How to prepare for a job interview
5 min read
Preparing for an interview can feel like studying for an exam with no syllabus. You do not know the questions, so you either rehearse everything and remember nothing, or trust yourself to wing it. A better plan is to prepare a small set of things very well and let them carry most of the conversation.
This article gives you that set, in the order that saves the most time.
Know what the interview is for
Every interview answers three questions for the employer, whatever words they use: can you do the work, will you do it well with these people, and do you actually want this job. Each question you are asked is one of these in disguise. "Tell me about a time you disagreed with a colleague" is about working with people. "Walk me through a project" is about doing the work. "Why us?" is about wanting it.
Keep the three questions in mind and an unfamiliar question stops being frightening. You only have to work out which one it is.
Build your five stories
The most useful preparation is a short list of real stories from your own work. Aim for about five, covering these situations:
- something you built, fixed or finished that you are proud of
- a time something went wrong and what you did about it
- a disagreement or difficult person, and how it ended
- a moment you learned something fast, or changed your mind
- a time you helped someone else do better
Write each in three parts: the situation in a sentence or two, what you did, and what changed afterwards. Say "I" for your part, not "we". Then practise telling each one in under two minutes. A good story can answer many different questions, so five are enough.
Match the stories to the job
Open the posting and underline what it asks for. Next to each requirement, note which of your stories shows it. If a requirement has no story, think of where you have done something close, in a past job, a course or a project outside work. Gaps are normal. What matters is that you have decided how to speak to them before you are asked.
If you are still choosing which roles to go for, search the jobs list and pick postings where most of your stories fit. Preparation is much easier for a job you actually match.
Learn the company just enough
You do not need the company's history. You need three or four facts that show you understand what the team is working on, and a sense of why that work matters to them. Read the posting, the careers page and the newest news, and write one sentence on what you would want to help with. That sentence becomes your answer to "why do you want to work here?"
Prepare for the questions everyone gets
Some questions come up in almost every interview, so write short answers for them and say them aloud once:
- Tell me about yourself: a short present, past and future, tied to this role.
- Why are you leaving, or why did you leave: factual and forward-looking, never a complaint about a person.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses: pick real ones and show what you do about the weakness.
- What do you expect to be paid: know your range before you walk in.
Short means a minute or so each. You are not memorizing a script. You are making sure the first sentence is easy to start.
Prepare your questions
Interviewers notice what you ask. Prepare a few questions that show you thought about the job: what the first months look like, what the hardest part of the role is, how the team decides things, what changed recently. Avoid questions the careers page already answers. Ask one or two, and write the answers down afterwards.
Sort out the practical side early
Most avoidable disasters are practical. A day or two before:
- Confirm the time, the place or the link, and who you are meeting.
- For a video call, test your camera, sound, lighting and internet, and have a fallback such as your phone.
- Decide what you will wear, and make sure it is clean and comfortable.
- Plan to arrive early, or log in a few minutes early, so a delay does not become panic.
- Have a copy of your resume, a pen and your notes within reach.
Practise out loud, once or twice
Reading your answers silently does not prepare your voice. Say them aloud to a friend, to a recording or to the wall. Listen for answers that run long, for filler, and for sentences where you lose the point. Two rounds are enough. More than that and you start to sound rehearsed.
On the day
Aim to be calm, not perfect. Listen to the whole question, take a breath, and answer the question asked, using a story where one fits. If you do not understand, ask. If you need a moment, say so. At the end, thank them and ask about next steps.
Afterwards, write down what you were asked and how it went while it is fresh. The tracker keeps notes on your own device, and your notes make the next interview easier.
Keep it proportionate
Interviews are conversations between people who both want a good match. Prepare your stories, your questions and the practical details, then trust that. If you are looking for more roles to prepare for, browse remote jobs or the full jobs list, and start with the ones where your stories fit best.