How to Prepare for an Interview: The Ultimate Guide

Congratulations, you got an interview! You’re probably excited that a potential employer chose you out of many who applied, but you might also feel nervous or pressured to do well. That’s totally normal. Preparing for an interview will help build confidence and give you the best chance at landing the job. Let’s get you hired!

Why You Need to Prepare for an Interview

No two interviewers are alike, but recruiters and hiring managers will ask similar questions targeted at your level of experience. They might also ask questions that aren’t specific to the role you’re applying for so they can better understand your problem-solving processes. It’s also common for interviewers to ask questions to help them learn more about how you apply technical and durable skills.

If you take the time to polish your interview skills, you’ll have a better chance of making a great first impression, standing out as a top candidate, and ultimately landing the job.

Basics for Preparing for an Interview

Whether you’re staying in your current career field or switch another one, there are several things you can do to prepare for a job interview.

• Study the job description: A job description is a list of the qualifications, qualities, and background an employer would like to see in an ideal candidate. As you read the job description, make notes of how you align with the details given so you can position yourself as the most qualified candidate. The job description might also give you clues about what the interviewer will ask.
• Research the company and the role: The interviewer will likely ask you why you’re interested in working for their company, and, unfortunately, “I need to pay rent” isn’t the answer they’re looking for. Understanding what the company does and how the role contributes to the company’s mission, then verbalizing how you can help achieve that mission, is a powerful way to stand out as a candidate.
• Prepare answers to common interview questions: You won’t be able to predict every question you’ll be asked, but you can prepare answers for the most common ones and prepare an elevator pitch to describe who you are and what you want.
• Practice your voice and body language: Practice speaking confidently with friendly, open body language. Practicing the way you want to speak, act, and feel on the day of your interview will help your brain and body more quickly return to those feelings when you start the interview.
• Prepare questions to ask the interviewer: If “Do you have any questions for us?” has ever made you freeze, you’re not alone! It’s important to prepare questions to ask in return to showcase how you’re thoughtfully considering what it would be like to be part of the team.
• Practice interviewing: Ask friends or family to help you with mock interviews, or simply ask questions and give answers out loud by yourself. This gives you the chance to refine your tone of voice, body language, and answers before you get to the real interview.
• Print out your resume: Whether you’re interviewing in person or virtually, have a physical copy of your resume on hand to reference as needed. If you’re interviewing in person, plan to take a couple of extra copies in case the interviewers need them.
• Plan your travel: If your interview is in an unfamiliar part of town or a different city altogether, make sure to plan your journey in advance. Consider how long it will take you to get there, alternate routes in case of traffic, and where you will park.
• Prepare your remote interview environment: If you’re interviewing virtually, make sure the room where you’ll be is well-lit and tidy. If your background isn’t camera-ready, consider using a background blur filter in the video conferencing software. Make sure nothing personal is visible.
• Dress professionally: For both in-person and remote interviews, it’s important to dress professionally. Make sure your clothes are clean and wrinkle-free and that your personal hygiene is at its best. You’ll probably be dressed more formally than your interviewer(s), but that’s okay! The goal is to present yourself as well as you possibly can.
• Follow up after the interview: This step is often forgotten, but it’s important to keep yourself in the interviewer’s mind. Within the same day as the interview, write a thank you note (email is fine) that mentions the specific job title you interviewed for, thanks the interviewer, and highlights something positive or interesting that stood out to you in the interview. Invite the interviewer to ask you any follow-up questions and express your interest in hearing back soon.

While not every interview will be exactly the same, these are some basic principles that can help you practice and prepare. Once you generally know what to expect, you will find it easier to adjust course in the interview.

9 Most Common Job Interview Questions (and How to Answer Them)

1. Tell Me About Yourself

Employers ask this question to get to know you. They want to know your personality and your background, but sometimes they can use this question to uncover information they can’t legally ask. For example, if you have children, you’re likely to mention them without being prompted.

To answer this question well, make sure your story has an interesting beginning, middle, and end. Connect your story to your background and why you’re interested in this role. If you’ve done anything you’re particularly proud of in a past role, make sure to mention it. This is your chance to get the interviewer’s attention by showcasing how your education, experience, and interests combined to bring you to this role.

2. What About This Position Caught Your Attention?

This is the classic “Why do you want this job?” question, and it’s your chance to tell the interviewer why you’re enthusiastic about the position and why you may be a good fit.

You might be a little frustrated with the interview process, especially if you have been interviewing for a while, but this isn’t the place to make jokes about it. Otherwise, don’t hold back with your honesty! If you’re excited about the chance to work on a particular project the company is undertaking, say so. If the job description perfectly aligns with your past experience, explain why.

3. Tell Me About a Time You Had a Disagreement With a Coworker and How You Handled It

With this question, the interviewer is looking for clues about how you problem-solve and how you work with others. If you’ve never had a disagreement with a coworker, try to find a different, relevant example to reference. Maybe you’ve worked out a difficult situation with a client or a supervisor. The same principle applies: who are you during tense situations, and how do you collaborate with others?

To answer this question, briefly describe the disagreement that occurred using neutral language that doesn’t speak badly of the person you had a conflict with, then describe what you did to resolve the situation. Focus on steps you actively took to handle the problem.

4. Do You Prefer Working Independently or With a Team?

When your interviewer asks this question, they want to know whether you’ll fit in with the company culture. Always make sure to answer honestly, not based on what you think the interviewer might want to hear. You’re the one who will be in that work environment, after all!

You should already have an idea of the company's work culture based on your research. Highlight the best parts of your personality and how they fit the job description. If you have experience in both types of work environments, make sure to describe that.

5. How Do You Keep Yourself Organized with Multiple Projects?

The interviewer wants to understand how you stay productive and efficient. They want to know whether you manage yourself well or if you rely strictly on the company’s workflow. Make sure you convey that you take deadlines seriously and share a specific example of a time that you kept yourself or a project on track. Are there any specific techniques or tools you use to stay organized? Mention those and how you use them.

6. It Seems Like You Took a Gap Year. Can You Tell Me About That?

Depending on where you live and what industry you’re interested in, gap years may have a negative or neutral connotation. With this question, the interviewer isn’t trying to be nosy about your personal life as much as they are trying to figure out if you did anything that made you a more valuable employee.

To answer this question, give a brief explanation of why you pursued a gap year, then pivot the focus to what you learned or did during that time that made a positive impact on your career plans. Always stay focused on the positive, what you learned, and how you can contribute to the team.

7. What Led You to Switch to This Career?

This question can be tricky if you’re interviewing in an entirely different field from where you started, because some people may feel that their reasons aren’t “good enough,” such as seeking a higher salary. To navigate this question, focus on the positive. You might say something like, “In my last role, I discovered a passion for _____ and decided I wanted to pursue a career where I could do more of that.” Then, explain how your skills transfer from your old career field to the new one and any additional training or certifications you’ve gained along the way.

8. What Type of Work Environment Do You Prefer?

Similarly to question #4, the interviewer wants to know if your preferred work style fits in with the company’s culture. If you prefer a traditional office environment, you might not enjoy working with a highly collaborative startup, or vice versa. If you thrive in multiple different work environments, make sure you share that; it can help show that you are adaptable, which is a skill that employers value.

9. Do You Have Any Questions for Me?

When this question lands, the last thing you want to say is no. The answer should always be yes. Always have questions prepared in advance, and if any questions come up for you during the interview, make sure you jot them down and bring them up now.

Your questions should be thoughtful and in-depth about the role you’re interviewing for, the company, the work environment, and so on. Examples of questions you could ask include:

• What do the first 90 days look like for the person in this position?
• What do you enjoy most about this company?
• How does someone succeed in this role?
• (If you’re interviewing with the supervisor) How do you describe your management style?

A strong final question you can ask right at the end of this portion of the interview is “Is there anything I’ve said that would cause you not to offer me this position?” If so, take the opportunity to clarify and end the interview on a positive note!