Car Talk: What to Say to Yourself Before an Interview

We’ve all done it, that pep-talk in the car before you go into an interview. Why not make your car-talk a positive and effective one? Start when you leave the house, get serious about it when you arrive and park, and finish up as you’re walking into the building.

1. Be prepared. This is a must BEFORE the car talk, as you need to have laid out your clothes, printed your resume, and collected the things you need the night before.
2. Be early. Talk yourself right out the door and into the car, 30 minutes earlier than you think you need to. That thirty minutes can give you leeway for traffic conditions, time to get lost, and still arrive a bit early…with time for that car talk!
3. Stay calm. This is your mantra while driving to the interview. You are ready, you are a great candidate, and you will stay cool and collected.
4. Practice your elevator pitch. At least three times, introduce yourself, checking your smile and relaxed, confident posture in your rear view mirror.
5. Glance at the job description again. You know what key words you chose that you want to emphasize, and you’re ready to mention them in relation to your skills, experience, and character.
6. Glance at your resume. You know that you’re an accomplished candidate, these hiring influencers are going to love you.
7. Run through your answers to common behavioural interview questions. You have a few stories picked out of times you failed or took criticism and how you turned it around to a positive. You have some stories chosen of when your ideas were ignored and what you learned from that, and how you used that new knowledge to go the extra mile next time.
8. Breathe. It’s time to stop rehearsing, stop practicing. Breathe in for a count of five, hold for five, then release your breath for five. And again. You’ve got this.
9. Check your rear view mirror. Make sure you look calm and polished. Ready?
10. Ten minutes before your appointment, walk on in.
11. Be friendly. Everyone you meet could be asked about your interactions, so start with good manners and a great attitude.
12. Keep your phone hidden, your posture upright, and your stance open. Hold your resume if you’re feeling fidgety, but not your phone or tablet. You need to be ready to focus on your interviewers as soon as they appear.