The CV and cover letter has been sent, you've received confirmation, and now your interview is less than 24 hours away.
Whether it's for your first ever job or taking another step up the career ladder, the night before an interview can be a nerve-racking time for all of us.
Here are five things you should try and do to make sure you wake up in the morning with the best possible chance of getting out there and landing that position.
Finalise your preparation
Ideally, you will have got most of your interview preparation done ahead of the night before your interview. However, this is still a good time to go over everything again and make sure you're armed with all the necessary information.
Your preparation should involve learning a good deal about the company in question and you need to know the job description for the role you've applied for inside out. Other things to think about include possible answers for some of the questions you expect to be asked and printing out any materials that may be required, such as your CV or examples of past work.
Think of some questions
The bulk of the interview will be spent by you answering questions, but it's very important that you manage to ask a few of your own as well. This serves a number of purposes. First of all, it will allow you to find out some more information about the job on offer, while it will also help to demonstrate your interest in and enthusiasm for the position.
It's worthwhile to spend a little time thinking of some possible questions you could ask, as this could be the difference between success and failure.
Plan your outfit
Appearance counts for a lot in interviews and you want to look your best. There's nothing worse than waking up on the day of the interview and finding your tie is missing or your dress has got a stain on it. Checking your outfit the night before will ensure you don't run into any wardrobe-related problems and you can work out a contingency plan if needed.
Don't leave anything to chance
The best way to approach an interview is to make sure you don't leave anything to chance and consider all of the details. A good way to spend the night before the big day is to double check you know where you are going and how you will get there - nothing creates a bad impression like turning up to an interview late. Make sure you know which part of the building you'll need to get to for your interview and, if you can, try and find out who will be interviewing you. These are small details, but they could have a big impact.
A good night's sleep
The last thing you want to be doing the evening before an interview is pulling an all-nighter. Getting a good amount of sleep will not only help you to feel fresh and relaxed on the day of the interview, but it will give your appearance a boost too. After all, you might not make the best impression if the interviewer thinks you've been up all night.
Before you hit the sack, try and spend some time unwinding. Whether it's reading a book or watching a bit of TV, do something that will help you relax, and there's less chance you'll get into bed fretting about what tomorrow might bring.
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