Education · Guide
How to Prepare for a Job Interview: A Step-by-Step Strategy Guide
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In brief
Preparing for a job interview comes down to three stages: researching the employer and role beforehand, structuring behavioral answers with the STAR method during the conversation, and following up within 24 hours afterward. This guide walks through each stage with concrete, sourced steps you can apply to any industry or career level.
Research the Company and Role Before You Walk In
According to career platform Jobscan, 47% of hiring managers say they will not hire a candidate who shows a lack of knowledge about the company. Jobscan recommends reviewing the employer's website, recent news coverage, and public information about its product, business model, values, and challenges before the interview. The career center at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth similarly advises researching the organization, its industry, and, where possible, the specific interviewer in advance.
- Research the company's products, business model, recent news, and public values (Jobscan)
- Re-read the job posting to match your experience to the specific requirements listed (Jobscan)
- Prepare three to five STAR-format stories covering your biggest wins and toughest challenges (Jobscan)
- Practice answers to common openers such as "Tell me about yourself" and "What are your weaknesses?" (Jobscan)
- Prepare a list of thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer (UMass Dartmouth Career Center)
- Confirm the interview location, parking, or video-call link, and plan business-professional attire (UMass Dartmouth Career Center)
- For video interviews, test your internet connection, camera, and lighting in advance (Jobscan)
Structure Behavioral Answers With the STAR Method
Most interviewers eventually ask behavioral questions that start with phrases like "Tell me about a time when..." The STAR method breaks a response into four parts: Situation (the context), Task (your specific responsibility), Action (the concrete steps you personally took), and Result (the outcome, ideally with measurable detail), according to both LinkedIn's hiring resources and career site The Muse.
Behavioral questions are 55% effective at predicting job performance, whereas traditional interview questions are only 10% effective.
The Muse adds practical preparation advice: review the job posting to pick stories that match the skills it values, write down specific numbers in advance so you can cite them under pressure, rehearse the stories aloud or in a mock interview so they sound natural rather than memorized, and don't worry about pausing briefly to organize your thoughts before answering.
During the Interview: Behavior, Logistics, and Timing
| Phase | Recommended action | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Prepare 3–5 STAR stories; review the job posting for required skills | Jobscan |
| Before | Research the organization and interviewer; prepare questions to ask | UMass Dartmouth Career Center |
| During | Arrive 10–15 minutes early; keep your phone out of sight; aim for roughly 60–90 second answers | Jobscan |
| During | Arrive 10 minutes early; bring extra resumes, a padfolio, and your question list; don't discuss salary until an offer is made | UMass Dartmouth Career Center |
| After | Send a thank-you email within 24 hours; follow up if you don't hear back within the stated timeline | Jobscan and UMass Dartmouth Career Center |
The UMass Dartmouth checklist also advises avoiding negativity, controversial topics, and filler words such as "um" during answers, while reiterating interest in the role before leaving. For video interviews, Jobscan recommends positioning the camera at eye level roughly an arm's length away, using front-facing light such as a window or a lamp placed behind the computer, and choosing a quiet, uninterrupted location.
After the Interview: Following Up
Both sources agree that a thank-you message should go out within 24 hours of the interview. UMass Dartmouth's career center specifies this should be an email sent individually to each person who conducted the interview, and that it should reference specific points from the conversation rather than a generic template. Jobscan adds that if no response arrives within whatever timeline the employer stated, a polite follow-up check-in is appropriate.
Questions
- What is the STAR method and when should I use it?
- STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. It's a structure for answering behavioral questions such as "Tell me about a time when..." by describing the context, your specific responsibility, the steps you took, and the measurable outcome, according to LinkedIn's hiring resources and The Muse.
- How many STAR stories should I prepare in advance?
- Jobscan recommends preparing three to five STAR-format stories that cover your biggest wins and toughest challenges, chosen to match the skills listed in the specific job posting.
- How early should I arrive for an interview?
- Recommendations vary slightly: Jobscan suggests arriving 10–15 minutes early, while UMass Dartmouth's career center checklist specifies 10 minutes early.
- When should I send a thank-you note after an interview?
- Both Jobscan and the UMass Dartmouth career center recommend sending a thank-you email within 24 hours of the interview, addressed individually to each interviewer.
- Should I discuss salary during the interview?
- UMass Dartmouth's career center checklist advises not discussing salary or benefits until after a job offer has been made.
Sources
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