How to prepare for a job interview – The Ultimate Guide

Being selected for interview is a great result… but the interview process can be tough and even a bit
scary.

However, good preparation will make any job interview 10 times easier.

In fact, I would say that interview success is 90% down to preparation

So how exactly do you prepare for an interview?

We’ve all heard “research the company and role” etc.

But what exactly should you be researching? And what do you need to understand about the role?

Drawing on my years of experience in the recruitment industry, I’ve compiled the most
comprehensive interview preparation guide on the web.

This guide shows you step-by-step, how to prepare for any interview; from the day of the interview
request – to the moment you walk into the interview room.

Guide Contents

Intro – you’ve been selected for interview

A few days before the interview

• Understand the company and role

• Know why you are good fit for the role
• Know your weaknesses
• Plan your journey & equipment
 • Practice common interview questions
• Prepare questions to ask the interviewer

The night before the interview

• Prepare your outfit
• Go over your preparation
• Pack your bag
• Get a good night sleep

On the day of the interview

• When to arrive
• Social warm up
• Beat the nerves

Intro - You’ve been selected for interview

So you’ve made it through to interview stage, which means you’ve already beaten hundreds of other
candidates and the employer sees potential you.

The interviewer already suspects that you can do the job - all you have to do is prove them right
when you meet.

That’s obviously a lot easier said than done, but if you prepare properly, then there should be no
reason why you can’t land that job offer.

When you receive the interview request, do 2 things straight away.

1. Send the requestor an email thanking them for the invite, and confirming you will be
attending. This is small touch, but will show that you are professional and will start to build a
good impression before you even attend.

2. Book the necessary time off. Whether it’s getting the time off work, or booking in childcare,
get your time freed up ASAP so that you can focus your full attention on preparing for the
interview.

Now the preparation begins…

A few days before the interview
Most employers will give you at least 2 days’ notice for an interview, but in the rare case that they
don’t, you’ll just have to squeeze this section in a little earlier.

The few days in the build up to the interview is where most of the hard work lies. It’s where you will
be doing the bulk of your research and preparation.

The work is split into the following categories:

• Understand the company

• Understand the role
• Know why you are good fit for the role
• Know your weaknesses
• Plan the journey
• Prepare what you need to take
• Practice common interview questions
• Prepare questions to ask the interviewer

Understand the company

If you want the interviewer to take you seriously as a candidate, you will need to have at least a
basic understanding of what their organisation does.

It will also help you to make your decision as to whether or not the role is right for you.

So what exactly do you need to know?

• What services/products/solutions they offer

• Who their customers/clients are
• Who their competitors are
• Which markets/areas/countries they operate in
• Recent news or achievements
• Company culture and values
• Key people in the business
If you are applying to a fairly small company, then it will be enough to simply research the company
as a whole – but if you are applying to a big organisation, then you will need to research more
specifically into the area or team you are applying for.

Where can you find this information?

The company website

Your first port of call should be the company website, which should at least give you a general idea
of their offerings and the markets they operate in, along with any key figures in the business.

Many companies will also have a blog which will give you an insight into some of their recent work
and company culture.

News & industry websites

In order to find about the firm’s current affairs you can try scanning through some relevant industry
publications online, or even running a News Search on Google – like below

Social media
Social media can give you some big insights into a firm’s recent campaigns and even how they
interact with customers sometimes.

Search them on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and scan through some of their recent activity and
even check out some of their employee profiles if you can find them.
Ask the recruiter
If you’re vacancy is being managed by a recruiter (either internal or agency) then don’t be afraid to
pick up the phone and ask them about the company you are interviewing at – you may acquire some
insider knowledge that you aren’t able to find on the internet.

Check your LinkedIn connections

It’s a slightly long shot, but search your LinkedIn connections for employees of the firm. If you can
find a friendly face who already works there, you can pick up some great information.

There are no hard and fast rules on how long you should spend researching and revising this
information, but just ensure that you can remember enough to speak confidently about the
company on interview day.

Quick tip: Search for the interviewer on LinkedIn and see if you can find out a little bit about their
role and background – this may reveal some insights into your team/area. Don’t add the interviewer
as a connection at this stage though, this could be seen as a little forward.

Understand the role

Employers will not offer a job to someone who reaches interview stage and doesn’t seem to grasp
the role – so make sure that you fully understand the job being offered.

Familiarise yourself with the job description thoroughly and be sure to ask for one if you haven’t
already received it.

If the job spec is missing any information that you need, speak to the recruiter and ask them to fill in
the gaps for you.

In order to fully understand the role you should be able to cover most of the points below fairly
confidently:

• What the overall goal of the role is

• Which area/team you will be working in and who you will be reporting to and/or managing
• People you are required to interact with (customers, suppliers, regulators etc.)
• Tools and software packages you will be using
• Product or service knowledge required
• Work you will be producing (depending on your industry this could be anything from reports,
design work and web applications, through to physical products like cars or buildings)
• Environments you will be working in (e.g. busy sales floor, high profile government building
etc.)
Know why you are a good fit for the role

Once you understand the company and the role, this part should be relatively straight-forward.

You just need to match your skills and knowledge up to the job responsibilities.

Look at each requirement on the job description and make notes on how you meet them with your
skills and experience. Doing this should prepare you for most questions the interviewer asks you
around your suitability.

Much of the interview process is based around proving why you are suitable for the role; so having it
mapped out like this is really helpful.

Go over these notes a few times in the build up to your interview in order to properly familiarise
yourself with them.

Know your weaknesses

Now that you know your strengths, it’s important to know your weaknesses – as interviewers will
usually ask you about them.

There are likely to be some elements of the job where your skills don’t quite match up to the
employers expectations… but that’s OK. How you handle those shortcomings is what matters.

The idea is to recognise your weaknesses and have a plan of how you will combat them in the
workplace to ensure you perform well in your job.

For example, you may be applying for a job where you tick most of the boxes except one
qualification.
In case you are asked about this, you should have a rough answer prepared along the lines of;

“Although I don’t have the technical qualification, I feel that my 5 years of experience has given
me the knowledge to deal with any situation in this area. I am also working towards the
qualification this year.”

Knowing your weaknesses and how you will compensate for them like this, will reassure the
interviewer that you they will not stop you from doing a good job.

Showing that you are looking to improve your skills in that area with training or study will also get
you some brownie points.

Plan the journey & equipment

If you’re traveling a significant distance to your job interview, then plan your route well in advance.

Whether you’re driving or taking public transport, learn your route and even a backup alternative in
case of travel disruptions.

Essentially, do whatever you can to avoid being late.

If you are not familiar with the area of the building, it may be worth making a practice journey if you
have the time – it will alleviate some of the pressure on the day.

Prepare anything you need to take

You’ll need to take a few interview essentials with you on the day along with anything you’ve been
asked to bring specifically by the employer.

Make sure you have all of these items ready well in advance – you don’t want to be rushing around
trying to locate them at the last minute on the day.
What you need to take

1. Multiple copies of your CV to ensure you have a copy for everyone you meet – print them off
nice and early to avoid any printer mishap issues
2. A pen and pad to take notes
3. Some prepared questions – There are example questions in the pack
4. The job description (including your notes) – handy to revise on your journey
5. The interview details (either saved to your phone or printed)
6. Relevant certificates or anything the interviewer has asked you to bring specifically
7. Examples of your work - If you are in a creative industry such as graphic design then you may
have a portfolio of your work to take with you. Non creative professionals need to think
outside the box a little and use things like sales figures, awards and client testimonials.
8. A smart folder or bag to put everything in will help you to stay organised and look
professional.
9. You also need to make sure that anything you are planning to wear is clean and ready to wear

Practice common interview questions

Although you can never predict every question that’s going to be asked at an interview, you can be
sure that some of the more common interview questions will arise in some form or another.

Questions like:

Why do you want this job?

Why should we hire you?

Why are you leaving your current job?

You need to know how you will answer these 3 questions in particular, well before you walk into the
interview.
To help you plan your answers to these questions and more, check out my list of 20 common
interview questions and how to answer them in the pack.

If possible, practice answering the questions with a friend or at least reading the answers out loud to
yourself – it just helps to get you in the habit of reeling them off naturally.

Prepare questions to ask

There will likely be a point in the interview where you will be asked if you have any questions, so it’s
good to have some prepared.

Asking the right questions can make you appear keen and diligent, which will impress the
interviewer.

You may already have some questions about the role, but if not – try to ask something on the
subject of progression and development; to let the interview know that you are looking to work hard
and make a commitment.

Ask questions like;

What opportunities are there for career progression?

Do you offer training and development?

I have included 5 questions that are great to ask any interviewer in the pack.

Avoid asking questions about holiday and lunch breaks at this stage, it’s a little too early to be asking
for time off ☺

The night before the interview

The night before your interview should be fairly relaxed evening, you don’t want to be doing
anything too stressful.

You’ve done most of the hard work in the previous few days, there are just a few final bits of
preparation left.

Prepare your outfit

To save any last minute panic on the morning of the interview, pick out what you are going to wear
the night before.

Make sure that clothes are clean and ironed, shoes are polished, and everything is laid out ready to
put on in the morning.

Work dress code has changed in recent times with many offices now promoting a more casual style,
but when it comes to interview stage, it’s always a safe bet to go smart.
For guys you can’t go wrong with a full suit and tie with a smart pair of polished shoes. For ladies, a
smart skirt with a collared shirt and blazer will work.

Go over your preparation

So, over the past few days you will have;

• Researched the company

• Studied the job spec and made notes on your suitability
• Noted how you will overcome your weaknesses
• Practiced some common interview questions
• Prepared some questions to ask the interviewer

So just spend about 30 minutes to an hour re-visiting all of your preparation to keep everything fresh
in your mind for the big day.

Pack your bag or folder

Once you’ve finished up your preparation, pack your bag or folder with everything you need to take
to the interview.

As I mentioned earlier, this includes:

• A few copies of your CV

• The job description (with your notes on)
• A pen and pad
• Relevant qualifications
• Examples of your work if possible
• Questions you have prepared
• The interview details (if you’ve written them down as opposed to saving them on your phone)

With your things packed and outfit ready, you will save lots of valuable time in the morning and
avoid any last minute worries.

Quick tip: Check the travel news for the next day – make sure that your route is still in operation

Get a good night’s sleep

Spend some time relaxing before getting off to bed nice and early – you will function much better
after a good night’s sleep.

Set a couple of alarms for the morning if you can – you don’t want to wake up late.

On the day of the interview

When the interview day arrives, there are only a few more things left to do in order to give yourself
the best chance of success.

Aim to arrive in the area 30 minutes early

When you set off, check the travel news again and aim to arrive in the general vicinity of the
interview building around 30 minutes before it starts.

There are 2 reason for setting off in this time:

1. If you have any unexpected travel disruptions, the extra time should hopefully mean you
still arrive on time.
2. Hopefully you should arrive to the area with time to spare and you can do the following:
a. Find the entrance to the building (do this first!)
b. Find the nearest coffee shop or café
c. Grab a drink whilst you go over your notes again one last time

Do not actually arrive to the interview 30 minutes early though – you don’t want to be sitting
awkwardly in their reception for half an hour. Arriving 5-10 minutes early is perfect.

Start a conversation with a stranger on the way

Like any skills, social skills get better with practice. And it’s good to get some practice in on the day
of your interview.

On your journey to the interview, give your social muscles a warm-up by starting a conversation with
a stranger.
This simple act will help you to become more comfortable talking to people that you’ve not met
before, and can be a great way to shake pre-interview nerves.

Approaching random people in the street could be perceived as slightly odd, so the easiest way to do
this is pop into a shop for a pack of chewing gum and simply ask the person on the till how they are.

And lastly a couple of confidence boosters

If you suffer from nerves or just need a little confidence boost, remember the following 2 things…

1. The employer invited you in for the interview! So you must have impressed them already.
Having interviewed lots of people myself, I can tell you that I wouldn’t drag somebody in if I
wasn’t interested in placing/hiring them. The interviewer has already shown faith in you by
inviting you in… so just prove to them that they made the right choice.

2. It’s just another interview… If you managed to land this interview then it’s likely you will be
able to land more. So yes, take it seriously, but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get
that particular job – there are lots out there.

Conclusion
Hopefully this guide has given you everything you need to prepare for your upcoming interview.
Essentially you just need to understand why you are the best candidate for the job, and present this
case to the interviewer in a professional manner.

If you follow all the steps above then you will walk into the interview with 90% of the work already
done.

Good luck!

Don’t forget to review the 20 essential interview questions and how to answer them in the pack