How to Prepare for a Job Interview

What is a job interview?

A job interview is an opportunity for an employer to learn more about you, your experience and your suitability for the role.

It is also an opportunity for you to decide whether the job and employer are right for you.

Interviews can take different forms, including:

  • In person
  • Online
  • By telephone
  • One-to-one
  • With a panel of interviewers
  • Group interviews
  • Interviews that include a task or presentation

The employer should normally tell you what to expect and provide any instructions you need.

Before the interview

Read the job advert again

Go back to the job advert and look at:

  • The main responsibilities of the role
  • The skills the employer is looking for
  • Any essential qualifications or experience
  • The organisation’s values or priorities

Think about examples from your experience that show you have the skills they are looking for.

Your examples do not have to come from paid employment. You can use examples from education, volunteering, sport, societies, caring responsibilities, personal projects or other relevant experiences.

Research the organisation

Find out some basic information about the employer.

You could look at:

  • What the organisation does
  • What services or products it provides
  • Who its customers or service users are
  • Its values or priorities
  • Recent projects or developments

You do not need to memorise everything about the organisation. The aim is to understand who you are applying to work for.

Prepare for common questions

You may be asked questions such as:

  • “Tell us about yourself.”
  • “Why are you interested in this role?”
  • “Why do you want to work for us?”
  • “What are your strengths?”
  • “Tell us about a time you worked as part of a team.”
  • “Tell us about a time you dealt with a difficult situation.”
  • “What would you do if…?”

You cannot predict every question, but preparing a few examples can help you feel more confident.

Use examples from your experience

When answering questions about your skills or previous experiences, it can help to structure your answer using STAR:

Situation – What was happening?

Task – What did you need to do?

Action – What did you actually do?

Result – What happened as a result?

For example, if you are asked about teamwork, you could describe a university project where you worked with other students.

You do not need to say “Situation, Task, Action, Result” during the interview. Use the structure to help organise your answer.

Prepare some questions

At the end of an interview, you may be asked:

“Do you have any questions for us?”

Try to prepare a few questions in advance.

For example:

  • “What would a typical day in this role look like?”
  • “What would you expect the successful person to achieve in the first few months?”
  • “What training or support is available?”
  • “How is the team structured?”
  • “What are the next steps in the recruitment process?”

You do not need to ask every question you have prepared. Choose the ones that are most useful based on what has already been discussed.

An interview is also your opportunity to find out whether the job is right for you.

Check the practical details

Before the interview, make sure you know:

  • The date and time
  • Where the interview is taking place, or how to access it online
  • How long it is expected to last
  • Who you will be meeting, if you have been told
  • Whether you need to bring anything
  • Whether you need to prepare a presentation or task

If the interview is in person, plan your journey in advance and allow extra time for delays.

If it is online, check your internet connection, camera and microphone beforehand and make sure you know how to access the meeting.

What should you wear?

There is no single outfit that is right for every interview.

Consider the type of organisation and role and aim to look clean, comfortable and appropriate for the workplace.

If you are unsure about the dress code, it is reasonable to ask the employer what they expect.You should not feel that you need to spend a lot of money on new clothes just for an interview.

If you need reasonable adjustments

If you are disabled and need reasonable adjustments for the interview, you can ask the employer.

Adjustments could include things such as:

  • An accessible interview location
  • Additional time for an assessment
  • Communication support
  • Adjustments to the interview format
  • Information provided in an accessible format

You do not necessarily need to give an employer detailed medical information to ask for an adjustment.

If you need an adjustment, it is usually helpful to ask as early as possible so the employer has time to arrange it.

You can find more information about reasonable adjustments in the Requesting Reasonable Adjustments section of this guide.

During the interview

Try to:

  • Listen carefully to each question
  • Take your time before answering
  • Give specific examples where possible
  • Be honest about your experience
  • Ask if you do not understand a question
  • Ask for clarification if you need it
  • Speak clearly and naturally

You do not need to have a perfect answer to every question.

If you need a moment to think, it is fine to pause before answering.

If you realise afterwards that you did not answer a question fully, you can ask whether you can add something.

What if you do not have much experience?

You are not expected to have years of experience when applying for an entry-level role or your first job.

Think about other situations where you have demonstrated relevant skills.

For example:

  • A university project could demonstrate organisation and teamwork.
  • Volunteering could demonstrate communication and reliability.
  • A sports team could demonstrate commitment and teamwork.
  • Caring responsibilities could demonstrate responsibility and organisation.
  • A personal project could demonstrate initiative and problem-solving.

Focus on what you actually did and what you learned.

Be honest

Do not claim to have qualifications, experience or skills that you do not have.

If you do not know the answer to a question, it is better to be honest and explain how you would approach finding the answer.

For example:

“I haven’t dealt with that situation before, but I would ask my manager for guidance and follow the relevant procedure.”

This is generally more useful than pretending you already have experience you do not have.

After the interview

Once the interview is finished, take some time to think about how it went.

You could make a note of:

  • Questions you found difficult
  • Questions you answered well
  • Anything you would do differently next time
  • Any information you learned about the role

If you are not offered the job, this does not necessarily mean you performed badly.

If appropriate, you can ask the employer for feedback. Not every employer will be able to provide detailed feedback, but it can be useful when it is available.

You can use what you learn to improve your next interview.

Mental Health During Interviews

Job interviews can feel stressful, even when you really want the job. You might feel nervous about meeting new people, being asked questions, talking about your experience or being judged on your answers. It is common to experience physical signs of anxiety, such as a racing heart, shaky hands, sweating, feeling sick or finding it difficult to concentrate. Feeling nervous does not mean that you are not capable of doing the job.

Looking after your mental health during an interview

Prepare, but don’t try to prepare for everything. It can help to read through the job description, think about examples of your skills and practise answering common interview questions. However, trying to predict every question or making your answers perfect can increase anxiety. Aim to feel prepared rather than perfectly rehearsed.

Check where the interview is, how you will get there and how long the journey is likely to take. If it is online, check your internet connection, camera and microphone beforehand. Give yourself enough time so that you do not have to rush. Knowing that the practical details are sorted can remove some unnecessary stress.

Use strategies that help you manage anxiety. Before or during the interview, you could take a few slow breaths, relax your shoulders, place your feet firmly on the floor or take a moment to think before answering. You do not have to answer immediately. It is completely reasonable to say, “Could I have a moment to think about that?” if you need some time.

Try not to judge yourself while you are answering. Anxiety can make you focus on every small mistake, such as stumbling over a word or forgetting an example. Try to bring your attention back to the conversation rather than analysing how you think you are performing. An interview is a conversation about whether the role is a good fit; it is not a test of your worth as a person.

Remember that interviews are not always a reflection of your ability. You may prepare carefully and still not be offered the job. There can be many reasons why an employer chooses another candidate, including their particular experience, qualifications or the needs of the organisation. Try not to interpret rejection as proof that you are incapable or that you will never find work.

Look after yourself afterwards. Interviews can take a lot of emotional energy. Give yourself some time to decompress afterwards rather than immediately worrying about whether you answered everything correctly. Do something that helps you relax, spend time with someone you trust or return to your normal routine. Try not to replay every part of the interview looking for things you “did wrong”.

If interviews make you particularly anxious

If you experience anxiety, panic, low mood or another mental health difficulty, interviews may feel especially challenging. This does not automatically mean that you cannot work or that you should only apply for certain types of jobs. Think about what would make the recruitment process more manageable and whether there are reasonable adjustments that could help.

Depending on your circumstances, adjustments might include changes to the interview format, communication about the process or other practical changes. You can ask the employer or recruitment contact about reasonable adjustments if you need them.

If anxiety around interviews is stopping you from applying for jobs, causing significant distress or affecting your everyday life, consider speaking to someone you trust, a GP, careers adviser or mental health professional. You can work on your confidence and anxiety gradually rather than expecting yourself to overcome everything at once.

How Can I Support Someone?

If someone you care about has an interview, try to remember that “just relax” or “don’t be nervous” usually isn’t very helpful. Their anxiety may not disappear simply because you tell them the interview will be fine.

Instead, ask what kind of support they would find useful. You could help them practise questions, look over their CV, check their journey, help them prepare their clothes or simply listen while they talk through their worries. Some people may want practical help, while others may prefer some space to prepare independently.

Try not to put additional pressure on them by repeatedly asking how the interview went or focusing on whether they got the job. Remind them that getting an interview is an achievement in itself, and that one interview does not determine their future.

If the interview does not go well, give them space to feel disappointed without immediately trying to fix it. Avoid saying things like “You should have said…” or comparing them with other people. You can help them think about what they might learn from the experience when they are ready.

If someone is experiencing severe anxiety, panic or other mental health difficulties that are affecting their ability to work or apply for jobs, encourage them to seek appropriate support. You can support them, but you do not have to become responsible for managing their mental health.

Further information