How to prepare for a job interview: complete guide with questions and answers

Your CV got you through: now comes the decisive part

If you've been invited to an interview, your CV has done its job: on paper, you meet the requirements. From now on the company wants to understand three things: whether you can really do what you wrote, whether you're motivated for this specific role, and whether you'll fit into the team.

Preparation makes a huge difference. You don't need to memorise answers: you need to know the company, have concrete examples ready and know what to expect at each stage.

The typical stages of a hiring process

• Pre-screening call (10-20 minutes): often with a recruiter or agency. Checks motivation, availability, salary expectations and basic requirements.
• First interview (30-60 minutes), in person or by video: explores your background and transferable skills.
• Technical interview or interview with the hiring manager: role-specific questions, sometimes case studies, tests or exercises.
• Practical assessments: aptitude tests, group exercises, a take-home task.
• Final interview: often with a director or the owner, more focused on motivation and terms.

In small companies the stages may shrink to one or two meetings; in large ones, 3-4 rounds are normal.

Before the interview: researching the company

One of the most common questions is "what do you know about us?". A vague answer signals low interest. Spend at least 30-60 minutes on research:

• Official website: products or services, customers, locations, history, stated values.
• Recent news: new products, acquisitions, awards, expansions. A quick search in the news section of a search engine is enough.
• LinkedIn: the company page, its size, the profiles of your interviewers (if you know their names) and of people in similar roles.
• Employee reviews on specialised sites: read critically, but useful for understanding the culture.
• The job ad: re-read it, highlight the requirements and prepare an example from your experience for each one.

From this research, prepare 2-3 links between the company's needs and your experience. They are the core of your answer to "why should we choose you?".

The STAR method: clear, credible answers

Many questions start with "tell me about a time when...". These are behavioural questions: the interviewer wants facts, not opinions. The STAR method helps you structure the answer:

• S - Situation: the context, in one or two sentences.
• T - Task: the goal or problem.
• A - Action: what you personally did. This is the most important part.
• R - Result: how it ended, with numbers if possible, and what you learned.

Example

Question: "Tell me about a problem with a customer."

"I was working in customer service for an online shop (S). A key customer had received the wrong order for the second time and was threatening to close their account (T). I called them personally, arranged a replacement with 24-hour delivery and reported to the warehouse the product code that was causing the error (A). The customer stayed, placed three more orders that quarter and the warehouse error was fixed (R)."

Prepare 5-6 STAR stories covering different situations: a success, a mistake, a conflict, teamwork, a tough deadline, a personal initiative. With these stories you can answer most behavioural questions.

The most common questions (and how to answer)

"Tell me about yourself"

Don't tell your life story from childhood. Prepare 60-90 seconds with this structure: who you are professionally today, 1-2 experiences or results relevant to the role, why you're here.

"Why do you want to work for us?"

Mention something specific you found in your research (a product, a project, a value) and link it to what you want to do. Avoid answers that would fit any company.

"What are your strengths?"

Choose two that are relevant to the role and back each one with a concrete example.

"And your weaknesses?"

Avoid fake flaws ("I'm too much of a perfectionist"). Name a genuine area for improvement that isn't central to the role, and explain what you're doing about it.

"Why are you leaving (or did you leave) your current job?"

Stay positive and forward-looking: you want growth, new responsibilities, a different sector. Never criticise your former employer, even if you have reason to.

"Where do you see yourself in five years?"

The company wants to know whether your ambitions match the path it can offer. Talk realistically about skills you want to develop and responsibilities you'd like to take on.

"What are your salary expectations?"

Research pay for the role and location beforehand (salary comparison sites, similar job ads, collective agreements where they apply). Give a range consistent with the market. In the EU, under the pay transparency directive, employers must share the expected pay range and cannot ask what you earn now; several US states have similar rules.

Video interviews

Many first interviews now take place over video. The rules change a little:

• Do a technical test the day before: platform (Teams, Zoom, Google Meet), microphone, webcam, connection.
• Webcam at eye level: put your laptop on a few books. Look at the lens when you speak, not at your own face on screen.
• Light in front of you: a window ahead of you, not behind.
• A tidy background or a simple background blur.
• No distractions: notifications off, phone on silent, housemates warned.
• Discreet notes: you can keep 3-4 keywords at hand, but don't read: it shows.
• Log in 5 minutes early, dressed as you would be in person.

Your own questions

Almost every interview ends with "do you have any questions for us?". Answering "no, everything's clear" is a missed opportunity. Prepare 3-5 questions and pick 2-3 depending on what came up:

• "What does a typical day look like in this role?"
• "What are the priorities for the first three months?"
• "How is the team organised, and who would I work with most closely?"
• "How is success measured in this position?"
• "What training and growth opportunities are there?"
• "What are the next steps in the process?"

In a first interview, avoid asking only about holidays, leave and benefits: those will come at the right time.

On the day

• Clothing: appropriate to the environment. If in doubt, one step more formal than how the employees dress.
• Punctuality: arrive 10 minutes early. Arriving far too early can put your host in an awkward position.
• What to bring: two copies of your CV, ID, a notepad, your list of questions.
• Body language: a firm handshake, eye contact, an open posture. Being a little nervous is fine: interviewers know it.
• Honesty: if you don't know the answer to a technical question, say so and explain how you'd find out. Making things up is much worse.

After the interview

• Thank-you email within 24 hours: a few lines to thank them, recall a point from the conversation and confirm your interest.
• Write down the questions and your answers: they'll help in future interviews.
• Respect the timeline: if they gave you a date for feedback, wait. If nothing arrives, a polite follow-up after a week is appropriate.
• If it goes badly: ask for brief feedback. It doesn't always come, but when it does it's valuable.

A clear CV also helps in the interview: it's the outline the interviewer builds questions around. If yours needs updating, you can fix it in minutes on WizardsCV and download the PDF for free.