Free interview guide
How to prepare, how to answer the questions you will be asked, what to ask them and how to follow up.
Before the interview
Most interviews are won in the preparation. Give yourself a few hours over the days before, rather than cramming the night before.
Read its website, recent news and LinkedIn page. Know what it does, who its customers are and what it is focused on this year.
List the top five requirements and match each one to an example from your experience.
Have five or six short stories ready that show your strengths, a challenge you solved and a time something went wrong.
Write down three to five questions to ask. Asking none can look like a lack of interest.
Confirm the time, time zone, location or video link and who you are meeting. Test your camera and microphone for video calls.
Copies of your resume, a list of references, a notepad and a pen.
Behavioral questions
Questions that start with "Tell me about a time when..." are asking for proof. The STAR method keeps your answer clear and focused, and it works for almost any story.
Set the scene in one or two sentences.
Explain what you were responsible for.
Describe what you did, using "I" rather than "we."
Share the outcome, with numbers if you can, and what you learned.
Common questions
Give a 60 to 90 second answer: where you are now, the experience that got you here and why this role is your next step.
Pick two or three that matter for this job and back each one with a quick example.
Choose a real but manageable weakness and explain what you are doing to improve it.
Connect something specific about the company to your goals and experience.
Stay positive and focus on what you are moving toward, not what you are leaving behind.
Research the market range for the role and location first, then give a range you are comfortable with.
Use STAR, stay calm and fair about the other person and focus on how you resolved it.
Show ambition that fits the path this role can offer.
Your turn
On the day
After the interview
Send a short thank-you email to each person you met within 24 hours. Thank them for their time, mention something specific you discussed and restate briefly why you are a strong fit. If you have not heard back by the date they gave you, a polite follow-up email is appropriate.
Whatever the outcome, write down the questions you were asked and how you answered. Every interview makes the next one easier.
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