June 23, 2017

10 Things Not To Bring To A Job Interview

Congrats. If you’ve landed a job interview, you’re doing a lot of things right. You’ve already beat out a huge portion of the other job candidates with your stellar resume and killer cover letter. Now it’s time to step up your game and nail the job interview.

Female job candidate waiting for interview with a bag of things

8 Interview Questions You Should NEVER Ask

To prepare for a job interview you need to brush up on interview questions, research the company, hone your portfolio, brainstorm questions to ask, consider your apparel and appearance, and more. There’s a lot going on. One thing that job seekers often overlook is deciding what things to bring and what things not to bring to a job interview.

Let’s start with the basics. Here are a few things that you need to bring to a job interview:

  • Printed Directions
  • Several Black or Blue Pens
  • Notebook
  • Copy of Resume
  • Breath Mints
  • List of Questions
  • Identification
  • References
  • Portfolio
  • Smile
  • Laptop, But Only If Necessary
  • Professional Bag/Folder
  • Anything Specifically Requested By Interviewer

Now that you have a list of what to bring, let’s take a look at the things not to bring to a job interview:

  • Bad Attitude
  • Drinks
  • Candy/Gum
  • Smartphone
  • Reading Materials
  • Competitor’s Products
  • Hats
  • Friends & Family
  • Pets
  • Nothing At All

None of these things will impress a recruiter. This is a pretty simple list of things to bring and things not to bring to a job interview. Yet when you speak to job interviewers, you’ll be amazed at the stories they can tell. Keep the things you need for a job interview to a minimum. They should all fit nicely in a small and professional bag or briefcase.

If you bring too many things or you bring things that you shouldn’t, it will reflect poorly on you as a job candidate. In fact, it can ruin your chances of getting hired! Yikes. Stick to this list and you should be ok.

Read up about more job interviews tips on JobMonkey.com to ensure that you are prepared to nail the interview.

See Also:

Sign up for our newsletter!