12 Important Things To Do 24 Hours Before Your Job Interview

Job hunting is unpredictable. Sometimes you have days to prepare for a job interview — sometimes, you only have a few hours. You never know when a potential employer might contact you once you have sent out your resume. But even if you have less than 24 hours to prepare for a job interview, you can still stand out from the competition.

What to do if you have less than 24 hours of preparation for a job interview

If you are keen on getting hired for a particular job opportunity, preparation is key to achieving your goal. Job interviews generally require advanced planning and significant research. But what do you do if you don't have the luxury of time?

Last-minute job interviews rarely happen, but when they do, you must be able to prove your flexibility and resourcefulness. You may experience job interview anxiety given the time constraint, but don't let your nerves get to you just yet. Preparation can help alleviate your stress and not be nervous going into the interview. 

You can cover quite a bit of ground within 24 hours if you know what to look for and where to find it. Here’s a quick checklist to help you make a memorable impression:

• Research key information about the company.
• Review the job description and your resume.
• Anticipate the interview questions.
• Make a list of questions to ask during the interview.
• Do a quick mock interview.
• Prepare your interview outfit.
• Ready your essentials.
• Determine the logistics of your interview.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Start your day right.
• Visualise success.
• Plan something fun after.

What to do 24 hours before your job interview

1. Research key information about the company

Doing your research can help you relieve stress and will help to increase your comfort level. It makes you feel more confident and capable if you have a strong base knowledge of how the company works.

Here are important pieces of information you should include in your research:

Mission statement

Comb through their about page and mission statement. Take note of their philosophy and values to assess if the company shares the same as you.

Leadership style

This information can often be found on the company's “Meet Our Team” or leadership page. You can get the names of the top people and research their accomplishments. You can also run a quick search of your interviewers and their backgrounds. 

Work culture

Look up reviews about the company. Check what their current and former employees say about them. These reviews can give you a better picture of its workplace dynamic. You can also browse through JobStreet’s Company Profiles and Reviews for free.

Challenges and goals

An excellent source to check what and how the company is doing is their social media pages. You can check what events the company is currently pushing or blog articles to see their latest updates. Observe how their team handles feedback.

Trending news about the company

A quick Google search will do the trick. See what comes up first or any relevant media coverage. You also check any industry news to show you are updated in the field you want to pursue.

2. Review the job description and your resume

An important part of interview preparation is studying the job description. Read and review it thoroughly and be sure to align your competencies with the skills required for the job. The job description may also give you ideas about the employer's questions throughout the interview.

Take time to review the keywords and duties indicated in the job description and align your resume with them. It is good to know what keywords to highlight to showcase why you are a good fit. Expect your interviewer to scrutinise your resume; they may pick things out for you to elaborate on, so make sure your resume remains relevant and genuine.

3. Anticipate the interview questions

A lot of the anxiety you experience in job interviews is based on not knowing what to expect. It is great to learn and prepare for employers' most common questions in a job interview. Present yourself as a confident candidate by gracefully answering open-ended questions like the “Tell me about yourself.”

You do not need to come up with robotic answers to memorise. Simply be aware of ways you can respond to possible questions and note what your answers would be. With this, you can confidently talk about yourself with your best foot forward. 

4. Make a list of questions to ask during the interview

At the end of the interview, anticipate the interviewer’s age-old question: “Do you have any questions for us?” Consider what you will ask beforehand to prevent freezing at the moment. Your questions can be just as important as your responses, so have a few on hand. 

Keep your questions focused on topics such as:

• Company growth strategy and long-term vision;
• Goals and challenges faced by your prospective department;
• The company's work culture; and,
• Expectations of you once you are hired.

Asking questions helps you assess what the company values and envisions. At the same time, it also enables you to build a good first impression as it shows your enthusiasm and determination to join the company. Don't pass it up!

Read more: 12 Killer Questions to Ask Employers During a Job Interview

5. Do a quick mock interview

Do a mock interview before the real thing. Get a family member or a close friend to act as an interviewer and provide feedback. This way, you can go over your responses and body language or how you come across.

Make notes of your answers and practice them out loud. It will help you feel more familiar with how to deliver your answers. But, do not over-rehearse. You want to remember the facts but still sound natural during your interview.

Pro Tip: Use JobStreet’s free Interview Practice Tool to refresh your interview skills immediately. This tool gives you access to the most commonly asked questions and tips to guide your answers. It also records your answers so that you can review your presentation until you are confident enough for the real deal.

What to do 12 hours before your job interview

1. Prepare your interview outfit

This point is essential whether you are looking for tips for an online job interview or a face-to-face one. You need to learn the art of power dressing; after all, job interviews are primarily about making a good first impression.

Pick out an outfit that fits the company culture. Make sure it is neatly ironed and ready to wear beforehand. Looking sharp conditions you for a winner's mindset and will most likely help you adopt the right attitude for the call. Your potential employer will see you, so dress the part: for the role you are applying for.

2. Ready your essentials

As you prepare your outfit, you should also prepare what you need during the interview. If it is an in-person interview, print out multiple copies of your resume and portfolio. You never know who you will be meeting with, and you want to have all your documents sorted and ready to go in case you are asked for it.

If you applied for a global position, you might have to deal with different time zones that you are not used to. Be safe and set an alarm to notify you when to get ready. The last thing you want to happen is to be late for the interview.

3. Determine the logistics of your interview

If you are doing an in-person interview, it is best to plan your route ahead of time. Better leave early to have sufficient buffer time for unexpected traffic or navigation issues. Consider the parking spaces and have backup options if your initial mode of transportation encounters problems.

If you have a virtual interview, check if you have the right video conferencing software. Find a clean, quiet place with a clean background where you can take the meeting. It is also a great idea to do a quick tech run to see if your headset and microphone are running smoothly.

4. Get a good night's sleep

With less than 24 hours before your job interview, you can easily feel pressured to cram the night before. As much as possible, avoid staying up late before a big job interview and get a well-rested sleep. Getting a good night's rest will ensure that you have enough time to prepare in the morning and wake up refreshed and in the right mood before the interview.

On the day of your job interview

1. Start your day right

Start your day by doing mindfulness exercises to help manage your pre-interview nerves. You can do simple breathing exercises or listen to music that can help your mind be calm enough to focus. Don’t forget to grab a great meal to help condition yourself for a great day.

2. Visualise success

Job interviews are never enough to reveal your full potential as a candidate. Learning how not to be nervous in a job interview may seem hard, but you can overcome it by visualising your success. Try to reframe your thoughts in a positive light. Think of this job interview as one step closer to achieving your goal of starting an exciting career.

3. Plan something fun after

Preparing for a job interview can take a lot of your energy. While this may be the focus of your day, it is also good to have something to look forward to after a nerve-wracking meeting. Do something fun after as a reward. You can meet with a friend for coffee or drinks to discuss what happened during the interview.

Attending a job interview is never a walk in the park, especially with less than 24 hours to prepare for it. You need to have careful planning, research, and appropriate self-care to get through it. Prepare for your next job interview like a pro with the help of JobStreet's Career Tools. Also, do not forget to update your JobStreet profile to get the latest opportunities. For more job seeking tips, visit the Career Resources Hub.