How to prepare for an interview

An interview is not a test of confidence. It is a conversation in which an employer is trying to work out three things: can you do the work, will you fit the team, and will you stay. Preparation is how you make those three answers easy to find.

Research the role and the organisation

Spend an hour on this. Read the job description again, line by line, and note the parts you will be asked about. Then read the employer’s website, their recent posts, and anything published about them. You are looking for what they sell or do, who their customers are, and what has changed for them recently.

You do not need to memorise their history. You need enough to say why this organisation rather than any other, and to ask a question that shows you have paid attention.

Prepare examples, not answers

Most interview questions are asking for evidence. Rather than rehearsing scripts, prepare six real examples from your work or study that you can adapt. Useful ones cover: a problem you solved, a deadline under pressure, a disagreement you handled, a mistake you made, something you taught yourself, and a result you are proud of.

Tell each one in three parts: the situation, what you did, and what happened as a result. Keep it to about ninety seconds. The most common failure is spending two minutes on background and ten seconds on your own contribution. Reverse that.

Prepare for the question about your weaknesses by naming something real that you are working on, with what you have changed. Invented weaknesses like “I work too hard” are transparent and cost you credibility.

Sort out the practical arrangements the day before

In person. Confirm the address and how long the journey takes at that hour, not at a quiet hour. Aim to arrive fifteen minutes early. Take a printed copy of your CV and any certificates they asked for.
Video. Test the link, the camera and the microphone on the device you will actually use. Sit where the light is in front of you rather than behind you, and check the background. Have your phone charged as a fallback and the interviewer’s number to hand.
Phone. Find a quiet place with a decent signal, and have your CV and the advert in front of you.
Either way. Know the interviewer’s name and job title, and how to pronounce it.

Questions you should be ready to ask

You will be asked whether you have questions. “No, everything is clear” wastes your only chance to interview them. Ask two or three of these:

What would a successful first six months in this role look like?
Who would I work with most closely day to day?
What is the biggest challenge facing the team at the moment?
Why is the role open?
What are the next steps and when should I expect to hear?

Pay and terms

If the advert did not state a salary, expect to be asked what you are looking for. Decide your range beforehand, based on what similar roles in your field and location pay, and give a range rather than a single figure. It is reasonable to ask what the budget for the role is. It is also reasonable to say that you would rather understand the role fully before discussing numbers, as long as you do not dodge the question twice.

Ask about the practical terms before you accept anything: contract type, probation, working hours, location and whether any part of the role is remote.

Afterwards

Write down what you were asked and what you wish you had said, while it is fresh. It is the fastest way to improve for the next one. A short thank-you email within a day is fine and occasionally helps, but it will not rescue a weak interview, so put the effort into the preparation instead.

If you do not hear back by the date they gave, one polite follow-up is appropriate. After that, move on and keep applying. A decision can be delayed for reasons that have nothing to do with you.