Job interviews are your gateways to new careers, a higher salary, or even a fresh start. But here’s the truth most people don’t like to admit; interviews aren’t just about proving you’re qualified, or even just about proving you are the best person for the role, they’re also about proving you’re prepared.
If you walk into an interview without being prepared, you’re not just gambling with the opportunity, you’re essentially betting against yourself.
Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.
Interviews test more than just your CV
You can have the most impressive work history and extensive list of experience, but if you stumble through the basic questions or draw a blank on why you want the role, you’ll look unprepared, uninterested, and unmotivated. Hiring managers will notice the efforts that you make, and sometimes, when the margins are close, it can be this lack of preparation that shifts their decision making.
First impressions are immediate, and persistent.
Within the first few minutes of the interview, interviewers will often make subconscious judgments about your confidence, your communication skills, and your cultural fit. Proper preparation will ensure that the impressions you make are impressive, and memorable for the right reasons, not the wrong reasons.
Being unprepared can signal a red flag
Research into the organisation you are interviewing for is equally important as preparing your answers to potential questions. You need to be able to demonstrate that you understand what their mission or objective is, their products and or services, and their values. When you don’t know the company’s goals, or give vague answers to questions about the organisation, it’s clear you haven’t properly prepared and in turn, it signals you might be equally unprepared on the job.
How to prepare (and why these tips work)
Research the company thoroughly
What to do: Learn about the company’s history and journey, their mission, their products and or services, their leadership team, and any recent news that may be relevant. For bonus points, look into their financial history and how well they have performed over the last couple of years.
Why it matters: It shows you care about the organisation that you work for and that you have properly prepared. It will also help with you answer preparation, enabling you to connect your skills and experiences to the company’s specific needs or goals.
Practice the common and role-specific questions
What to do: Write down and rehearse answers to common questions, such as “Tell me about yourself”, as well as other technical and role-specific questions. A quick search on the internet will bring up the most common questions asked at interview, allowing you to practice these ahead of time. Similarly, with the technical and role-specific questions, preparing answers to some common questions there will afford you more time to think about your experiences and skills, and then relate those back in your answers.
Why it matters: Familiarity breeds confidence. The more you practice, the more confident you will present at the interview, and the less likely you will be to blank or ramble under pressure.
Prepare stories, not just answers, that prove your value
What to do: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to detail real life examples of how you’ve solved problems, led projects, or delivered results.
Situation: Describe the context of the situation, or problem you’re referring to, providing enough detail for the interviewer to understand the background.
Task: Explain the specific task or goal you were responsible for in that situation.
Action: Detail the specific actions you took to address the situation or achieve the task. Focus on what you did, not what others did.
Result: Explain the outcome of your actions and what you learned from the experience.
Why it matters: Stories stick, they leave a stronger, and more lasting impression than just answers, and by detailing it in a real-to-life situation, it cements it, and it drives home the impact and difference you made during that situation.
Prepare Your Own Questions
What to do: Have at least 2–3 thoughtful questions ready about the role, team culture, or company strategy. Where possible, try and link these questions to the research you did beforehand to really drive home your preparation.
Why it matters: Not only does it signal genuine interest in the role and organisation, but it also helps you assess if the job is a good fit for you, too. Recruitment is a two-way street, after all.
Plan the logistics of your interview
What to do: Plan your journey; if your interview is face-to-face, then you will be given a time, date and location for your interview. Check ahead – are there any roadworks or closures on the route you would take? Have any accidents been reported? Check for anything that might cause delays to your journey. If you don’t drive, you will need to look at alternative transportation, check bus or train times well ahead of schedule, check what time you will arrive and ensure you leave enough time to get to the location, and still be a little early. Similarly, if you are taking any tech or equipment with you, ensure it all works!
Why it matters: Last-minute hiccups or delays can spike your anxiety, and being anxious during an interview can be the difference between landing the role, and not. Being early, calm, and properly organized sets a professional tone and sets the right impression for the rest of the interview.
The harsh reality: preparation is optional – success isn’t.
Some people still “wing it” in interviews, hoping their charm and quick thinking will carry them through. That’s like showing up to a sprint race in flip-flops – it’s possible to finish, but you’re not likely to win.
Show up ready, and you’re already putting yourself ahead of most candidates who won’t bother.
