8 Things to Bring to Every Job Interview

8 Things to Bring to Every Job Interview8 Things to Bring to Every Job Interview When youre preparing for a job interview , many things go through your mind. Most of them involve what you need to say and the questions youll need to answer. But dont forget - there are also a handful of physical items youll want to bring along. Wondering what to bring to an interview? Use this as your checklistOdds are, you wouldnt leave the house without it anyway, but make sure to bring your phone with you so you can enter the directions to your interview location, especially if youve never been there before. If you dont have a smartphone capable of GPS navigation, print out directions. The worst thing you can do is get lost, which will make you late, which will likely prevent you from moving forward in the interview process . On your phones notepad app, or on the directions youve printed out, write out the name and contact information of your interviewer(s). This way, if something does go wrong on your way to the interview, you can let them know. This will also help ensure that you dont forget your interviewers name - a major faux pas.Its not quite as common nowadays, but you never know if youll be asked for identification, so its worth bringing anyway. When in doubt, ask the person who set up your interview in advance - better safe than sorryAs a job landseeker, business cards are great for networking and interviewing. Your business card should include your name, job title, email, phone number and any other contact information you think is important. Give your card to your interviewer, or anyone else you talk to about the job. (If you need inspiration about what to include, I recently came across these cute ones from Moo)You may be used to taking notes on your laptop or phone, but in interviews, it definitely looks better if you havepaper and a pen handy to jot down notes like people to contact, addresses or anything else mentioned in the interview that you want to remember later. Beingprepared with your own supplies to capture important information that your interviewer provides you with is a surefire way to make you look proactive and thoughtful.Print out a few copies of the most updated version of your resume . You should also have extra copies in case you need to reference it during the interview - or if extra interviewers show up.Bring an updated list of your references . Your interviewer may or may not ask for these, but again, its best to be over-prepared. The list should have at least three professional references, along with how they know you and how to contact them.Depending on the kind of job youre after, it might be valuable to bring a portfolio of your past work . This can be a folder, binder or even a website shown on your tablet. Your portfolio should be organized in a way that makes it easy to reference during your interview. The contents of your portfolio will depend on your profession, but there should be qua lity examples of your work and accomplishments.At the end of every interview, you will be asked if you have any questions. Have a list of questions ready to go so youre prepared. These questions can be about the rest of the hiring process, company culture or anything else youre interested in, but remember You want to your questions to be specific and reflect the fact that youve done research, so your interviewer can see your true interest in the position.When thinking about what to bring an interview, a lot of things come to mind, but the eight above are the most essential. While they might seem simple, its important not to forget them - they really might make a difference on the day of your interview.