Job interview: Pre-flight checklist

"If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything begins to look like a nail.

— Mark Twain

The principle of the winning edge: "All it takes to win—either over a single competitor or a field of them—is a slight Advantage."

Before your interview, make certain you have:

* Recent haircut/styling
* New eyeglasses
* Starched shirt/blouse
* Up-to-date wardrobe

You won't need all the following items. Some may not apply to you, but read through the checklist to be sure you don't forget something vital or show up unprepared.

The Day of Meeting, take:

* Appointment book
* Folder or small briefcase
* Clean 8 1/2 "x 11" notepad
* Your current company literature, job description, and organization chart (if appropriate)
* Personal compensation history
* Job shopping list (ideal job design)
* Six extra resumes
* Business references (from peers, employers, subordinates, clients, vendors)—either a list of names and addresses, or actual letters of reference
* Written performance appraisals
* Memos/letters confirming achievement
* Photos of you receiving awards (above the 3rd grade)
* College transcripts (if recent graduate)
* Facts about prospective employer (clippings, company brochure, annual report, 10K)
* Questions to ask prospective employer
* By-line articles (articles you've written)
* Feature articles (articles written about you) * Text of your own past speeches
* Interview cheat sheet
* Interview evaluation/comment form
* Portfolio (non-proprietary samples of your work)—technical drawings, reports, photos (before and after), brochures of products you've sold or developed
* Chart of experience-match areas (how you fit the job description)

Arrive 15 minutes before your interview. Visit the restroom and check yourself in the mirror. Then be friendly and cordial, but listen 80 percent and talk 20 percent unless directly questioned.

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