Preparing for an interview can be extremely stressful. You want to be able to speak intelligently and concisely about your past experiences. You want to impress your interviewer with how you handle unexpected questions. And you want to appear charming and confident. In all the worry about your answers to various practice interview questions, however, it's easy to forget some of the basic preparations you should make before the interview day. If you can take care of the basics, you'll save yourself some unnecessary stress so you can focus on the actual interview without any worry.
Find Out The Logistics
As soon as you set up the interview, you should gather information. Ask for as specific instructions as possible so you don't have to worry about that minutes before the interview starts. For example, some interviewers will tell you to call when you arrive and they'll come down to get you. Ask about parking. Ask about the building, whether or not you'll have to check in with a guard in the lobby. Also, ask for the names and positions of the people who will interview you. Having an idea as to the specific process that morning and whom you'll speak with can help you both prepare and relax a little the night before your big day.
Get Clear Directions
Before you leave the house to go to your interview, you should know exactly how to get to the interview site. Have directions clearly written down and know the way traffic works around the site, especially if you have a morning interview and need to deal with rush hour traffic. If you can, drive to the interview site the day before as a practice run.
Save The Interviewer's Phone Number
You should also save the phone number of the person who contacted you about the interview. This number will be your lifeline should there be an emergency the day of your interview. For example, if you have car trouble, call this person as soon as possible. Making sure you communicate with your prospective employee will show them that you are calm and collected in stressful situations. After you've told them of the trouble, apologize and politely ask to reschedule.
Follow Your Eating And Drinking Routine
Before a big interview, you should also stick as close as possible to your usual eating routine. The night before an interview is not a good time to try out that new Indian restaurant down the street. Save that meal for your celebratory dinner when you land the job. Likewise, try not to drink too much coffee the morning of the interview. The idea here is that you don't do anything that would cause you physical discomfort, like a grumbling stomach, during the interview that could be distracting.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This guest post is contributed by Kate Willson, who writes about career, education, college life at top online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katewillson2@gmail.com