How to Prepare for an Interview

Landing a job interview is an exciting accomplishment that brings you one step closer to getting an offer. No matter which type of interview you've been invited to participate in, there are ways to prepare that can leave you feeling more confident and show a potential employer you're the best fit for the role.  

Learn more about the important steps to follow when preparing for an interview, and get access to additional articles pertaining to specific job interviews. Afterward, keep developing in-demand skills from industry leaders like Google, Microsoft, and IBM with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get a certificate for every program you finish, which you can add to further enhance your resume.

How to prepare for an interview: 9 steps 

Being prepared for an interview means setting aside time in the days ahead of the actual interview to conduct additional research, reflect on your experience, and practice answering common and behavioral questions you are likely to be asked. Follow the steps below to get ready for your next interview—and good luck!

1. Consider what type of interview you'll be participating in.  

First and foremost, what type of interview will you be doing? It's an important question because a phone screen, which is typically a relatively brief call with a company recruiter, will be different than a longer, more in-depth conversation with a hiring manager.

Generally, the interview process follows the order below, though it can differ depending on the company, industry, and job seniority level.

• Phone screen: An initial call with a recruiter who is trying to determine whether your experience and skills align with the job requirements.

• Hiring manager: A longer interview with the person who would likely be your manager that goes into detail about the role and seeks to understand your abilities, experience, and personality.

• Second or team interview: One or more interviews with potential team members. They are also trying to understand your experience and skills, as well as your personality to see how you'd complement the team.

• Skills-based interview: An interview during or after you've completed a skills assessment or assignment, which will likely focus on your technical skill set and abilities.

• Final interview: This may be a follow-up interview with someone you've already met or a new team member. It's one last chance for them to clear up any lingering questions.

Think about the overall purpose of each interview, which can help you determine how you should prepare. For instance, if you're completing a phone screen for a software engineer role, you likely don't need to practice your coding, but you will want to make sure you're ready to showcase that skill in your team interview or skills-based interview.

2. Practice your story.

Telling your professional story is a big part of interviewing. It should be the narrative you're prepared to share at any type of interview you complete because you'll likely be asked some version of "Tell me about yourself" or "What interested you in this role?" a few different times.

There are two possible ways to structure your answer:

Linear: past, present, future

• What you did and what you achieved there

• What you're doing now and what you've accomplished

• What you're hoping to do in the future and how it aligns with the job

Sample answer: I got my start in IT support because I really enjoyed being able to problem-solve for customers and make their day a little easier. After I was awarded for my service, I began looking for ways to continue growing and began shadowing the network admin team. Through that experience, I developed my skills in firewall configuration and threat detection. I was eventually promoted to a junior network administrator, where I monitored performance, assisted in network upgrades, and continued providing instrumental technical support. I'm now looking to leverage this experience to take on new challenges as a network administrator, which is why I'm particularly excited about this opportunity with [Company B].

CARL: context, achievement, result, link

• Context: A short statement about your professional identity and experience.

• Achievement: Notable accomplishments and measurable results

• Result: How your skills align with the job

• Link: Why you're interested in this company and the value you'd add

Sample answer: I'm a digital marketing specialist with five years of experience in B2B software. In my current role, I've led campaigns that increased lead generation by 31% and managed a $500,000 annual budget. My expertise in marketing automation and content strategy aligns perfectly with what you're looking for in this growth marketing position. I'm particularly excited about joining [Company A] because of your innovative approach to AI-driven marketing and the opportunity to help scale your operations.

3. Review the job description.

The job description outlines the ideal candidate, and you can use this information to specifically connect your experience and skill set to what the company is seeking. Review the posting and pay close attention to both the required and recommended sections. For each line, think of how you've completed that work or used that skill in the past. It can help to have more than one example of each.

Practice discussing your abilities in light of the job requirements. Where possible, think of specific examples you can share and any measurable results you achieved so you can highlight the impact you've made. Companies won't just want to know that you can do the job, but that you'll be a valuable addition to their larger goals.

4. Research the company. 

Beyond the job itself, you should take time to learn more about the company, its mission, its culture, and whether it will be a good fit for you. (Remember that in an interview, you are interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you.)

Look at the company’s website, social media channels, and any other public-facing material you can find, such as company reviews on Indeed and Glassdoor. What are the company’s mission and values? What products and services does it offer? Who are its target customers and top competitors? What is its culture like?

In an interview, it's likely that you'll be asked about your interest in the company, and you should have a few different reasons ready to share. Even if that question doesn't come up, you can—and should—find ways to integrate your interest in other answers you provide.

5. Research your interviewer. 

If you're invited to meet with the hiring manager and any other team members, you will likely be given their names. If not, you should feel comfortable asking the recruiter (or the HR rep) who you'll be meeting with and their titles. From that information, try to find any public-facing information about them, such as their LinkedIn profiles.

Seek to understand how long they’ve been working there and what your relationship with them would be if you get the job. Review their profile for any details that might build a connection, such as prior experience in a similar industry. Use this information to build rapport during your interview.

Remember, as you’re researching your interviewer, be sensitive about the information you find. While some interviewers might appreciate your thorough research and sincere interest in their professional history, others might feel uncomfortable disclosing information about themselves with a potential employee they’re screening. 

Sample approaches to build rapport:

• I read your company profile and saw that you’ve been working here for five years. What have you enjoyed the most?  

• I read your LinkedIn profile and saw that you published an article on our industry’s latest trends. I found it really insightful.

6. Practice answering common interview questions. 

Even though you won't know which questions you'll be asked until you're in the interview, it's likely that an interviewer will turn to at least a few common interview questions. These tend to be more generic compared to questions about the job itself or about how you do your work, such as about your strengths and weaknesses.

Seek out lists of these kinds of questions and practice answering them. It's good to spend time thinking about what you'd say and refining it so you feel more confident on the day of your interview.

Sample common interview questions:

• What motivates you?

• How do you handle pressure?

• How do you prioritize what do focus on first?

• Tell me about a time you went above and beyond.

• Are you comfortable working independently?

• What's your greatest strength?

• What's one of your weaknesses?

Interview tip: When you search a company on Glassdoor, click the “interviews” tab on the company profile to view actual interview questions that job candidates have answered. 

7. Practice answering behavioral interview questions.

Behavioral interview questions ask you to share specific examples from your past work experience that demonstrate key competencies. These questions typically begin with "Tell me about a time when..." and ask you to describe real situations you've faced, the actions you took, and the results you achieved. For example, instead of asking, "How would you handle a difficult customer?" a behavioral question would ask, "Tell me about a time when you had to deal with an angry customer and how you resolved the situation."

By focusing on actual past behavior rather than hypothetical scenarios, these questions help interviewers better predict how you might perform in similar situations in the future. Make it your goal to tell relevant stories about your professional history, without sounding like you’re reading from a script. Practice telling stories with a friend or family member using the STAR technique: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Doing so can help you keep stories brief, while demonstrating how you overcome challenges in the workplace. 

8. Compile a list of questions to ask your interviewer. 

At the end of every interview, you'll inevitably be asked if you have any questions. You should. By taking the time to compile questions in advance, you can use the interview experience to gain a fuller understanding of the company and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position. 

To complete this step, go back to the initial research you did about the job posting and company. What stands out about the work itself or the company culture? Prepare questions that will help you gain more insight so you can determine if this will be a good fit for you.

Sample questions to ask about the job:

• What does success look like for this position?

• What would you like to see someone in this position accomplish in the first month or 90 days?

• What kind of continued training and professional development will be available to me?

• With whom will I be collaborating the most?

• What's your management style?

Sample questions to ask about the company:

• What do you enjoy about working here?

• What's one of the bigger goals you're targeting this year?

• How are you excited for the company to grow in the coming three years?

• Can you tell me a bit about the culture here and what makes it unique?

For more information, check out Questions to Ask at the End of an Interview or learn best practices from the experts at Big Interview:

9. Clarify the interview logistics.

Once you've done all of the practice work we've outlined above, you'll want to make sure you know where your interview is, how to get there (if it's in person) or where you should hold it (if it's remote), and what to wear. Clarifying these logistics in advance is important so that you feel ready.

• Location: Make sure you understand where the interview will be held and how to get there. Leave enough time to account for any traffic or delays you might face. If the interview is remote, think about a quiet room or location where you can speak with the interviewer. Review our 16 video interview tips to feel more confident about a virtual interview.

• Clothing: More formal clothing used to be the standard for interviews, but that's not the case anymore. You'll want to dress appropriately for the company and industry you're applying for. Learn more in our What to Wear in an Interview article. The day before your interview, try on different outfits and make sure you find one that will help you feel comfortable and confident.

Additional interview guidance for specific jobs

If you're applying for specific roles, look through our article selection below to get additional preparation guidance.

• 10 Manual Testing Interview Questions to Help You Prepare

• 12 Project Manager Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

• 13 Scrum Master Interview Questions and Answers

• Your Guide to Preparing for Your SQL Interview

• 10 Common IT Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

• Shell Scripting Interview Questions and Answers You Need to Know

• 15 Data Analyst Interview Questions and Answers

• 11 Leadership Interview Questions to Help You Prepare

• 10 HR Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

• 8 Teacher Interview Questions to Help You Prepare

• Common Interview Questions for Managers + Tips to Prepare

• 8 General DevOps Interview Questions to Help You Practice and Prepare

Keep strengthening your skill set with Coursera

A job interview is not a reason to stop applying for other opportunities. In fact, a good rule to follow is to keep applying until you've gotten an offer. Keep building and strengthening your skill set to enhance your resume with a Coursera Plus subscription. You'll gain access to over 10,000 courses, including those from Google, Microsoft, and IBM, which you can use to learn in-demand skills.

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