Interview Preparation Guide: How to Prepare, Step by Step

Preparing for an interview comes down to five things: understand the role and the company, map your experience to the main requirements, build a small bank of specific stories, practise saying them aloud and prepare good questions to ask. Spend most of your time on the stories and the practice, because interviewers score what you say about what you have done. Interviewers in structured processes use a rubric tied to the job, so specific examples with clear actions and results earn the highest scores. Two to four hours of focused preparation is a good minimum for a first round. This guide is the hub for the rest of our interview articles.

Nothing here guarantees an offer, but good preparation removes avoidable mistakes and lets your real strengths show.

How interviews are scored

It helps to know what is happening on the other side. Many employers use structured interviews: each candidate gets the same questions, and interviewers rate answers against a written rubric tied to the role, then compare notes. See interview scorecard templates for what such a rubric looks like and interview debrief meetings for how decisions get made.

What this means for you:

• Your answers are compared with a standard, not with your personality.
• Specific evidence beats general claims.
• Answering the question asked counts for more than giving a polished speech.
• Interviewers often write down what you say, so clear, memorable points help.

Step 1: Research the role and company

Spend an hour on this.

1. Read the posting carefully and list the top five requirements.
2. Read the company's site, recent news, product pages and any public posts from the team.
3. Look up your interviewers, if you know them, for their background and interests.
4. Note the stage and size of the company, and what challenges it might face.
5. Write down three things you find interesting and why. You will use them in answers about why you want the job.

Step 2: Map your experience to the requirements

Make a two-column list: requirement on the left, your evidence on the right. For each, find a specific example. Mark the gaps. For a gap, prepare an honest answer that shows how you would close it. This is also the basis for a tailored resume; see the targeted resume.

Step 3: Build a story bank

Prepare six to eight stories from your experience that can answer many questions. Good categories:

• A result you are proud of.
• A problem you solved.
• A time you worked with a difficult person or disagreement.
• A mistake and what you learned.
• A time you led or influenced others.
• A time you learned something quickly.
• A time you handled pressure or changing priorities.

Structure each with the STAR method (see below): situation, task, action, result. Write a few bullets for each, not a script.

Step 4: Prepare the common questions

Practise these until you can answer them in under two minutes:

Step 5: Prepare for the format

Different formats need different preparation.

• Phone interview: phone interview preparation.
• Video interview: video interview tips.
• Panel: panel interview.
• Technical: technical interview preparation.

Ask the recruiter about the format, the length, who you will meet and whether there will be a test or a case.

Step 6: Practise aloud

Say your answers out loud, not in your head. Record yourself on a phone or ask a friend to play the interviewer. Check:

• Is the answer under two minutes?
• Does it start with the point?
• Is there a specific example with an action and a result?
• Does it end cleanly?

Practise the first minute of the interview, since a calm start helps. Do two or three short sessions rather than one long one.

Step 7: Prepare questions and logistics

Prepare three to five questions that show real interest. Sort out the practical details:

• Time, place or link, and the interviewers' names.
• Travel time, or a test of your technology for a remote call.
• Copies of your resume, a notebook and a pen.
• What you will wear, in line with the company's style.
• A glass of water and a quiet space, for calls.

The day

• Arrive or log in ten minutes early.
• Be courteous to everyone you meet, including reception.
• Listen to the whole question. It is fine to pause and think.
• Give an answer and stop. If it is unclear, ask a clarifying question.
• Take notes of names and topics.
• Close by restating interest and asking about next steps.

After the interview

Send a short thank-you within a day. See interview thank-you email. Note what you were asked and how you did while you remember. Follow up at the agreed time; see how to follow up on a job application. If you do not hear back, see ghosted after applying.

A preparation plan by time available

Where it fits in the search

Interviews are one stage of a job search. See job search strategy for the whole process, and how to evaluate a job offer for what to do when it pays off.