During interview season you maybe on the road alot depending on the number of interview invites you receive. I personally received 20+ and ended up attending most of them and it was very useful having a checklist of things every time I packed my bag and was off to another city. The following were a few of the most useful items on my checklist
- Electric Kettle: This has to be at the top of my list! I cannot function without Chai in the morning just like most people cannot function without coffee. Coffee is much more accessible on the road almost every motel/hotel has a coffee maker along with the necessary ingredients like coffee powder, sugar, and creamer. I bought a cheap electric kettle from Target to make Chai in. I always brought my own tea bags along, sugar was always available in the motel/hotels, and I bought milk from nearby gas stations.
- Umbrella: An umbrella is a must especially since interview season falls between October and February. Most places around the country its either raining or snowing during this time.
- Medicine: I always carried Advil and NyQuil Cold & Flu with me wherever I traveled. Although this can be purchased anywhere it is good to have on your person. On a couple of occasions this came in very handy when I felt I was coming down with the flu, the NyQuil really helped.
- Laptop + TV Shows/Movies: There were times where I was in the same city for several days due to a gap between interviews. After you have a few interviews under your belt you are more confident and prepared for future interviews. Having several days of free time in between interviews can be boring sitting in a motel/hotel. I always had my laptop with me and would watch TV shows or movies on it – it was also good for relaxing my mind.
- Non-Perishable Foods: We were once stuck in snowstorm Jonas which lasted several days and pretty much forced to stay indoors at the hotel. All the local businesses were closed and getting in and out of the hotel was near impossible. We were lucky to have a bag full of non-perishable food which got us through this difficult time.