The Young Professional- What To Bring To An Interview

Brock University's Homecoming was this weekend, but I missed it due to work- functions on Friday and Saturday. I did follow along on Instagram and Twitter. It seemed like a really fun weekend and I'm so sad that I missed out. Countdown is on for Homecoming 2016!!

I put this series, The Young Professional, on hiatus for the summer. I'm looking forward to bringing this series back and thought I would start the post-summer hiatus with a post about what to bring to an interview.

• Paper and pen. During interviews, I always place a pad of paper and a pen on the table in front of me. By doing this, I'm showing the interviewer that I'm taking this interview serious, that I'm engaged and I'm prepared to take notes- which I have never done during an interview.
• Copies of your resume. The interviewer will likely have a copy of your resume, but it's a good idea to bring a back up. I went to an interview once, where the day of my interview, the printers weren't working. The interviewer was going to use an electronic copy of my resume. She was thankful when I handed her a paper copy. 
• References. A lot of interviewers will ask you to bring references with you. Even if they don't ask, bring them anyway. I was in an interview once, where I was asked by the interviewer if she had asked me to bring references. I told her, that she hadn't asked me to bring them, but I had them anyway and was able to hand them over. Who you should use as a reference is a future post.
• Questions. I always prepare questions to ask during an interview. Even thought I have the questions memorized, I write them down on a piece of paper and keep them tucked away. This way if I get nervous or forget the questions, I can pull them out to refer too. 
• Portfolio. Whether or not you are asked to bring a portfolio, bring one anyway. I tell the interviewer (usually towards the end) that I have my portfolio and ask if they would like to see it. I have had an interviewer tell me no (and I still got called back for a second interview) and have had them say yes. It's a great way to show what you can do and what you have done. Portfolios showcase your work in a way that answering questions can't and they can either highlight things you talked about during your interview or things that didn't even get brought up. What to include in your portfolio is a future post.

Looking for more from this series? Check out The Young Professional label.