You did all the networking and searched all the job sites. You filled out all the applications. You sent all the résumés. Now, at last, you’ve landed an interview for your dream job. Holy crap, now what? If you’re breaking out into a cold sweat just thinking about the big day, the best way to calm yourself is by being prepared. For one thing, you’ll want to make sure you’re all set with the physical things you need to bring to the interview.We can’t exactly give you a universal checklist for what to take along, because every job and every workplace is a little bit different. That’s where doing your homework on the company culture will go a long way toward making you look and feel comfortable.”Small things like that are incredibly important — taking the time to do your research ahead to understand…how are people dressing when they go there," Porter Braswell, CEO of the career platform Jopwell and author of the book Let Them See You: The Guide for Leveraging Your Diversity at Work, tells Refinery29. "Look on their website, look at the people in their pictures and what are they wearing in the photos."You also shouldn’t be afraid of asking questions when you’re setting up the interview, says A-J Aronstein, an associate dean at Barnard College’s Beyond Barnard office. "It is always acceptable to talk to your primary contact prior to the interview to ask specifically, ‘Can I bring this, this, or this?’" Aronstein tells us. "Set the stage for the conversation by knowing who you’re going to talk to, knowing the schedule if possible, knowing how many people you’re going to talk to at once, and knowing if there are any specific materials that it would be helpful to bring."That said, here are the basics you’ll probably want with you when you have the opportunity to prove yourself in person.Yes, someone at the company has already seen your résumé, but you should have a few physical copies of it with you. If the interviewer is going to be seeing multiple applicants for the job, you might need to jog their memory about who you are. Plus, it’s just a good look."The mere fact that they have [résumés] when they come shows that they’re prepared," Braswell says. "When I’m interviewing, I want people to be able to take me through their résumé with a cohesive messaging theme to it."If your interviewer is of a certain age or is in a very formal industry, they might still expect those copies to be on nice, thick paper, but Aronstein says that’s usually not necessary and might even seem over-the-top in some settings. (Again, your background research will help you decide that!)You can’t exactly go to your interview with your résumé folded up in your back pocket, so Aronstein recommends picking up a padfolio at an office-supply store or bookstore. The notepad that comes with most of them may come in handy, too, if you want to take notes on something to follow up on later in your thank-you email. Do a little searching online, and you can find something that doesn’t make you feel too stuffy."If I’m going to an interview at a financial institution, I’m going to be a lot more buttoned up," Braswell says. "If I’m going to a startup, I’m going to present [my résumé] in a different way. I’m going to be aware of my settings and try my best to show that I get it."In some big companies, you might need to fill out extra application forms when you get to the interview. You may also want to take those aforementioned notes, particularly to remember all the people you’ve spoken to. Sure, you could borrow one from someone in the office, and you can take notes on your phone, but having your own pen makes you look like an interview pro and not like someone texting a friend."I always bring my own hydration," Aronstein says.Those nerves might make your mouth and throat suddenly dry up as you’re in the waiting room. Your mood, or an unexpectedly hot walk, could also make you get a little too glow-y. Just make sure you duck into the bathroom for any kind of cosmetic touch-ups, in case your potential boss walks in as you’re waiting."I think the backpack is still the signal of ‘I’m still a student,’" Aronstein says — and so does that free tote you like to carry everywhere. You don’t need to go out and buy an expensive bag — you could even borrow something professional-looking and big enough to fit that padfolio from your sibling, friend, or mom.As much as you may be tempted to buy an all-new interview outfit, this is not the best time to purchase beyond your means. It’s definitely a terrible time to suffer from blisters."If it’s going to be a very long day and you’re interviewing with multiple people, don’t make it the first day that you wear a new pair of heels," Aronstein often warns Barnard students searching for their first professional jobs. "You want to make sure that you feel good physically and that the clothing that you have on is not actually hurting you."Some employers require you to fill out forms with the addresses and phone numbers of your past workplaces, so those are helpful to have ready in advance (and are easy to program into the contacts app on your phone). And while Aronstein says you usually won’t be asked for references until right before you’re hired, this is a good time to get them lined up as well."You should have talked to them prior to the interview to let them know and [to ask] would they mind serving as your reference," Aronstein says.Part of your homework should be preparing how you’ll answer the typical interview questions and coming up with a few examples of work you’ve done (in a job, as a volunteer, or at school) that will illustrate your readiness for the job. Don’t come into the interview with a script, but a few notes to prompt yourself won’t hurt. You will also inevitably be asked if you have questions for your interviewer."This is always an opportunity to go to the second level of depth and detail, to show them that you’ve done research on the firm," Aronstein says.While Braswell likes seeing that an interviewee has prepared questions, he also thinks there’s room for improvisation."If you can base your questions on the conversation at hand, it shows that you’re being an active listener," he says.As much as we hope a potential employer is completely objective and open-minded, there’s always the fear that they are still going to judge you based on some preconceived notion — whether it be about your race and gender, where you went to school or grew up, or something about your appearance. Braswell, whose company aims to help Black, Latinx, and Native American job seekers, says you can’t be distracted by those thoughts during an interview."There’s nothing you can do to change somebody’s unconscious bias or even known biases when you’re in an interview," he says. "The only thing an individual can do is be their best professional self."Going into an interview prepared — with a fresh copy of your résumé, the right outfit, and knowing your stuff — will help you feel confident.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?A Week In San Diego As A Furloughed Government EmployeeHow To Prepare For (And Ace!) A Phone InterviewA Week In New York City On A $39,000 Salary
Sabrina Rojas Weiss