When I was in scouts we used to go on a lot of camping trips. About once a month we would go with the other young men up to the canyon for an overnight adventure. About 20 minutes after we left our scout master’s house, inevitably one of the scouts would say that he had forgotten some critical item such as a sleeping bag, a coat, or even heaven forbid, toilet paper. At some point along the way, our scoutmaster gave us a checklist of things to review before we left our house. This helped prevent many uncomfortable and avoidable experiences. 🙂

Here’s my pre-flight checklist before I go into an interview:

1. A suit and a tie. Dress to impress. You should always try to be one level above your interviewer in regards to clothing. It’s an easy way to quickly capture their respect. If you walk in and feel like you’re way overdressed, you can always take your jacket off.
2. A leather folder. It can be fake leather…but just make sure it looks nice. This is another easy way to look polished in an interview. It also prevents your documents from getting wrinkled.
3. A pad of paper and pen. When you open up your folder, have a pen and paper waiting. I always appreciate it when candidates take a few notes during the interview about the things we discussed. It makes it clear that you as the interviewee are engaged and passionate about the job. Make sure to jot down the names of each of your interviewers and what they do so that you can write a good thank you note after the interview. Just don’t write too many notes that it’s distracting.
4. Six copies of your resume. Most interview panels have five or less people on them. You should be safe with six copies so that you can have one for yourself to look at. Remember that they’ve already looked over your resume prior to the interview. That’s why you got the interview. But it’s a time-honored tradition that you bring resumes to an interview. You might consider bringing in a more creative version of your resume that catches their attention.
5. Six printed copies of your portfolio. The career portfolio is the number one way to win an interview. It gives your interviewers a chance to see visual evidence of your wildly successful projects. It also focuses the interview so that they ask questions about the things you’ve done in the portfolio rather than about things you haven’t done. Print a copy for each person so that he or she can take it with them. Bringing in a portfolio also shows your panel subconsciously that you’re going to go the extra mile in your future position too.
6. Six classy business cards. Set yourself apart from the competition and make sure that your interviewers have a very easy way to get a hold of you. Hand them out at the end of the interview on your way out the door.
7. A silenced cell phone. Don’t forget to turn off your cell phone before the interview. An obnoxious ring tone can really disrupt the vibe of your interview.
8. Quick, but engaging stories. If you’ve done your homework, you’re going to know a lot of the questions that your interviewers are going to ask. Make sure that you have a quick and powerful story to answer each one. The story should take no longer than 60 seconds to share. Engaging stories are the evidence behind your resume.
9. Ten extra minutes. Get to the interview ten minutes early to give yourself some time to cool down and relax. Make sure you’re in the right place so that you’re not late. Also, if the previous interview gets out early, you’re ready to go. Take a few minutes to look over your resume and portfolio one last time and do a quick run through of your answers.

If you walk into an interview with these nine things, chances are very high that you’re going to leave a very positive impression on your interviewers and they will likely give you a call back. If you’ve got an interview coming up that you would like some coaching for, let’s get together.