Unless you get a call from a prospective employer to get down to their office for an interview in the next 20 minutes, you’ll have at least a day or two to get prepared. There are a lot of things to get ready if you’re going to make a good impression. Procrastinators are doomed. Making drastic changes too late can spell disaster.
1. Assume you know where you’re going. I once drove out to a company’s location only to find out that my interview was at another office on the other side of town. There are a lot of details to take care of, so write things down, double check and then get a map or some online directions. GPS systems are great, but they have led me down the wrong road more than once. The best thing to do is to make a dry run. Drive out to the interview location before the big day to be sure you can get there on time.
2. Change your hair color. This one actually turned out OK, but I would never do this again. The day before my interview I noticed I had about a half inch of my real hair color showing at the roots. Not a good impression for an interview. I bought some of the 10-minute hair color in a beautiful brown, and then got too busy to complete the process. The following morning I had some time and it only took 10 minutes, so I decided to change the color. Everything went fine until I remembered to print out my resume and references and let the color sit a little longer it should have. To my shock, my brown hair was almost black! It looked good, but I was freaked out because I didn’t look like myself. Confidence is a must-have for an interview, and it took some fast self-talking to get back to the place where I felt like me again.
3. Change your diet. Stress can take a toll on the digestive system and introducing new foods doesn’t help. Stick to your regular breakfast or lunch food so you don’t all of a sudden have an embarrassing stomach problem during your interview.
4. Forget to eat. Employers like candidates with energy. You need to eat before your interview so your blood sugar is happy and you’re brain has some good carbs to keep it fresh and clear. Falling asleep or slouching because you’re hungry and listless won’t make a good impression. You can’t give great answers to interview questions with a headache or a growling stomach.
5. Just one drink to calm the nerves. It’s OK to be a little nervous during an interview. A shot of tequila, cocktail or glass of wine before the interview, especially on an empty stomach, may relax you a little too much. HR professionals are trained to detect employees who are under the influence. One hint that you may have had a drink before the interview could kill your chances immediately. Lay off the sauce, face your fears and give it your best shot. Interviewers expect you to be a little nervous. A little good stress can keep you sharp.
There is no need to shoot yourself in the foot. Plan ahead, keep to your normal routine and try not to do anything stupid before the interview. If in doubt, don’t do it. Give yourself every advantage to be successful.
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