Never interview without a copy of your resume in your hand, in your heart, and in your head. The interviewer will refer to this document to inspire questions. You can use it to inspire answers as well as attitudes. While it may seem simple and somewhat silly, read the following statement aloud: “as you can see on my resume.” Yes, aloud! Listen to yourself saying these seven words. Do so with enthusiasm and confidence. This phrase is the verbal and strategic foundation for planning and maintaining interview communications.

Interview preparation begins with a thorough, job-specific review of your resume. With a job title and job description clearly in mind, develop a list of qualification criteria. Highlight the most relevant experiences on your resume. Identify at least three things on your resume that you must discuss in the interview. Select the bullet points from your qualification summary, experiential accomplishments, or educational achievements that you must cover. This is your general review.

Your resume should be a psychological security blanket, nurturing confidence and diminishing anxiety. Use it as a guide to the key points you should cover in an interview. Your resume is not just for the interviewer; it is a preparation and implementation tool for you. To maximize your interview performance, use your resume to identify and link qualities and accomplishments to the job you are interviewing for. Use the resume during your interview to guide the conversation and ensure that key points were covered.