10 May 2023
We’ve been asked by a number of candidates whether they should take anything with them to their job interviews, so we thought a quick list of what you should and shouldn’t take might be helpful:
What is OK to take to a Job Interview?
Everything You’ve Been Asked to Bring
When you are invited to an interview, recruiters sometimes ask you to take certain things, either to help with their selection process, e.g. a presentation or portfolio, references or identity documents. To make sure their first impression of you is a positive one, make sure you’ve done exactly what they’ve asked you to do. If they don’t feel that you can successfully follow instructions, that means your chances have diminished pretty quickly after walking through the door.
Copies of your CV
It’s always good to have extra copies of a CV – firstly, it means you’ll have a chance to read it and refresh your memory before you jump into the hot seat, but secondly, there may be interview panel members who don’t have their own copy. We don’t suggest entering the room and handing out your CV, but if it becomes apparent that someone doesn’t have a copy, you can fix that problem straight away and probably gain some brownie points too.
Having the chance to look prepared but not pushy is a good place to be. It shows that you have thought through the potential scenarios that may happen in the interview and have covered the necessary bases. It further shows that you have a problem-solving type of mind, which is what many recruiters are looking for.
A Notepad and Pen
There’s nothing wrong with taking these into an interview scenario, and we’d probably suggest it if you’re a bag of nerves when being grilled by a potential new employer. Having these will make you look organised, but also means you can make notes beforehand of the questions you might want to ask during the interview and refer to them at the appropriate point. We don’t suggest ever starting to take notes during an interview though.
Looking organised and prepared is good, but if you start to take notes, it may look like you aren’t giving the interviewers your full attention and you may lose some points for this. Also, try not to fidget and tap or click the pen, as this can also be offputting in an interview and office scenario.
Company Literature
If you’ve managed to get hold of information about the company, e.g. brochures or leaflets, then again, it’s OK to take these in. This will likewise show you’ve been proactive in discovering more about the organisation.
Some people like having a visual prop to show that they have put in the work doing research about the company and this can work out well. Just be careful that you don’t overload yourself between a notepad and leaflets and end up dropping everything on the floor.
Copy of the Job Advert/Description
Again, these are valuable things to read just before the interview, but also, placed in front of you during the interview, can give you something to glance at to put any of the interviewer’s questions into context.
Don’t scan the whole thing before answering a question from an interviewer, looking for the relevance of the question. It is important that you can answer quickly and confidently whenever they ask you something.
What is NOT OK to Take into an Interview?
Your Mobile Telephone
Whilst most of us are glued to our mobiles, we suggest leaving it out of the interview room if you can. If you don’t have that option, just ensure it is turned off. That means off, not on silent or vibrate mode, totally off. We’ve seen mobiles flash when they ring, and some phones have a disturbingly noisy vibrate function, which is massively distracting to interviewers and candidates alike.
Taking a mobile phone into an interview situation and having it go off looks like a massive sign of disrespect to most interviewers. The idea that you couldn’t bear to be parted from your phone for 30 minutes gives the impression that you consider your phone to be more important than the job interview. It is unlikely they will terminate the interview immediately but it will be a black mark against your name.
Food
Yep, whilst most of us have enough common sense to know this, we have heard of people taking their butties into the interview and have asked the panel if they were ok to eat during proceedings. Needless to say, the outcomes wouldn’t be so positive. This is the height of rudeness and interviewers will take a very dim view of this behaviour. How are you meant to answer interview questions with a mouth full of food?
A Hot Drink
Again, while you were desperate for a brew on your way into the company building, finish it outside. A bottle of water is fine, but a cappuccino is not. Doubtless, you’d be offered a drink in the interview room, and if you’re not offered one, you might have your bottle of water to rely on.
It comes across as rude to bring your own hot drink into the room. Drinking a hot drink while they have maybe rushed to the interview, foregoing one in order to get there on time can also get their backs up.
A Family Member
It’s never ideal to turn up for an interview with a parent or sibling, even though you may feel like you need the moral support. Aside from the occasions where being accompanied is an absolute necessity, e.g. accessibility issues or communication challenges, we suggest you should always turn up alone.
It gives the impression that you are unable to function without family support and this is not the impression that you should be looking to cultivate when it comes to your professional career. If you needed a lift from a family member to make it to the interview, meet them somewhere afterwards for a coffee and a debrief, don’t bring them to the interview.
