Job interview preparation usually means researching the organization, reviewing the position, thinking through potential questions, and preparing examples that demonstrate your experience and leadership capabilities. Those are all important steps, particularly when you are interviewing for an executive or senior leadership position.
But there is another part of job interview preparation that is much easier to overlook: making sure the logistics do not become a distraction.
Years ago, Centennial advised candidates to do a “drive-by” before an interview. The idea was simple. Drive to the location ahead of time so you knew exactly where you were going, how long it would take, where you could park, and what obstacles might cause you to arrive late.
Technology has changed considerably since that advice was first shared. The principle behind it has not.
Take the Uncertainty Out of Interview Day
Look at the route in advance and consider traveling it at approximately the same time of day as your interview. Traffic patterns at 10:00 a.m. can be very different from those at 7:00 a.m. Check for construction, road closures, parking restrictions, security procedures, building entrances, and anything else that could create an unexpected delay.
If you are interviewing at a large corporate campus, hospital, university, manufacturing facility, or office complex, knowing the street address may only get you part of the way there. Finding the correct building, entrance, parking area, or reception desk can take additional time.
A practice run allows you to discover those issues when there is nothing at stake.
Prepare for the Virtual Route, Too
The modern version of the “drive-by” applies just as much to a virtual interview.
If your interview is on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, or another platform, open the link ahead of time when possible. Make sure the application is updated, your camera and microphone work properly, and you know which name and profile image will appear when you join.
Then consider what the interviewer will see and hear. Test your lighting, camera position, internet connection, background, and audio. Silence unnecessary notifications and have a backup plan in case your primary device or connection fails.
The objective is not to create a perfect studio environment. It is to prevent avoidable technical problems from interfering with an important conversation.
Do Your Homework Beyond the Logistics
Review the company’s website, leadership team, recent news, products or services, competitors, and industry. Research the company culture and consider reaching out to people in your network who currently work there or have worked there previously. LinkedIn can also help you understand the backgrounds of the people you will be meeting.
Most importantly, prepare thoughtful questions of your own. An interview is not simply an organization evaluating you. It is also your opportunity to understand the leadership team, expectations, culture, challenges, and opportunities associated with the role.
For executive candidates in particular, that preparation should go deeper than memorizing company facts. Think about the organization’s business model, current priorities, leadership needs, and where your experience could create value.
Protect the First Impression You Worked Hard to Earn
By the time you reach an interview, a great deal has already happened. Your experience has attracted attention, conversations have taken place, and someone has decided that investing time in getting to know you is worthwhile.
Do not allow something preventable to undermine that opportunity.
Arriving late because you could not find the entrance, joining a virtual meeting while troubleshooting your microphone, or realizing at the last minute that you misunderstood the location creates unnecessary stress. Even when an interviewer is understanding, you may spend the first several minutes trying to recover instead of focusing on the conversation.
A practice run removes some of that pressure.
At Centennial, we continue to encourage candidates to prepare for more than the questions they expect to hear. Know where you are going. Know how you are getting there. Test the technology. Research the people and organization. Prepare thoughtful questions. Give yourself enough margin to handle the unexpected.
The old advice was to do a “drive-by.”
Today, we would simply call it being prepared. And in a competitive executive search process, preparation is one advantage entirely within your control.