Taking the Stress out of Interview Day!
So, you have put in all the hard work before the big interview day. You have spent time and effort researching the company, writing a first class CV or filled in a perfect application form, studied the job requirements and matched your skills to it, practised interview questions (we hope!) and now it’s interview time.
It is just as important that you have planned this day and prepared for it as all the other preparation.
Things do go wrong so you want to minimise the risk of this happening.
Follow these easy rules and feel less stressed!
You will have been given the address of where the interview is to take place. You need to know where you are heading to plan. Verify the address online and it will show you a map of where you are headed. You may not be going to the actual company premises. Take the letter or write it down with the name of the person it is from and their contact telephone number – just in case!
How will you travel to the interview? If you are a car driver you need to understand not just the route but are there any parking problems? Check the letter and they may have given guidance on where to park. If you have a Sat Nav or smart phone, program in advance and find out the route and estimated time it will take. It is always worth printing out the directions too – in case of a technology fail!
If you are the kind of person who gets stressed driving then plan the public transport option. Make sure you know the times of the bus/train and plan to be early. If you arrive 10-15 mins early you can relax a little and get used to your surroundings.
If it is possible and you are not familiar with the area, there is no harm in doing a “dry run”. This will let you see any obstacles that may crop up and especially if you have to travel at peak times.
As mentioned before, if you have a letter or can print off an email with the interview details on then take it with you. There are occasions where nerves will get the better of you and you may not remember the name of the person who you are meeting nor have it clear in your mind the title of the job you are being interviewed for. There may be interviews for more than one job role taking place, so if for example, you say you are there for an apprenticeship interview there may be different apprenticeship jobs being interviewed for on the same day.
You need to organise your time for the day. Try and keep the time before the interview free so you are not worrying that any previous appointments are going to run over. You have planned your route and how long it will take so now you need to map out when to leave home and ensure you arrive with time to spare. How much time to spare is a personal thing but you don’t want to be rushing in at the last minute all flustered and out of breath. It is well worth remembering that interviews can run over and you will start to worry if you have something else booked after the interview – again leave it free if you can.
The night before make sure you have prepared all your clothes and everything else you need including shoes clean and clothes pressed. Give yourself time to shower and any extra time for hair and makeup if applicable.
Before you leave the house (on time!) take a last look in the mirror from head to toe. Make sure you have everything you need in your bag or pocket.
If you are the kind of person who likes to use breath mints or gum use them on the journey – just make sure you are not chewing anything at all in the interview.
Just before you leave use the bathroom or you can arrive nice and early and ask the receptionist to give you directions to the restroom. You can do a final check there too.
Once you get to the premises remember to switch your phone completely off – not on silent. There is no point in stressing about a mobile phone. You need all your concentration for the interview.