enthusiasm for the position that recruiters are looking for.
Confidence
The fifth and final step of this job interview checklist is confidence. The first four components of this list don’t matter much if you don’t bring your confidence. In fact, I’d say confidence is the only job interview skill you really need to land any job.
My go-to was watching a motivational video on YouTube in the car before I walked into the interview. This reminded me of my skills and talents, and gave me the confidence to express these qualities in my interview. Here’s one of my favorites:
What’s on your job interview checklist? Let me know on Twitter! (@BPucino)
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