What to Bring to an Interview: The Physical & Digital Checklist
By
Samara Garcia
•
Feb 19, 2026
Interviews in 2026 look nothing like they used to. A single loop can jump from live coding to system design to explaining real AI tradeoffs in tools you’ve never seen before. Being prepared now means more than studying questions. It means showing how you think, how you’ve built, and how you operate in real-world engineering environments.
This guide covers what AI and engineering candidates need to have ready for modern interviews, whether in person or remote, and how today’s hiring process evaluates real skill over surface signals.
Key Takeaways
Bring 4–5 printed copies of your resume alongside digital versions stored locally and in the cloud, even in 2026, hiring managers often request hard copies despite digital submissions.
For AI/ML and infra roles, prepare a laptop with offline-accessible demos, code samples, and a curated digital portfolio of 3–5 flagship projects with clear impact metrics.
Pack essential logistics items: government-issued ID for building access, interview details written down, and a small “just-in-case” kit (breath mints, charger, tissues) to reduce stress.
Fonzi AI uses bias-audited, high-signal workflows so you can focus on substance, your skills, your projects, and your fit, rather than guessing what recruiters want to see.
AI in hiring should clarify expectations, not obscure them. Fonzi’s Match Day process is built around that principle, with upfront salary ranges and transparent evaluation criteria.
Core Documents to Bring: Resume, Job Info & Supporting Materials
Even in 2026, preparation still shows up on paper. Walking into an interview with the right materials signals focus, credibility, and respect for the process, whether the interview is fully in person or hybrid.
Resume copies
Bring four to five clean, printed resumes in a simple folder. Panel interviews often include last-minute interviewers, and not everyone has reviewed your file in advance. Having extra copies avoids friction and makes you look prepared. Keep a clearly named PDF on your laptop and in cloud storage so it’s easy to reference or reshare if needed.
Job description and company notes
Print the job description and a short page of company notes. Being able to glance at required skills, the tech stack, or the product mission helps you answer questions with precision and keeps you off your phone during breaks.
Role alignment sheet
Prepare a one-page mapping of your experience to the role’s requirements. Short, concrete bullets work best, such as tying LLM fine-tuning to an RLHF pipeline you led or vector search to a system you scaled in production. This is for you, not them, and it helps you anchor answers in real outcomes.
Highlights sheet for later rounds
For onsite or final interviews, bring a one-page summary of your strongest projects with metrics, impact, and links to relevant work. It gives interviewers a fast snapshot of your strengths and shows you’ve already done the hard thinking about what matters most.
Technical Portfolio: Code, Demos & System Design Artifacts
When a hiring manager evaluates AI talent, they care most about real work: shipped systems, research contributions, infrastructure you’ve built, experiments you’ve run, and a clear AI engineer portfolio that makes all of that tangible. Job titles matter far less than your ability to demonstrate impact through code, models, evaluations, and production outcomes.
Laptop or Tablet with Offline Demos
Bring a laptop or tablet (if allowed) with local, offline-accessible demos. Connectivity issues disrupt roughly 40% of technical interviews, so don’t rely on Wi-Fi for anything critical. Pre-load:
Jupyter notebooks showcasing model training or analysis
Small model playgrounds (Gradio or Streamlit apps)
Infra diagrams and architecture slides
Docker containers for environment consistency
Curated Digital Portfolio
Build a work portfolio with 3–5 flagship projects. Each should have:
A clear problem statement
The tech stack you used
Architecture overview
Quantifiable impact (latency improvements, accuracy gains, cost reductions)
For example: a retrieval-augmented generation pipeline, an RLHF experimentation platform, or a low-latency inference infrastructure for production LLMs.
Sanitizing Sensitive Work
If your previous work involves proprietary systems, sanitize or anonymize it before showing it. Replace production data with synthetic examples, rename client identifiers, and focus on architecture and methodology rather than raw assets. Interviewers understand confidentiality; they’re evaluating your approach, not your employer’s secrets.
One-Pagers for Key Projects
Prepare a printed or PDF one-pager for each flagship project. This brief description helps in live interviews and translates directly into your Fonzi Match Day profile. Include:
Project name and role
Tech stack (PyTorch, TensorFlow, LangChain, vLLM, etc.)
Architecture diagram or sketch
Main challenges solved
Quantified results
Devices & Digital Prep: Hardware, Software, and Connectivity
Interviews in 2026 often move fluidly between in-person conversation and virtual technical rounds, so your setup should be reliable and stress-free. Bring a fully charged laptop, your charger, and make sure your webcam and microphone are tested and clear. Have a browser configured for common coding platforms and double-check audio and video settings before interview day.
Prepare your development environment in advance with the editor you’re fastest in, the languages you use most, and the core libraries relevant to the role. If you plan to demo anything, have Docker images or local builds ready. Also, keep offline backups of key repos, papers, or slides so you’re not dependent on Wi-Fi. For virtual rounds, test meeting links and screen sharing at least a day ahead, and keep a wired headset nearby as a simple but reliable backup.
Interview Day Essentials: IDs, Logistics & “Just-in-Case” Items
Small logistical mistakes can undermine even the strongest candidate, so a simple checklist goes a long way. Bring a government-issued photo ID for building access, and carry printed logistics with the office address, room or floor, interviewer names, check-in instructions, and a backup contact number so you’re not relying on your phone.
Pack a small just-in-case kit in your bag with basics like mints, tissues, deodorant, and a stain-removal wipe. Bring a water bottle for the commute and waiting periods, and a light snack to eat before or between sessions. These small preparations keep you focused on the interview instead of avoidable distractions.
Mindset & Communication: The “Intangible” Things to Bring
Employers hiring AI talent look for collaboration, clarity, and best judgment as much as raw algorithmic skill. Your communication style matters.
Evidence-Based Communication
Bring a calm, structured communication approach to every conversation:
State assumptions up front in system design questions
Narrate your thought process during coding challenges
Tie the technical answers back to the business impact
Acknowledge trade-offs explicitly
This demonstrates how you think, not just what you know.
Behavioral Examples (STAR Format)
Prepare 4–6 behavioral examples using the STAR method tailored to technical scenarios:
Incident response (production outage, model degradation)
Model migration or system refactoring
Handling privacy or compliance constraints
Cross-functional trade-offs with product or business teams
Approach interviews with a growth mindset by framing learning curves as intentional upskilling and lessons learned. Show active curiosity by asking about AI governance, evaluation practices, and what success looks like in the first 90 days. Pair this with confident, open body language and a positive tone. In structured settings like Fonzi Match Day, substance matters more than performance, so you can focus on real work and clear thinking instead of trying to impress.
What to Bring to a Hiring Event
Match Day is a structured 48-hour hiring sprint where pre-vetted engineers and vetted companies meet in a concentrated, high-signal window. Here’s what to prepare.
Before Match Day
Fonzi’s recruiters will help you get these ready before the event starts:
Updated Fonzi profile with current role and skills
Links to code samples and sanitized project write-ups
A short personal pitch tailored to AI/ML or infra roles
Match Day Deck
Prepare a single document of a 3–5 slide deck summarizing:
Your background and career trajectory
Core strengths and technical specialties
Flagship projects with impact metrics
Ideal problem spaces (multimodal models, retrieval infra, data platforms, etc.)
This gives companies a quick, high-signal view of who you are and what you bring to a job.
Availability and Timeline
Bring a clear availability calendar and realistic timeline expectations:
Earliest possible start date
Notice period at current employer
Location or remote constraints
Visa or sponsorship needs (if applicable)
This speeds up offer decisions and prevents wasted time on both sides.
Physical vs Digital Interview Essentials
The table below helps you quickly visualize which items to prepare in each category and how they’re used during AI/ML interviews. In 2026, you need a hybrid setup: analog backups plus well-prepped digital assets.
Category | Physical Item to Bring | Digital Equivalent | How to Use It |
Resume | 4–5 printed copies on quality paper in a folder | PDF stored locally and in the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox) | Hand to extra interviewers; reference during virtual screen-share |
Portfolio | One-pager summaries for flagship projects | Notion page, GitHub repos, deployed demos (Streamlit, Gradio) | Walk through during system design; share links in follow-up |
ID & Logistics | Government-issued photo ID; printed address and interviewer names | Calendar invite with links; saved address in maps app | Building access: quick reference if phone dies |
Notes | Small notebook and 2 working pens | Note app (Notion, GoodNotes) for virtual rounds | Capture names, follow-ups, and system details sparingly |
Questions | Printed or handwritten list of pre-written questions | Digital list in notes app or Fonzi dashboard prompts | Show genuine interest; ask depth-revealing questions |
Devices & Tools | Laptop with charger; wired headset backup | Pre-configured IDE, browser, coding environment | Live demos; pair-programming; system design sketches |
Emergency Kit | Breath mints, tissues, stain wipe, backup pen | Charged the phone with a backup battery | Handle minor mishaps; stay composed before walking in |
What Not to Bring: Distractions, Overkill & Red Flags
Minimalism signals focus. Bringing too many items, or the wrong ones, can work against you.
Avoid Bringing Food and Drinks
Don’t bring food, strong-smelling drinks, or chewing gum into the interview room. Coffee is fine in the waiting area, but it should be finished before you walk in. Heavy perfume or cologne can distract in small meeting rooms.
Professional Bag, Not Overstuffed Backpack
Swap large, casual backpacks overflowing with items for a compact, professional bag or laptop sleeve. You want to look organized, not like you’re moving apartments.
Skip Sensitive Documents
Don’t bring highly sensitive, important documents (full tax forms, original passports, social security cards) unless explicitly requested for onboarding. First-round interviews rarely require such items, and carrying them creates unnecessary risk.
Minimize Gadgets
Excessive devices (multiple phones, gaming equipment) or constantly checking a smartwatch signals distraction and a lack of presence. Put your cell phone on silent and keep it out of sight.
Leave the Thesis at Home
Avoid bringing printed copies of overly long documents like 50-page theses or exhaustive paper collections. If an interviewer asks, use your best judgment, summarize verbally, or offer to send links afterward. You want to spark a conversation, not deliver a lecture.
Family Members and External Distractions
This might seem obvious, but don’t bring family members or friends to wait in the lobby. Arrive alone, focused, and ready.
Summary
Interviews in 2026 reward candidates who prepare the full stack, from physical documents and reliable devices to polished digital assets and clear, evidence-backed stories about their work. For AI engineers, ML researchers, and infrastructure specialists, success comes from being ready to demonstrate real systems, research, and impact, not just talk about them.
Platforms like Fonzi AI aim to reduce noise with bias-audited evaluations, salary transparency, and focused Match Day hiring events, so candidates can spend less time navigating the process and more time assessing fit. Use this checklist as a reusable playbook, refining it for each interview format and role. The better prepared you are, the more confidently you can walk in and show what you’ve actually built.
