Original AI-generated editorial illustration. Fictional people.
Understand what the role needs
Read the advert again and identify the main responsibilities. Visit the employer's official website to understand its work. Write down questions about duties or working arrangements that are unclear. A familiar company name is not enough to prove that an interview invitation is genuine.
Prepare three useful examples
Choose examples of solving a problem, working with other people and learning something new. Explain the situation, what you were responsible for, the action you took and what happened. Use your own experience. If you are starting out, examples from training or community work can be relevant.
Practise clear, honest answers
Say your answers aloud without memorising a script. Keep the focus on your contribution. If you do not know an answer, say so and explain how you would find out. Describe gaps or changes in your work history accurately, without inventing employment.
Check the practical details
Confirm the time, time zone, location or meeting link through the agreed contact. For an online interview, test the microphone, connection and charging arrangements. For an in-person interview, plan the journey and bring the documents requested in the invitation.
Use the conversation both ways
Ask what a normal working day looks like, how performance is assessed and what the next step will be. After the interview, record the questions and anything you agreed to send. Verify an unexpected request for money or sensitive documents through an independently found official employer contact.
