List of Documents You Will Need For Interviews

When you have an interview coming, you tend to get worried about the list of documents or credentials that will be required. Your best bet is to wait for the prospective employer to tell you what to come along with.

However, most companies will only ask you to show up for interviews without stating the papers that must be with you.

And where they state some, they may still go out of the stated ones (ask for more) on D-day. 

Experience has shown that the best way to approach this is to get yourself ready whether they state any or otherwise. Those embarking on a journey should ask their ways for those who have returned for the same journey.

This post will enlist the documents interviewers usually ask for during interview sessions and clarify whether they should necessarily be in your folder.

Below is the list of items you must take along going for an interview in Nigeria or any other country.

Recommended: CV For Secondary School Leavers with Samples

1. Academic Credentials

Needless to say, you will need to appear for a job interview with your academic credentials. Of course, that's the basis for inviting you in the first place.

Are you confused about what constitutes academic credentials?

Ranging from your highest (claimed) certificates (or statement of result where the former is not available) to your primary school certificate, you should get all the originals, and photocopies ready. 

The original copies are meant for closer inspection while the photocopies are generally for submission and reviews by the interviewers and/or the companies.

In Nigeria, for instance, below is the list of the academic credentials that may be asked for during a job interview:

1. Professional Certificates 
2. Master's Degree Certificate (or Ph.D. Certificate)
3. NYSC Discharged Certificate, Exemption Certificate, or Exclusion Letter
4. A Degree Certificate (e.g BSC, HND)
5. NCE or OND Certiticate
6. O'level Certificate (WAEC, NECO, or NABTEB Original results)
7. JSS 3 Certificate (rarely required except for some government jobs)
8. Primary Six Certificate (and/or Testimonial)
9. Any other certificates already included in your curriculum vitae (CV)

Recommended: Can I Look for and Get Jobs During NYSC/Service Year?

2. Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letter

While going for an interview, you may see no need to take your resume and cover letter along. After all, you'd submitted them while applying, why would they need more?

Well, from experience, most organizations will still require you to submit your resume and application (again) on interview day. Especially if the interviewer is an independent consulting firm, you may be forced to produce a CV and/or a cover letter on an interview day.

Hence, it's still ideal to take a few copies of the last submitted (or updated) CV and/or cover letter along.

Recommended: Where/How a Corper Can Seek Travelling Permission?

3. Personal Credentials

Apart from the academic credentials, your CV must have included a few personal details that may require paper backing. These are credentials telling the prospective employer more about you.

Below is the list of personal credentials that must be at hand while going for your next job interview.

1. Local Government Identification/State of Origin Certificate
2. Birth Certificate
3. Marriage Certificate/Newspaper Publication of Change of Name (if married)
4. Court Affividatfit for any document necessary
5. Awards, Seminar Certificates of Attendance

Especially if you state any of the above in your CV, there may be a need to check them during the session.

Recommended: My School No Longer Exist, How to Get WAEC Certificate?

4. Claimed Research Projects and Thesis

Sometimes, in your CV, you might have stated that you carried out research work while completing your degree. This could be the basis (or one of the bases) for your invitation to the interview.

It will be disappointing if on showing up, your employer wishes to see a copy of that project but you can't produce one.

Take a copy of your claimed thesis along and if there is a need to submit that, politely request them to allow you to make a photocopy and submit that with them.

Recommended: Can I Use D7, E8, or F9 For Forces' Recruitment?

5. Attestation or Gurantor Letter

Though only if requested, you may not need to request a guarantor letter for an interview.

Lately, some organizations, especially those that may not want to call you for two or more interviews, would ask their applicants to come to interviews with attestation letters.

Produce the photocopies along as well.

Recommended: Lost NECO Certificate? Steps to Get a New One

6. Pen and Notepad

It's not ideal going for an interview without your pen. You may be required to sign a few papers during the session or after.

It may leave a bad impression - asking your employer if you can borrow his pen.

Similarly, there may be a need to jot down a few points during the session. Having a traditional jotter or notepad will save you some embarrassment. Using your phone app may not show your true professionalism.

Experts had, however, warned that you should ask permission to note some points down before taking out the notepad. If granted, don't go excessive and you should deduce a few questions from the jotted points in case they ask if you have any questions? 

Your question may be on or off the session. Yet, it should show your true interest in working with the company.

Recommended: How To Arrange My CV and Credentials For Jobs

Conclusion

An interview room is no place to be with irrelevant documents. This is why you should smartly walk in with what you had potentially believed you might be asked for which might be more than what your employer formerly demanded. 

The best guide on what to take along is to make sure you have the physical representations of what you'd claimed or referenced in your curriculum vitae.

NEED a guide, update, or answer on something? You can spend just #500 to get professional answers and guides. Click here to request Mr. Techie's INSTANT REPLY. 

HELP SOMEONE:  People would appreciate it if you could just share this post with them on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc. Use the share icons below for your convenience.

Best Related Posts

1. No Work Experience: How to Make Your CV Stand Out!
2. CV Arrangement for an Academic or Non-Academic Positions
3. 9 Worst Errors to Avoid on Your CV/Resume: No. 6 and 7 Will Surprise You
4. How To Convert a CV in MS Word/Scanned (JPG/PNG) to PDF File
5. Can I Use Two O'level Results for Jobs? How?
6. Masters vs Professional Course: The Better, the Cheaper, the Faster
7. 21 Highest Paying Companies in Nigeria
8. What are the Highest-Paying Jobs in Nigeria?
9. How to Make Sent Images Clear on WhatsApp
10. Can I Include References on My CV (Resume)?