The night before an interview can pretty much determine whether you get the job or not. After all, if you don’t use the time wisely you could end up creating a bad first impression, deliver the wrong answers and ultimately let the role slip through your fingers. That’s why you should make sure that you don’t squander the final few hours to prove that you’re the candidate that should be hired. With this in mind, here are seven things that you can do the night before an interview.
1. Prepare your outfit
The interviewer will immediately cast their first impression depending on what you’re wearing. To make sure that you don’t fall at the first hurdle, consider what you’re going to wear well in advance. The night before, you’ll need to make sure that the attire is clean, ironed and suitable.
2. Eat and drink healthily
You may feel that an alcoholic beverage is necessary to calm your nerves, but you should resist this temptation at all costs in case it gives you a hangover. Additionally, steer clear of food that is high in fat and sugar because it can affect your concentration levels, disrupt your sleep and leave you feeling lethargic.
3. Arrange transportation
If you're relying on public transport, you’ll need to thoroughly check that the right bus or train will get you to the interview with time to spare. Meanwhile, if you’re driving yourself you’ll need to check for road closures and anything else that may delay traffic and cause you to arrive late.
4. Do research
It’s never too late to research the company that you’re hoping to work for. You’ll typically want to gather information on the company’s history and their goals for the future. After all, it would suggest that you’re not interested in the role if the interviewer thought you hadn’t done any relevant research.
5. Consider your answers
Admittedly, some candidates actually prefer to wing interview questions on the spot. However, you should at least prepare for the common ones, such as ‘what would you say is your number one weakness?’ These types of questions can really stump candidates if they’ve not considered the answer beforehand.
6. Prepare your documents
Sometimes you’ll be asked to bring a passport or national insurance card to an interview, so make sure that you’ve got these ready just in case. Additionally, it’s beneficial to print out a more up-to-date CV that’s tailored for the role. You can then hand this to the interviewer when you walk into the room.
7. Get some sleep
Experts recommend that people need between seven to nine hours' sleep each night to be fully functioning the next day. If you fall short of this quota, it will likely decrease your ability to concentrate and formulate impressive answers during the interview. Therefore, make sure that you get an early night.
Good luck!
These seven tips should set you off on the road to success before your interview. For more help getting a job – whether temporary or permanent – be sure to take advantage of the excellent recruitment service provided by Morgan Spencer.