So you got a job interview? Congratulations! That must be quite the resume and cover letter you’ve put together. What you want to do now is go to the interview and be so impressive that all other interviews are canceled and the hiring manager invests all of their stock in you ... right?
With this guide on how to prepare for an interview, we’ll get you there.
We’ve put together a comprehensive set of recommendations on what to do before, during, and after a job interview to get hired — everything from what to wear to what to say and do. We’ve even gone so far as to include tips on what to eat before the interview and how to get a good night’s sleep on interview eve. And just in case our tips weren’t enough, we asked some interview experts to chip in with their advice too.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
A job interview is one of the most important meetings of your life. Below is a summary of the things that will help you prepare to tell your career story and survive what can be a genuinely stressful experience.
Even if your job interview is being conducted by phone or video, that doesn’t mean you should skimp on any of these steps. First impressions still count.
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When it comes to job interviews, every situation will be unique, as employers and roles vary. There is no right answer when it comes to interview behavior. But trying to anticipate and prepare for job interview scenarios is still crucial, possibly giving you a huge advantage in getting a job fast.
While you want to stand out from the competition, you don't want it to be for the wrong reasons. The more that you rehearse the potential situations in your head, the better prepared you will be. Try to see yourself through an employer's eyes. Get ready for what the interviewers want to know from what you tell them, which may differ from what you want to tell them. They will steer the interview in a certain way for a reason.
Typically, a face-to-face job interview lasts from 45 minutes to one hour. While that can seem like a long time for you as the interviewee, it’s not a great deal of time for a hiring manager to fully assess whether you’re the right person for the job. As well as assessing your answers, they'll likely be looking for the following:
The tips we’ll be providing shortly will help you tick these boxes. But for now, it’s worth keeping in mind that an interview is more than a Q&A session.
You’ve probably heard the saying by Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” You’ve also probably heard the saying, “You’ve only got one chance to make a great first impression” (or some form of it) by Stephanie Perkins, among others.
They’re both great sayings, because they’re both true. Especially when it comes to job interviews. While there will be other interviews, there won’t be another interview for this job if this one doesn’t go well. In the days before the job interview, you should set aside some time to prepare to make a good impression.
Below we outline the essential ways you should be preparing for your job interview.
Learn everything there is to know about the company and the job role you’re interviewing for. The internet has made this task easier than ever. The following sources can help you find out about what the company does, its culture, achievements, and public perception.
Company research can help you prepare for the interview, but it can also help you avoid job scams or confirm any suspicions you might have about the company. Do the benefits and hours seem too good to be true? Anonymous reviews from other employees can help you figure out what's really going on behind an all-too-perfect job description.
Make that research work for you
There's no need to keep all of those research findings in your head until interview day! Simply create an interview “cheat sheet” with bullet points outlining what you learned. Then you can access it at the forefront of your mind in anticipation of the interviewer asking, “So, what do you know about the company?” If that does come up, use what you know in answers or questions of your own.
A little example for you: A few years back I was interviewing for the role of a copywriter at an e-commerce company. A few days before the job interview, I’d read an article about how the company was rolling out a purpose-built content management system (CMS).
I was able to bring up that information in the interview this way to demonstrate my own credentials: “I read in the local paper that you were rolling out your own CMS. Congratulations! I wrote the copy to describe and promote a new CMS last year. I know how big of an undertaking that is.”
I doubt that answer alone got me that new job, but it certainly helped.
Your resume will come up a lot in your job interview. Hiring managers will use it to fuel their questions, so you need to be ready to address everything in a way that backs up what you have down on paper.
Print out a copy of your resume and read through it thoroughly to etch the details in your memory. Visualize this at the front of your mind so you'll be ready with the right interview responses. Your resume presents your career path, so be ready to explain the moves you have made as well as the skills you have.
Interview preparation idea: Hiring managers don't always have the time to read your resume thoroughly before the job interview. While this may seem frustrating in the moment, avoid resorting to petty responses like "You can find that information on my resume." Instead, graciously describe your experience in a concise manner and ask the hiring manager if they'd like to hear more about it.
You won’t know exactly which questions an interviewer will ask until you get into the room, but every interview guide will tell you that interviews are fairly predictable with questions more or less along the same lines.
Glassdoor sifted through thousands of interview reviews to find the most common job interview questions. This list was 50 strong, but here are the 10 that stand out to us as the most likely to be asked:
Interview preparation idea: Some interview questions are just plain awful (What are your weaknesses?). But that doesn't stop hiring managers from asking them. Make sure to prepare for some of the worst job interview questions or even trick questions so you don't get thrown off in the moment.
As well as these standard questions, be ready to face a scenario-based question or two. These questions test your problem-solving ability and whether you will fit in with the team’s style.
For example, if you're interviewing for a management position, the interviewer might throw a leadership question at you: “You notice that a member of your team isn't following orders and seems constantly distracted or disinterested. What would you do in this situation?” Or: “Two members of your team don't get along and come to individually complain about each other. How would you resolve the issue?”
Write down your answers to questions like this, and practice your answers out loud in the mirror. Once you’re happy with your answers, ask a friend to play the role of the interviewer and give you some feedback on your answers.
The more comfortable you are with your answers, the more confident you’ll be if and when these questions come up during the job interview process. Keep what you know about the company culture in mind when you write your questions.
Job interviews are a two-way street. You’ll be given the opportunity to ask a few questions of your own, and you’ll be expected to do so.
But don’t just ask questions for the sake of it. This part of the job interview can make or break you. Think carefully about what to ask. Your questions should show your interest in the role and the company. Avoid anything that’s been covered earlier in the interview or things that might show a lack of interest or work ethic.
Here are a few questions to ask that can work in your favor:
If salary negotiation will likely be part of the job interview, make sure to do your research about what you can expect to earn and speak confidently about your wishes.
Now here are some questions you should avoid:
If the hiring manager gives you a moment to add anything else, make sure to prepare a closing pitch about why you're the right fit for the job. This is one of the most important things to say during an interview.
What are the three best questions to ask in an interview? The most effective questions require answers that would require a hiring manager to already imagine the candidate in the role. This subtle mind trick works well.
Do you know where the company is located? How does it take to get there? How are you getting there — car or public transport?
Plan your journey ahead of time. Have a dummy run in the week before the job interview, aiming to get to the company 10 to 15 minutes early. Time your trip. If you’re taking public transport, make a note of which train or bus you need to take and what time you need to set off to reach the station. And have a backup plan that factors in any road closures or delays.
This might seem like overkill, but having your journey mapped out is one less stress on the day. If something happens that’s beyond your control and causes you to run late, call the interviewer and let them know. These things happen and most people are understanding. A phone call shows you respect their time.
Interview preparation idea: Your journey might not always be a physical one. If it's a video interview, make sure to check your computer, webcam and microphone ahead of time so that you know they'll function come the big day. Download the program you'll be using and check it out so that you won't be struggling to navigate the interface in front of the hiring manager.
Dust off your smartest messenger bag or portfolio and fill it with these things:
You’re bound to be excited or nervous the night before the job interview, but you should try your best to get a good night’s sleep, ideally a good eight hours.
Here are some things you can do to help you relax and wind down.
Get your outfit ready the night before the job interview. Make sure it’s free of creases, holes, and stains. Get your shoes ready too. Make sure they’re clean, polished, and free from scuffs or damage. You should wear what fits with the company. If you’re going into a corporate environment, traditional business attire is best — suit, shirt, tie, and formal shoes for men; suit, dress, blouse, skirt, or blazer, and formal shoes for women. Grey, navy, black, and white colors are best. If the company is more creative, you’ll probably be able to go with business casual.
What you wear can make a big difference. In fact, research shows that attractive applicants are more likely to land the job. If you’re not sure what to wear, call up the employer to ask. If you’re unable to find out, err on the side of caution and go formal. It’s better to be slightly overdressed. That shows that you’re making an effort. Going underdressed in the wrong environment, however, can give the impression that you don’t care.
Interview preparation idea: If the interview is via Zoom or Skype, you should still maintain a high level of professionalism. Avoid wearing pinstripes, small patterns or bright white, which can mess with the camera's exposure. And always, always wear pants.
Breakfast is the most important meal of any day, but particularly so on interview day. A good, healthy breakfast fuels the brain, giving you energy and increasing your focus. Unfortunately, this means no Lucky Charms, Pop Tarts, or treacle bacon. Instead, you want to focus on protein, good fats, nutritious carbs, and fruit and vegetables.
Interview preparation idea: Just for fun, here are several power breakfast options:
If your job interview is later in the day and you need to grab lunch, stick to foods like salmon, chicken, and eggs, along with vegetables like broccoli, kale, peas, and spinach. Do not eat anything “fragrant” like onions or garlic, anything gassy like beans and Brussels sprouts, or anything that makes you lethargic like large amounts of potatoes, white bread, or pasta. Water is good, but don’t drink so much that you’ll be running to the bathroom every few minutes. Coffee is good in moderation too — a cup 30 minutes before your job interview can make you less tired and more alert.
Inhale. Exhale. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Before you enter the building, find somewhere quiet to gather your thoughts, breathe, and compose yourself. You can use the STOP method to help you do this:
Remember that interviews aren’t an interrogation; they’re a conversation to work out whether you’re a good fit for each other. And most importantly, remember: whatever happens in life — you’ll be fine. You’ve been through plenty of stuff; you’ll get through this as well, regardless of the outcome. Don’t raise the stakes for yourself, remember the big picture and be calm about your journey.
How do I prepare for the biggest interview of my life? Well, for a start, take a breath. You might be building it up to be your best shot at career contentment, but the fact is that you will have other important interviews if this one doesn't go to plan. Maybe even more significant than this one. Give your mental health a break and try not to put so much pressure on yourself. Don't think of it as the biggest interview of your life. It is simply a chat between you and another person, trying to work out whether you could work together. It is in both of your interests to get to a definitive and honest answer. If the job is for you, you will get it!
Okay, you're fully prepared, and you have read all the interview advice in existence. You've arrived early and you're ready to go. Here's what to do when the interview kicks off.
As much as we all deny judging people by their appearance, that’s exactly what we do. According to this article by Forbes, how we look is directly linked to the jobs we get and how much we get paid for work. When you enter the room, the interviewer will most likely look you up and down, probably subconsciously. You might not even notice it, but it will happen. We all do it. You need your appearance to make a good first impression.
We’ve already covered the outfit, but you should take time to make sure your hair is tidy, nails are clean, and breath is fresh. (This is where the mints come in handy.) If you arrive early for the job interview, ask to use the bathroom and give your appearance the once-over before you’re called in. It sounds superficial, but if you’re evenly matched with another candidate, dressing smartly can be the difference-maker.
Manners are great. They cost nothing, yet can work wonders in endearing you to a hiring manager and the company. Be polite and respectful to every person you encounter when you arrive at the company, from the security guard in the parking lot to the receptionist to the people you pass in the corridor. Greet everyone with a smile and a “Hi.” Expect that the potential employer will ask these people for feedback.
Being polite and friendly is important for every position, but it can be even more significant if you are applying for a retail or customer service job where a cheery disposition is actually part of the job. Here are our tips on how to ace your customer service job interview.
What you don’t say during the job interview is every bit as important as what you do say. Studies suggest that body language accounts for between 50% and 70% of all communication. Your facial expressions, gestures, and posture will tell a hiring manager a lot about you as a person. You need to come off as confident and accessible. This starts the second you walk through the door of the interview room.
These are all simple things to do that will help build a rapport with the hiring manager.
Given the situation, it’s hard to fully relax and be yourself in a job interview, but you shouldn’t put on an act either. The interviewer is trying to get an idea of whether you’re a good culture and professional fit for the team and you trying to be someone you’re not will affect you if you do get the job.
The best way to be authentic is to simply be truthful. Where possible, always link your answers to examples that demonstrate your skills and achievements. If you can’t answer a question, don’t be afraid to admit it. Honestly is always better than faking it, and a hiring manager will respect you for that.
Time is of the essence during an interview so being able to speak well and concisely is one of the top skills that will get you hired. The hiring manager wants to learn as much about you and your skills as a candidate as possible. Keep your answers short, to the point, and related to the question you’ve been asked. Anecdotes about when you solved a problem, overcame a challenge, led a team, did something interesting, or made a mistake are fine, but don’t let your stories go off on tangents or ramble on too long. Here are a few ways to help make sure you get right to the point:
Don’t bad mouth current or ex-employers
In her regular U.S. News column, Alison Green was asked a question from a reader about a recent job interview.
“My interviewer asked why I left a previous job, I answered that "I felt my managers were too immature for their position.” Green’s answer: “Ouch. Honestly? It's very unlikely that I'd hire a candidate who said that.”
The job interview is about how you can fit into a team and help solve problems and that’s the narrative you should stick to. Any badmouthing of former co-workers or bosses, even if the experience was particularly unpleasant, can raise questions in the mind of the hiring manager — questions that are listed by Green as part of her answer:
You don’t want a hiring manager thinking these things about you during a job interview. If you’re feeling discouraged in your current role or felt aggrieved by how you were treated in your last job, reframe it as a positive. Talk about what you’ve gained from the experience and how you feel this opportunity is the right challenge, at the right time of your career.
How can you make a good impression in an interview? The best job interviews take place when the candidate is relaxed and interviewers feel like the interviewee is a good personality fit (and therefore relaxes into the business side of the interview themselves). Interviews go badly when interviewers have nagging doubts about whether this sort of person would fit in — before they even get to the professional considerations. So, candidates need to do their homework in terms of culture fit. If there are doubts, no amount of acting can mask the disparity.
You've left the interview room and you're feeling good. Things went well. But you don't know whether you've landed the job yet. Here's what to do next.
As soon as the interview is done, take stock of how it went. Write down the questions you were asked, along with your answers. This will be useful material to refer to if there’s a follow-up interview. It will also help you identify anything that you missed or wish you’d said so you can improve in future interviews. If you happened to mention one of these 14 things you should never say in a job interview, make note of that too, so you can prepare if you are given the opportunity to answer the same question in the future.
If you are ultimately turned down for the position, remember not to take it too personally. While it might really suck in the moment, there are more and better opportunities waiting for you. Just check out the real-life examples in our blog about rejection during job interviews.
Follow up with the hiring manager by sending a thank you email after the interview as soon as possible, ideally on the same day. This will help you stay front-of-mind and make a good impression. Keep your email concise. Show the hiring manager you appreciate their time and the opportunity, and touch upon the following points:
If you're lucky enough to land multiple job offers, you may need to decline one or more of them. Doing this with grace and professionalism can go a long way in helping you preserve a good relationship with the company – you never know when your paths might cross again. Here are our top tips for declining a job offer.
Remember earlier how we mentioned interviews being a two-way street? Well, we wanted to get some perspective from the men and women on the other side of the table. We approached some interview experts — people who have been through the hiring process countless times — for their best tips on impressing an interviewer. They didn’t disappoint.
“Interview the person interviewing you. Interviews should be a conversation between you and the person conducting the interview on behalf of the business. It can be easy to forget that when you walk into a room, facing a stony-faced group of managers with notepads in front of them. You should be interviewing them, and finding out if the job is a good fit for you, as much as they should be interviewing you. Do your research on the company and come up with a list of questions that are uniquely tailored to that business and its situation.
As well as giving you a much better idea of the demands of the role and what the company is like to work for, this approach is really useful at leaving a good first impression.”
“The key to differentiating yourself from other applicants in your job interview and making yourself irresistible to a prospective employer is to present yourself as the exact solution who can help the company to attain its specific goals. If — by using data, facts, and before/after anecdotes — you can prove that you have the experience to deliver make these goals a reality, you will not only ace the interview, you'll also get the job.”
“Ask the interviewer if it would be OK to connect on LinkedIn and, if they give permission, send your request after the interview. This will help you to stick in their memory and make sure they can see your recently updated profile and recommendations. Even if they don’t choose to offer you the job on this occasion, you will be able to stay in touch and it could lead to opportunities later on.”
“Turn-off the “sell” mode. This is where you want to be authentic and engage in a real conversation. Listen to others at the table, respectfully share what you’re passionate about and find what you have in common.”
“Have 3-5 talking points, i.e. issues that you want to stress to the hiring manager that speak of your experience, expertise and all the value you bring to the job. Don't wait to be asked kids, this is your time to SHINE, and don't presume they know about your secret skills and that time you saved the boss' hide: TELL. THEM. EVERYTHING.”
“Be honest about your flaws. Honesty and openness are becoming an increasingly important trait in today's world. When I ask someone what their biggest weakness is, I'm really trying to find out how open and introspective the candidate is. If they come up with a canned response that's clearly not true, that instantly raises a red flag for me!”
“In the new world of interviewing the weakness question has evolved which means you can't use the typical weakness that isn't a weakness stock answer. Instead, focus on a journey story — describe a time in your career that you overcome an obstacle and how you are who you are today because of that obstacle.”
“Companies, including our own, are increasingly moving toward implementing acumen tests during in-person job interviews. As such, candidates should inquire directly if there will be a skill test and, if so, what the test will entail—there is no shame in asking. In fact, we actually see it as a positive indicator that the individual is serious about the position and has thought critically about our business.”
“A person must be in full control of his/her body language because an interview is not just about where one is analyzed on the basis of area of interest, skills, and knowledge, but it's also a kind of psychological test nowadays. I'm saying this because the choice of words and body and face expressions say a lot about a candidate’s attitude and personality. Many businesses prefer uniqueness and good personalities in their employees.”
The very fact you’ve landed a job interview is testament to your skills and accomplishments. You have what the company is looking for. You wouldn’t have gotten this far if you didn’t. The tips in this post are all about backing up your resume and reaffirming what the hiring manager already thinks.
Remember the key things:
Nail these points and any hiring manager will have a hard time saying no.