Job interview tips: what to do before, during and after the interview.

1. Read the posting line by line. Mark every duty and requirement, then group them into three or four themes. Those themes are what the conversation will circle around, so they decide which of your stories to prepare.
2. Prepare three stories you can tell well. Pick situations where you solved a problem, worked with someone difficult and delivered something under a deadline. One story can answer several different questions if you know it well.
3. Write down your proof. For each story note what you did yourself, what changed because of it and how you know. If you cannot say how you know, pick a different story.
4. Learn what the organisation does. Read its own website, recent announcements and the team's public work. You want enough to explain why this job, not a list of facts to recite.
5. Rehearse out loud. Say your answers to a wall, a friend or a recording. Ideas that sound clear in your head often come out long and tangled the first time you speak them.
6. Settle the logistics the day before. Confirm the time, the format, the names of the people you will meet, the route or the video link, and what to bring.

• Lead with the point. Give the one-sentence answer first, then the example. A listener who knows where you are going can follow a longer story.
• Use one example per answer. A single specific situation beats three vague ones. Name the situation, your action and the result, and stop.
• Say “I”, not “we”, when it was you. Teams matter, but the interviewer is assessing you. Be clear about your own part.
• Pause before difficult questions. A few seconds of silence while you think reads as care, not weakness. You can also ask for the question to be repeated.
• Ask your own questions. Ask about the first months in the job, how success is judged and what the team is working on. Questions about the work show you are already picturing doing it.
• Close clearly. If there is a moment at the end, say in a sentence why you want the job and what you would bring to it.

• Write notes straight away. Record the questions, the names and anything you would answer differently. They help with the thank-you note and the next round.
• Send a short thank-you note. Thank the interviewer, mention one specific thing you discussed and restate your interest in one line.
• Follow up once, politely. If the date they gave you passes, one short check-in is reasonable. Then keep applying elsewhere while you wait.

Illustrative: these answers were written by TryHired to show structure. They are not real candidates' answers and were not given in any real interview. Every name, employer, number and result is fictional or a bracketed placeholder: replace each bracket with your own true details, and never claim an achievement you did not have.

Answer formula

When to use: Any question about your experience. Fill every bracket with something true.

[One-sentence answer to the question]. For example, at [Employer] I [the situation in one line]. I [the specific action you took], and as a result [the result you can prove]. That's why I'd approach [a task in this job] the same way.

“Why are you a good fit for this job?” (weak)

What it shows: What a rehearsed, evidence-free answer sounds like.

I'm a really hard worker and I'm passionate about this industry. I'm a fast learner and a great communicator, and I think I'd be a good fit for the culture here.

“Why are you a good fit for this job?” (stronger)

What it shows: The same question, answered with evidence.

Your posting puts a lot of weight on [the main requirement]. That's the work I've done most at [Employer]: I [an action that matches it], which [result you can prove]. I've also [a second relevant thing you did], so I'd be able to start on [a task from the posting] quickly.

Why the stronger answer works: The weak answer is a list of claims the interviewer cannot check. The stronger one ties a requirement from the posting to something you did and its result, which is exactly what the interviewer needs to picture you in the job. Both answers are illustrative; yours must use your own facts.

Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.

• Memorising answers word for word: they sound recited and fall apart at the first follow-up question.
• Arriving without questions of your own.
• Talking for several minutes without reaching the point.
• Claiming a result you cannot explain when asked how you measured it.
• Treating the receptionist, the recruiter or the scheduler as less important than the hiring manager.
• Stopping your search while you wait for an answer.