What should you bring to a job interview?
The short list fits in one folder:
- Five printed copies of your resume
- A typed list of three references
- A photo ID
- A notepad and two pens
- Your written questions for the interviewer
- The interviewer’s name, the address, and a contact phone number
- Your phone, charged and on silent
Everything else depends on the role. The checklist below sorts it out.
Interview checklist: essential, helpful, and role-specific items
Print this or copy it into your notes app. Check each box the night before.
| Category | Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | ☐ 5 copies of your resume | One for each panel member, plus a spare. Keep them flat in a folder. |
| Essential | ☐ Reference list (3 people) | Names, titles, phone numbers, and emails on a separate page that matches your resume header. |
| Essential | ☐ Photo ID | Many office buildings and hospitals require it at the security desk. |
| Essential | ☐ Notepad and 2 pens | For notes and for writing down names. A second pen covers a dead one. |
| Essential | ☐ Your questions for the interviewer | Written down so you don’t blank at the end. |
| Essential | ☐ Interview details | Interviewer names, suite number, parking instructions, and a phone number to call if you’re delayed. |
| Essential | ☐ Phone, fully charged | For directions and emergencies. Silence it before you walk in. |
| Helpful | ☐ Padfolio or plain folder | Keeps papers neat and gives you a writing surface. |
| Helpful | ☐ Printed job posting with your notes | A quick refresher while you wait in the lobby. |
| Helpful | ☐ Breath mints | Use one before you go in, not during the interview. |
| Helpful | ☐ Parking money or transit card | Some garages and meters don’t take cards. |
| Helpful | ☐ Small touch-up kit | Tissues, lint roller, comb, stain remover pen, bandages. |
| Helpful | ☐ Umbrella and a snack | Leave the snack in your bag for long final rounds. |
| Role-specific | ☐ Portfolio or work samples | Design, writing, marketing, architecture, and teaching (sample lesson plans). |
| Role-specific | ☐ Copies of licenses or certifications | Nursing license, CDL, cosmetology license, CPR card, or trade certifications. |
| Role-specific | ☐ Unofficial transcript | Recent grads and internship applicants, if requested. |
| Role-specific | ☐ 30-60-90 day plan | Management and sales roles, especially in final rounds. |
| Role-specific | ☐ Laptop or tablet | Only if you’ll present, demo software, or show a digital portfolio. |
| Role-specific | ☐ Uniform, tools, or knives | Only for a working interview or skills test, and only if asked. |
Not sure your resume is the right length to print? See how long a resume should be. And if you’re bringing licenses, list them the same way on your resume using our guide to putting certifications on a resume.
What should you not bring to an interview?
Some items send the wrong message before you say a word.
| Leave it at home | Why |
|---|---|
| Coffee or food | It’s awkward to hold and easy to spill. Finish it before you go in. |
| Gum | It’s distracting and hard to get rid of politely. |
| Strong perfume or cologne | Small offices and panel rooms are close quarters. |
| Earbuds in your ears | Take them out before you reach the building. |
| A friend, parent, or child | If someone drives you, they should wait outside or somewhere nearby. |
| Large bags or shopping bags | They clutter the space and look disorganized. |
| Your phone on the table | It signals you’re half-present, even if it’s face down. |
| Social Security card, passport, or birth certificate | You won’t need them at an interview. |
About those personal documents: employers collect identity and work authorization documents for Form I-9 after hiring. According to USCIS, new employees complete their part of the form no later than the first day of work and can complete it any time after accepting the offer. Keep these documents safe at home until then.
What should you have ready for a virtual interview?
A video interview needs a different checklist. Run through it the day before, then again 15 minutes before the call.
- ☐ The meeting link, saved somewhere you can find in seconds
- ☐ The video app installed, updated, and signed in
- ☐ Laptop plugged in, with the camera at eye level (a stack of books works)
- ☐ Headphones with a microphone, tested with a friend or a test call
- ☐ A light source in front of you, not behind you
- ☐ A plain, tidy background, or a simple blur
- ☐ Your resume, the job posting, and your questions open in one window or printed beside you
- ☐ The interviewer’s phone number in case your connection drops
- ☐ A backup internet option, like your phone’s hotspot
- ☐ Notifications turned off on your computer and phone
- ☐ A glass of water within reach
- ☐ A full interview outfit, not just a nice top
Log in five minutes early. If the interview is by phone instead, our phone interview tips cover the setup.
Does what you bring change for different types of interviews?
The essentials stay the same, but a few formats call for extras.
- Panel interview: Count the names in your invitation and bring that many resumes plus two. Write each panelist’s name on your notepad in the order they’re seated so you can address them by name.
- Second or final round: Bring updated references, since this is often when employers ask for them. Add a short 30-60-90 day plan if you’re interviewing for a management role.
- Job fair or open house: Bring 15 to 20 resumes, a folder to collect business cards, and a one-line pitch about the kind of role you want.
- Working interview or skills test: Ask ahead what to wear and what to bring. A kitchen may expect your own knives, a dental office may ask for scrubs, and a warehouse may require closed-toe work shoes.
- Group interview: Bring the usual essentials and a name you can say clearly. Group interviews move fast, so have a 20-second introduction ready.
If the invitation doesn’t say what to bring, it’s fine to reply and ask. A quick “Is there anything you’d like me to bring?” shows you’re prepared, not unsure.
What should you do the night before an interview?
A 30-minute routine the night before removes most of the morning panic.
- Reread the interview email. Confirm the time, time zone, address, and interviewer names.
- Plan your route. Check travel time at the hour you’ll be driving and find parking. Aim to arrive in the area 15 minutes early and walk in 5 to 10 minutes before your time.
- Print and pack. Resumes, reference list, and questions go in your folder. Put the folder in your bag by the door.
- Lay out your outfit. Check for wrinkles, stains, and missing buttons, and polish your shoes.
- Review your stories. Skim the job posting and practice three examples using the STAR method, since behavioral questions are a common part of interviews.
- Pick your questions. Choose three or four from our list of questions to ask at the end of an interview.
- Charge everything. Phone, laptop, and headphones.
- Set two alarms. Then go to bed at a normal time.
What should you do the morning of the interview?
- Eat a real breakfast, even a small one.
- Check traffic or transit alerts before you leave.
- Grab your bag and do a quick count: resumes, ID, phone, keys.
- Leave 10 minutes earlier than you planned.
If you arrive more than 15 minutes early, wait in your car or a nearby coffee shop. Walking in too early can put pressure on the person who has to greet you.
How should you carry everything?
Keep it to one bag. A padfolio holds your resumes, reference list, notepad, and pen in one place, so you can hand over a resume without digging through your bag. Put your phone, keys, and ID in the same outside pocket every time so you’re not searching for them at the security desk.
When you sit down, place your bag on the floor beside your chair, not on the table. Keep the padfolio on your lap or on the table in front of you, closed until you need it.