How do I prepare for an interview properly?
Interviews reward preparation more than talent. The people who do well are rarely the most impressive; they are the ones who worked out in advance what they wanted to say.
- Session length
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Matched on
- Your field
Three things worth knowing.
Prepare six stories, not thirty answers. A good story about solving a problem can be pointed at half a dozen different questions.
Structure each one: the situation, what you did, what happened. Keep it under two minutes and stop talking when you reach the outcome.
Research the company far enough to ask a question nobody else will. That single question is often what people remember.
A sequence that works.
- 01
Map the role to your stories
Six situations from your own experience, each showing a different strength the advert asks for.
- 02
Say them out loud
Rehearsing in your head hides how long you actually talk. Time yourself.
- 03
Prepare your questions
Three, specific to the team, not answerable from the website.
- 04
Plan the practicalities
Route, link, camera, lighting. Nerves are hard enough without avoidable panic.
What to avoid.
Answering a behavioural question with a hypothetical
Talking for five minutes without an outcome
Criticising a previous employer
Having no questions at the end
Learning the values page but not the product
The things people ask first.
What if I do not know an answer?
Say so, then say how you would find out. That is closer to the real job than a guess.
How honest should I be about weaknesses?
Honest, and paired with what you are doing about it. Fake weaknesses are transparent.
Should I ask about salary?
Yes, at the point they raise the next stage. Not knowing wastes everyone's time.
Get this answered for your situation.
A mentor who does the job you are aiming at can tell you which of this applies to you.