Day of Interview
The morning of the interview (or the afternoon before), email your contact to confirm the time and location of the interview. For video interviews, make sure you can access the platform that will be used without an issue.
Make sure you have a notepad and pen for any notes. If in person, bring copies of your resume to share. If you have a phone or video call-based interview, have a copy of your resume for your own reference.
Plan to arrive (if in person) or be seated in your planned location (if phone or video) 10–15 minutes before the interview starts.
During the Interview
Relax and be confident in yourself, your qualifications, and your preparation. Smile and make eye contact, sit up with good posture, try not to fidget. Listen to the questions asked, take notes if needed, and answer as directly and fully as possible without rambling.
If you are asked a question that’s illegal (see list below) or inappropriate, the best response is to pause and calmly respond by saying something like, “Is that job related?” Most often, the interviewer didn’t intend to ask an illegal or inappropriate question.
At the end of the interview, thank your interviewer(s) and reiterate your interest in the position. If in person, request the interviewer’s business card.
Illegal Questions
Questions on the following topics are illegal in the United States as they could potentially lead to employment discrimination.
- Marital status (Note: They can ask if you are authorized to work in the United States.)
- Religion
- Race
- Age
- Nationality (Note: They can ask if you’re authorized to work in the United States.)
- Disability (Note: They can ask if you’d be able to perform certain specific job-related duties, such as lifting a certain amount of weight.)
