The best way to prepare for a job interview is to spread the work across the week before: research the company early, build five or six short stories from your experience, practice out loud with real questions, then handle logistics so the last day is calm. A little each day beats one late night of cramming.
Seven days out: understand the job
- Reread the posting and list the five things they seem to care about most.
- Read the company website, recent news and any social posts from the team you would join.
- Look up your interviewers if you know their names, so you understand their roles.
- Write one sentence on why you want this job in particular. You will use it more than once.
Six and five days out: build your stories
Most interview questions are really requests for a short story. Prepare five or six examples you can adapt, drawn from school, work, volunteering or projects:
- A time you solved a problem.
- A time you worked on a team, including a disagreement.
- A time you made a mistake and what you did next.
- A time you had too much to do and how you handled it.
- Something you are proud of finishing.
For each, jot down the situation, what you did and what happened as a result. Keep each one to about a minute when spoken. Draft your answer to the opening question using our “tell me about yourself” guide.
Four days out: practice out loud
Thinking through answers is not the same as saying them. Out loud, with a timer, practice these common questions:
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want this job?
- What is a strength you would bring to this team?
- Tell me about a challenge you faced and how you handled it.
- Where do you see yourself in a few years?
- What questions do you have for us?
Ask a friend, a family member or a mentor to play the interviewer for one round. Recording a video interview practice on your phone also works.
Three days out: prepare your questions
Always have three or four questions ready. Good ones show you have thought about the work:
- “What does a typical first month look like in this role?”
- “What separates someone who does well here from someone who just gets by?”
- “What is the team working on right now that this person would help with?”
- “What are the next steps in your process?”
Two days out: logistics
- Confirm the time, time zone, format and who you are meeting.
- For in-person interviews, plan the route and aim to arrive ten minutes early.
- For video interviews, test the link, camera, microphone and lighting, and choose a quiet spot.
- Choose your clothes. When unsure, go one step more formal than the team seems to dress.
- Print or save a copy of your resume and have a notebook ready.
The day before and the morning of
Do one light run-through of your opening answer and your stories, then stop. Get to bed at a normal time; a calm morning routine does more for you than a last hour of rehearsing. Eat something, reread the posting once, and leave buffer time. After the interview, write down what you were asked while it is fresh and send a thank-you note; see how to follow up after an interview.
Where a mentor helps
Interview nerves usually come from not knowing what to say. A mentor helps you build your stories, runs mock interviews over video and gives specific feedback, then helps you review what happened afterward so each interview improves the next. See career and education mentoring, or mentoring for college students if you are still in school.
Related
- How to answer “tell me about yourself”
- Following up after an interview
- How to negotiate a job offer
- Your first job after college
Common questions
How long should I prepare for a job interview?
A few focused hours spread across several days usually works better than one long session. The week-long plan above takes about thirty to sixty minutes a day.
What should I bring to an in-person interview?
A copy of your resume, a notebook and pen, your list of questions and the name of the person you are meeting. Keep your phone silent and away.
How do I prepare for a video interview?
Test the link and your equipment a day or two ahead, set up a quiet spot with your face well lit, and keep notes off to the side rather than reading from the screen.
What if I get a question I did not prepare for?
Pause, ask for a moment if you need it, and answer with one of your prepared stories if one fits. It is fine to say you would like to think it through.
Get started
Want mock interviews and honest feedback before your next one? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.