{"id":64167,"date":"2014-03-11T13:45:09","date_gmt":"2014-03-11T18:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=64167"},"modified":"2014-03-11T11:24:52","modified_gmt":"2014-03-11T16:24:52","slug":"interview-day-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/?p=64167","title":{"rendered":"Interview Day Hacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Courtney Baron, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ Georgia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Interview Day Hacks<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"courtney.baron\"<\/a>I recently had an interview and thought I would share my day-of interview\u00a0routine!<\/p>\n

Give yourself a buffer.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Give yourself a buffer before the interview. If the interview takes place at\u00a0a location you’ve never been before, but is within a commuting distance,\u00a0I suggest checking out the site ahead of time. This will ensure you don’t\u00a0get lost, can accurately estimate how long it will take you to arrive, and\u00a0you will feel more confident knowing exactly where to go. If you are invited\u00a0to an interview during a workday, it’s usually better to take the whole day\u00a0off, if possible. This will ensure work emergencies don’t come up that\u00a0could potentially throw off your game or even prevent you from making the\u00a0interview. I like to arrive to the library at least one hour in advance. You\u00a0don’t want to check in that early, but it will give you time to relax, review\u00a0notes, and mentally prepare for the interview. Make sure you have some\u00a0water and a light snack and use the bathroom ahead of time! Grumbly\u00a0tummies and *ahem* sudden bathroom needs will distract you.<\/p>\n

Look good to feel your best.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The hiring committee’s decision on whether or not you are the right person\u00a0for the job shouldn’t be based on your appearance. However, taking some\u00a0time to look your best will make you feel more confident.<\/p>\n

No matter which gender you identify as, I suggest regularly getting haircuts\u00a0and keeping trimmed and neat nails. These are small details that can\u00a0make a big difference. I talk with my hands a lot so I don’t want chipped\u00a0and weeks old nail polish on my nails. I just file and put on a glossy nail\u00a0strengthener.<\/p>\n

Ladies – If there you have a signature or preferred look or style, then by\u00a0all means, be yourself and dress as normal! I like a natural and simple\u00a0makeup routine. In case you are curious, here is my go-to look: Urban\u00a0Decay Naked Basics palette (WOS on the lid with Naked 2 and Faint on\u00a0the crease) for eyeshadow and a little mascara, Benefit Benetint on the\u00a0lips (tints are awesome because you will avoid any embarrassing lipstick\u00a0on the teeth or smeared on your face moments) with some lip balm, and a\u00a0touch of blush to add a hint of color to the cheeks. A brightening concealer\u00a0and eye cream are a must if you couldn’t sleep the night before due to\u00a0nerves (it happens!).<\/p>\n

Gents<\/strong> – If you are in need, don’t forget to shave! A stubble free face or neat\u00a0beard looks and feels fresher.<\/p>\n

I highly recommend testing out your interview outfit beforehand. I wore\u00a0my last interview outfit the very day before at work (yes, I washed it!) and\u00a0I’m glad I did – I had a long string hanging down my dress. Little things like\u00a0that can look careless or – worse – cause awkward moments if your outfit is\u00a0see-through, catches on something, etc.!<\/p>\n

To wear controversial piercing and show off tattoos or not? I say go for\u00a0it. I have a nose ring – a hoop that can only be removed professionally –\u00a0and I keep it in at all times. I figure, if it’s a problem, then they will let me\u00a0know, and if it prevents me from getting a job, then the culture isn’t a good\u00a0fit anyway. At my last job interview, a member of the committee had facial\u00a0piercings and it clearly wasn’t a big deal!<\/p>\n

Put your interview materials together.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like to keep a clipboard with my r\u00e9sum\u00e9, cover letter, references, job\u00a0description, questions to ask, notes, and other information about the\u00a0company with me. This makes it easy to keep everything in one place and\u00a0reference before the interview starts. I also make sure to have a fresh pad\u00a0of paper plus a pen to take notes during the interview. Make sure to bring\u00a0business cards, just in case they ask!<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t neglect your mental health.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You have to take care of yourself in order to succeed during an interview. I\u00a0recommend taking the time to exercise, meditate, do breathing exercises,\u00a0and\/or go for a walk to clear your hand and relieve nerves. If you are doing\u00a0a phone interview and can talk from your home, light a candle and set up a\u00a0tranquil space! It really helps set a positive mood.<\/p>\n

I really think it\u2019s the little things that can make a difference between a so-so\u00a0interview and a potential job offer. Good luck job hunting!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Courtney Baron, Head Editor,\u00a0INALJ Georgia Interview Day Hacks I recently had an interview and thought I would share my day-of interview\u00a0routine! Give yourself a buffer. Give yourself a buffer before the interview. If the interview takes place at\u00a0a location you’ve never been before, but is within a commuting distance,\u00a0I suggest checking out the site…<\/p>\n

Read more \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":60585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[145],"tags":[69,3592,3867,3593,6036,4514,5929,4590,111],"class_list":["post-64167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-article","tag-blog","tag-courtney-baron","tag-inalj-georgia","tag-interview-day-hacks","tag-interview-tips","tag-job-interview","tag-preparing-for-interviews","tag-tips"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/courtney.baron_.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1WoMK-gGX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=64167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64167\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/60585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=64167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=64167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inalj.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=64167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}