How to prepare for a job interview
Good preparation is mostly practice. If you can explain your resume clearly and answer a few standard questions with real examples, you are ahead of most candidates.
Know the company and the role
Read the job post again and the company website. Note what the company does, who its customers are and what the role needs. Prepare two or three questions of your own, such as how success is measured in the first six months.
Be ready to explain every line of your resume
Interviewers pick items from your resume and ask for detail. For each project and skill, be ready with what you did, what was hard and what the result was.
Practise common questions
Prepare short answers for these.
- Tell me about yourself.
- Why do you want this job and this company?
- Describe a time you solved a hard problem.
- Tell me about a mistake and what you learned.
- Why are you leaving your current job?
Use a simple answer structure
For experience questions, describe the situation, your task, what you did, and the result. Keep each answer to about two minutes and use numbers where you can.
On the day
Small things matter.
- Test your internet, camera and audio before a video interview.
- Reach early for an in-person interview and keep copies of your resume.
- Listen to the full question before answering.
- Send a short thank-you message afterwards.
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Keep reading
- How to write a cover letter that gets readA simple structure for a short, specific cover letter, with what to say in each paragraph.
- How to write a resume that gets shortlistedA step-by-step guide for Indian job seekers: what to include, what to leave out and how to order it.
- Resume for freshers: how to write one with no experienceHow to build a strong first resume from projects, internships, college work and skills.