The best job interview tips are mostly about preparation. Interviewers want to know three things: can you do the job, will you do it well, and will you work well with the team. If you've prepared evidence for all three and practised saying it out loud, the interview becomes a conversation instead of a test. This guide covers how to prepare, how to answer, the dos and don'ts on the day, and what to do afterwards.
If you're interviewing after a layoff, start with our guide on how to explain being laid off in an interview, and see what to do when you get laid off for the wider plan.
How do you prepare for a job interview?
Prepare in this order: the role, the company, your stories, your questions, then the logistics.
| Step | What to do | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Study the job advert | Highlight every skill and duty. Rank the top five. | 30 minutes |
| 2. Research the company | Website, recent news, products, values, and the interviewers' LinkedIn profiles | 45 minutes |
| 3. Build your story bank | Six to eight STAR stories that cover the top requirements | 1 to 2 hours |
| 4. Practise out loud | Answer common questions to a friend, a mirror or a recording | 1 hour or more |
| 5. Prepare your questions | Two or three that show you've thought about the role | 15 minutes |
| 6. Sort the logistics | Route or tech check, outfit, copies of your resume, notes | 30 minutes |
The times are a rough guide. More senior or technical roles need longer for step 3 and any task or case study.
How do you ace an interview?
You ace an interview by giving specific, relevant evidence for each thing the employer needs, and by being someone the panel can picture working with. In practice that means:
- Lead with the answer. Start with a one-sentence direct answer, then give the example.
- Use real examples. "I'd probably..." is weaker than "Last spring I...".
- Show results. What changed because of what you did?
- Connect it to their job. End with a line linking your example to what they need.
- Be warm. Smile, use their names, and show interest in their work.
Walk into your next interview having already done the work
Practise on job simulations of the real tasks in your target role, see where you lost marks, and go in with examples you have just proved. Free to start, no card.
How do you answer interview questions using STAR?
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. It keeps behavioural answers ("Tell me about a time when...") clear and complete. The UK's National Careers Service recommends the same method for describing your experience.
| Part | What to say | Share of your answer |
|---|---|---|
| Situation | The context, in one or two sentences | Small |
| Task | What you were responsible for | Small |
| Action | What you did, step by step | Most of it |
| Result | The outcome, and what you learned | A clear finish |
Example answer (illustrative), "Tell me about a time you handled a difficult customer":
"In my last role at a broadband provider, a business customer had lost service three times in a month and was threatening to cancel (situation). I owned the account for the escalation (task). I called him the same day, set up a direct line to me instead of the queue, got an engineer to replace the faulty line card, and sent him a daily update until it was stable (action). He stayed with us, renewed at the end of his contract, and our team adopted the direct-line approach for repeat faults (result)."
Our list of behavioural interview questions explains what each common question is really testing.
What are the most common interview questions?
Prepare a short, practised answer for each of these.
| Question | What they want to know | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me about yourself | Can you summarise your fit in two minutes? | Present, past, future: current role, relevant background, why this job |
| Why do you want this job? | Have you researched us, and will you stay? | Name something specific about the role and company |
| Why are you leaving your current job? | Is there a problem we should worry about? | Brief, honest and positive; see our guide to reason for leaving a job |
| What are your strengths? | Do your strengths match our needs? | Pick two that are in the advert, each with an example |
| What is your greatest weakness? | Are you self-aware and improving? | A real, minor weakness and what you're doing about it |
| What makes you unique? | Why you over other candidates? | See our guide to what makes you unique |
| Where do you see yourself in five years? | Are your goals realistic and aligned? | Growth in skills and responsibility in this field |
| Do you have any questions for us? | Are you genuinely interested? | Always say yes |
What are the dos and don'ts of a job interview?
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Arrive 10 minutes early, or log in 5 minutes early for video | Arrive more than 15 minutes early and wait in reception |
| Bring printed copies of your resume and a notebook | Read answers word for word from notes |
| Listen to the whole question before answering | Interrupt or answer the question you hoped for |
| Ask for a moment to think if you need one | Fill silence with rambling |
| Be honest about what you don't know | Bluff or exaggerate your experience |
| Speak positively about past employers | Criticise a former manager or company |
| Keep answers to about two minutes | Give one-word answers or ten-minute stories |
| Ask about the team and the work | Lead with pay and holiday in a first interview |
| Thank each interviewer | Check your phone |
What are the most common job interview flaws?
These are the mistakes that most often cost candidates an offer:
- Generic answers. Talking about what you'd do in theory instead of what you did.
- Not knowing the company. Being unable to say what the company does or why you applied.
- Long, unfocused stories. The point gets lost. Use STAR and stop at the result.
- "We" with no "I". Interviewers need to know your part in the team's work.
- Negativity. About old jobs, colleagues or the job search itself.
- No questions at the end.
How should you handle tricky questions?
Gaps and layoffs: say it plainly, without apology, and move to the present. "My role was one of 200 cut in a restructure in March. Since then I've completed a data analytics course and done two freelance projects, and I'm ready to get back into a full-time analyst role." Our employment gap and laid off vs fired guides have more scripts.
Questions you can't answer: be honest and show how you'd find out. "I haven't used that tool, but I learned a similar one in two weeks in my last job. Here's how I'd approach it."
Salary expectations: research typical ranges for the role and location from reliable sources before the interview, then give a range you're comfortable with, or ask about the budgeted range first.
What should you ask at the end of an interview?
Pick two or three. Good questions show you're already thinking about doing the job well.
- What would success look like in the first three to six months?
- What's the biggest challenge facing the team right now?
- How does the team work together day to day?
- What do people who do well here have in common?
- What are the next steps in the process?
What should you do on the day of the interview?
In person: plan your route the day before, dress one level smarter than the team's everyday dress, and greet everyone politely, including reception. Our in-person interview tips cover the details.
On video: test your camera, microphone and connection; sit facing a light source; use a plain background; close other apps; and look at the camera when you speak.
On the phone: stand up or sit upright, keep notes in front of you, and smile when you talk. People can hear it.
What should you do after the interview?
- Write notes straight away: the questions asked, names, and anything you'd answer differently.
- Send a thank-you email within 24 hours. Our thank-you email after interview guide has examples.
- Follow up if you haven't heard back by the date they gave. See our follow-up email after interview guide.
- Keep applying. Don't pause your search while you wait.
What are interview dos and don'ts for interviewers?
If you are on the other side of the table: prepare structured questions tied to the job, ask every candidate the same core questions, take notes on evidence rather than impressions, give candidates time to ask questions, and tell them the next steps and timeline. Keep questions to what you need to judge whether someone can do the job. In the US, the EEOC says pre-employment questions should be limited to that, treats information about race, sex, national origin, age and religion as irrelevant to hiring decisions, and explicitly prohibits pre-offer questions about disability (EEOC). Other countries have their own equality laws, so check the rules where you hire.
How can you practise for a job interview?
- Mock interviews with a friend, mentor or careers adviser.
- Record yourself answering common questions and watch it back.
- Role-specific prep. Our prepare pages cover what to expect for roles such as product manager, data engineer and customer success manager.
- Practise the actual work. Many interviews now include a task or case study. You can practise on job simulations of the real work in your target role on Cohesyve, get a scored report showing where you lost marks, and walk in with fresh examples.
FAQs
How early should I arrive for a job interview?
About 10 minutes early in person, and 5 minutes early for a video call.
How long should my interview answers be?
Around one to two minutes for most questions. Longer for case studies or technical explanations, if the interviewer invites it.
Is it OK to bring notes to an interview?
Yes, brief notes and your questions are fine. Glance at them; don't read from them.
What should I wear to a job interview?
Something one level smarter than what people wear day to day at the company. If unsure, ask the recruiter.
What if I get nervous during the interview?
Prepare well, breathe slowly, and pause before answering. Saying "That's a good question, let me think for a moment" is perfectly acceptable.
Sources
- National Careers Service (UK): CV sections (recommends the STAR method for describing experience)
- US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Prohibited employment policies and practices