The Job Interview Preparation checklist

After sending out several applications for sport jobs or even just one for your dream career, you finally hear back! A moment of pure joy and happiness – until your eyes stop on the set date for your interview.

Feeling a bit nervous already? That’s perfectly normal. Most of us feel stressed about interviews, having to prove we’re the right fit. The key to boosting your confidence is thorough preparation. If you sort things out in advance, your interview won’t feel as daunting, and you’ll approach it with much more assurance.

This checklist will help you focus on what you need to know and what to pack, so you can confidently nail it!

At least 1 week in advance

Further Research about the employer

Knowing about your future employer is already a part of your application beforehand. Still, refresh your knowledge for the interview and go more into detail. It won’t be enough knowing about the industry they are in and what they do. Inform yourself about their principles, hierarchies and key figures. Thanks to LinkedIn you could already gather information about your interviewer in advance. Larger companies regularly publish news about ongoing projects and future goals; knowing these details can impress your interviewer.

Quick tip: A common mistake? Candidates often don’t know what the company’s acronym stands for. Always double-check—it’s an easy way to show genuine interest!

A step further: Diversity and inclusion awareness

Research the company’s culture around diversity and inclusion. Knowing their stance and initiatives in this area demonstrates your thoroughness and compatibility.

Know the details of your future job

This is not only about the general tasks the position includes. Furthermore, you should already know whether your future job is part time or full time, if you’re going to work in a team or solo, whether it’s a leading position and so on. If not all of the details can be found in the job ad before, don’t hesitate to contact HR for clarification. This way, there won’t be any surprises during your interview.

Revisit the job ad carefully and address any skill gaps mentioned in your application. When it comes to skills like languages, honesty is the best principle: imagine the awkward moment when your interview partners welcomes you with “Buenos días, encantada de conocerle” and you can’t do much more than smile back at her.

Prepare common questions and answers

Interviews often include unexpected questions designed to see how you handle pressure. It’s okay to take a moment to respond thoughtfully. However, regular questions should never throw you off. Especially if you’re new to interviews, research and rehearse answers to common questions in advance. You’ll arrive feeling more prepared and confident.

Know your own qualities

Selling yourself doesn’t come easy for a lot of people, especially with limited experience. Yet, interviews are precisely about showcasing your value. The key is to know about your unique skillset and talk about it without bragging. In fact, finding out your own worth is a key factor to impress an interviewer. For a little help, we wrote this blog about how you can learn about your own worth.

Check your social media presence

Your online image matters! Quickly audit your social media profiles and ensure they reflect a professional, consistent persona that aligns with your potential employer’s values.

Prepare your outfit

Dress for success – you probably have heard about this before. Nevertheless, it doesn’t necessarily mean to suit up. Especially in the sports industry, the right outfit might be a casual one.
If you have a chance, find out about the dress code beforehand – take a small visit to the company or ask an acquittance who works there. Seeing employee’s profiles on LinkedIn might also give you a hint.

See if you have one, better two, fitting outfits in your closet. If not, buy one in time. Doing this as early as possible will help you being prepared perfectly. You’ll still have enough time to sort out any wardrobe malfunctions like stains or holes or worst, a bad smell. Ensure you have at least one backup outfit ready. Doing this early helps avoid last-minute panic.

For more tips, check our blog What to wear in a job interview.

Know your worth

Research typical salaries for your position using tools like Glassdoor, Payscale, or LinkedIn Salary. This often depends on your location, the size of the company and the position itself.

Define clearly your ideal salary range, including minimum acceptable pay, holiday expectations, and working hours.

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A couple of days before your interview

Check out the directions and do a test-run

Being late is a major interview blunder. If you go by car, walk or bike: Don’t rely on GPS only, there could be a traffic jam, road closure or whatever. Check out the route before and see how long it really takes for you to get there.

For people using public transport: Find out which would be the comfortable connection to be there in time* – and note down the one before this one to take on your interview day. Even if you miss one, you’ll still be there spot on.

*Just so we’re clear: In time doesn’t mean in the last moment, it means a comfortable arrival a little bit earlier.

Writing down your own questions

When you feel prepared about the questions that might come up, find out for yourself what you want to know about the job and the company. The interviewer will expect you to ask – it shows curiousness about the employer. See it as a sign you really want the job.
By the way, you don’t have to wait until the end of the interview to ask. If it fits the brought up topic, ask your question straight away.

Do a test interview with a friend

See this as a chance for a rehearsal. It will boost your confidence and help you talk more natural in your interview.

On the day of your interview – one hour in advance

Last time: Check your appearance

Check yourself again before you leave home to head for your interview. Control if your outfit is stain free and suits you well, that you smell good (don’t overdo it with perfume), brush your teeth – to sum up: Dress for success. Try to arrive 10 minutes earlier at the company to make another quick checkup. Especially when you go by bus, train, sub, you’ll be happy to be able to re-arrange your outfit or hair.

Don’t smoke!

Seriously, even if you’re a smoker, try not to smoke after you put on your outfit and brushed your teeth. Smoky odour can be distracting or – depending on preferences – even off-putting. We all know that you’ll need the cigarette even more on this important day to calm your nerves, but try to stay strong. Chew (nicotine) gum during your drive.
By the way, having coffee short before has a similar effect – bad breath. So if you want one beforehand, at least bring mint.

Mute your phone

Seriously, a ringing phone will feel embarrassing for you and it will be disrespectful for your interviewer. Also one of the common mistakes.

Try to relax

The last things to prepare short before your drive should be small things, anything else should already be prepared. The interview itself will already stress you out, so no need to push it even more by nerv wrecking last minute preparations. Take your time before you head out to calm your nerves instead. Listen to your favourite song, phone with a friend, meditate, go for a walk, whatever brings you down. We know that this is probably the hardest point on this whole checklist, but go for it anyway. You are so well prepared!

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What to pack

Your resumé / application

Taking your application documents to an interview makes a good impression – it shows that you are prepared well. Also, it will be a great help if questions regarding your experience come up. You can always easily point to your CV, having your milestones set up written down for everyone to see.
The HR sure will bring her own copy, but in bigger companies,  sometimes an additional employees will join the interview, for example your team or project leader.

Just don’t stash it in your bag! To make a good impression, bring your resumé in a folder so it will stay neat and clean. Stains on your documents or dog-ears are an absolute no-go!

Pen and oaper or tablet

Note-taking during interviews demonstrates engagement. You might also need it as there’ll be a lot of details about the job that you will want to remember later. Tablets are acceptable, especially in modern companies or agencies, but pen and paper remain safest for conservative environments.

An extra shirt / blouse

Ever heard of murphy’s law? In the worst moment for something to go possibly wrong, it will go wrong. Translated: If you don’t bring an extra shirt, you’ll probably spill something on the one you’re wearing.
In a young and small start-up your interviewers will probably laugh it off, but in any larger company a clean outfit is a must.

All the small things

Mints, tissues, water for the journey, a comb or a brush, make-up for a retouch if you like, a phone in case you’ll be late, the number of the company.

Feeling ready? You’ve got this! Now, get set to impress. Good luck!