What does good interview preparation include?
Strong interview preparation is not about memorising scripts. It is about knowing four things well: the role, the company, your own story and the logistics of the day. When those are solid, you can answer unexpected questions calmly because you know where the answers come from.
This checklist is ordered so that each step builds on the last. If you only have a few hours, do steps one to four and skim the rest.
Step 1: Understand the role
Print or copy the job description and mark three things: the main responsibilities, the skills that appear more than once and anything that sounds like a problem the team is trying to solve. These are your priorities. Every answer you give should connect back to at least one of them.
It also helps to write one sentence that sums up the job in your own words, for example "This role owns onboarding for new customers and needs someone who is organised and comfortable with data." If you cannot write that sentence, ask the recruiter a clarifying question before the interview.
Step 2: Research the company
Spend 30 to 45 minutes on research. Useful places to look include:
- The company website, especially the product, about and careers pages.
- Recent news, blog posts or announcements.
- The public professional profiles of your interviewers, so you know their background.
- Customer reviews or case studies, which show what the company is good at.
Write down two or three specific things you find interesting. They will make your answers to "Why do you want to work here?" far more convincing than generic praise.
Step 3: Match your best stories to the job
Pick six to eight real examples from your work or studies that show the skills in the job description. Write each one as short bullets covering the situation, what you did and the result. The STAR method guide explains the format in detail. One good story often fits several questions, so you do not need a different one for every possibility.
Review your resume at the same time. Interviewers will use it as a starting point, and you should be comfortable talking about every line. If a bullet makes you nervous, either prepare a strong explanation or remove it. If you need to refresh the document, you can build a clean version from an ATS-friendly template and download it as a PDF for free.
Step 4: Prepare for the common questions
Almost every interview includes some version of these:
- Tell me about yourself. See the guide on answering "Tell me about yourself".
- Why do you want this job, and why this company?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Tell me about a time you faced a challenge.
- Where do you see yourself in a few years?
- Do you have any questions for us?
Write short outlines for each, not full scripts. Practise out loud, because answers that feel fine in your head often sound very different when spoken.
Step 5: Prepare your own questions
Interviews are two-way. Prepare four or five questions about the team, the work and what success looks like in the first few months. Good questions show that you are thinking about how to do the job well, not just how to get it. The guide on questions to ask the interviewer has examples you can adapt.
Step 6: Sort out the logistics
For in-person interviews
- Confirm the address, the entrance and who to ask for.
- Plan your route and aim to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early.
- Bring copies of your resume, a notebook and a pen.
- Choose an outfit that is one step smarter than the daily dress code of the company.
For video interviews
- Test the link, camera and microphone the day before.
- Sit facing a window or lamp so your face is lit, and choose a quiet, tidy background.
- Close other apps and silence notifications.
- Keep a printed copy of your resume and notes beside the screen, out of the camera frame.
- Have a phone number for the recruiter in case the connection fails.
Step 7: Rehearse the full interview once
Do one complete run-through, ideally with a friend or mentor who can interrupt and ask follow-up questions. If that is not possible, record yourself answering five questions and watch the playback. You are looking for rambling, filler words, unclear examples and anything that sounds like a cliché.
Step 8: Look after yourself the day before
Stop preparing in the evening. Lay out what you need, set two alarms, eat something decent and sleep. Interviews go better when you are rested than when you have rehearsed one extra time. In the morning, read your notes once, do a short breathing exercise if you feel nervous and leave on time.
What to do during the interview
- Listen to the whole question before answering, and it is fine to take a moment to think.
- Answer the question that was asked, then stop. You can always offer more.
- Use specific examples instead of general claims.
- Take brief notes, and note the names of everyone you meet.
- At the end, ask about next steps and the timeline.
What to do after the interview
Send a short thank-you email within 24 hours. Mention one specific thing you discussed and restate why you are interested. If you have not heard back by the date they gave you, follow up politely. The guide on following up after applying covers the wording.
While you wait, keep applying. Searching for new roles on the jobs page helps you avoid putting all your hopes on a single process.
One-page preparation checklist
- Job description marked up with the top three priorities.
- Two or three specific notes about the company.
- Six to eight STAR stories written as bullet points.
- Short outlines for the common questions.
- Four or five questions to ask.
- Logistics confirmed and materials ready.
- One full rehearsal completed.