# Complete Job Interview Prepar...

Source: https://notesgarden.com/publish/OkiZMlN261or

## 🎯 Research & Company Preparation

- [ ] Find the company LinkedIn page and read recent posts, news, and employee count to understand size and culture.
- [ ] Read the company About page, mission statement, and any published values or principles.
- [ ] Search for recent press coverage, product launches, or industry news about the company in the last 6 months.
- [ ] Research the company business model: how they make money, who their main customers are, and who their main competitors are.
- [ ] Look up the interviewer on LinkedIn if their name is known. Note their role, background, and tenure.
- [ ] Read 5 to 10 recent Glassdoor reviews to understand common themes in company culture, management, and work-life balance.
- [ ] Note the company funding stage or public status and how this might affect the role and expectations.
- [ ] Identify two or three genuine things about the company that excite you so you can speak to them naturally.

## 📄 Job Description Analysis

- [ ] Print or save the full job description before the interview in case it is updated or removed.
- [ ] Highlight the three to five most important skills or requirements listed and prepare a specific example for each one.
- [ ] Identify any skills listed where you are weaker and prepare an honest, forward-looking answer in case they come up.
- [ ] Map each bullet point in the job description to a specific project, achievement, or story from your own experience.
- [ ] Note any technologies, tools, or methodologies mentioned that you should be ready to discuss.
- [ ] Check the seniority level implied by the role and calibrate the scope of your examples accordingly.

## 🧠 Story & Answer Preparation

- [ ] Prepare five to eight STAR stories (Situation, Task, Action, Result) covering a range of different scenarios.
- [ ] Include at least one story about handling a conflict with a colleague or stakeholder.
- [ ] Include at least one story about a project or decision that did not go as planned and what you learned.
- [ ] Include at least one story about handling a tight deadline, ambiguity, or competing priorities.
- [ ] Include at least one story about leading or influencing others, even without formal authority.
- [ ] Prepare a clear answer to "Tell me about yourself" that takes 90 seconds and ends with why you are interested in this role.
- [ ] Prepare a confident answer to "Why are you leaving your current role?" that stays positive and forward-focused.
- [ ] Prepare a salary expectation answer based on market research for this role, location, and seniority.
- [ ] Practice answers aloud, not just in your head. Saying them out loud reveals gaps that mental rehearsal hides.

## 💬 Questions to Ask

- [ ] Prepare at least five questions to ask the interviewer so you always have one ready regardless of what has already been covered.
- [ ] Ask one question about what success looks like in this role in the first 90 days.
- [ ] Ask one question about the team you would be joining: size, structure, and how the role fits in.
- [ ] Ask one question about the biggest challenge facing the team or company right now.
- [ ] Ask one question specific to the interviewer: what they enjoy about working there, what their career path has been, or what they find most challenging.
- [ ] Avoid asking about salary, benefits, or holidays in a first interview unless the interviewer raises it.

## 📦 Documents & Logistics

- [ ] Confirm the interview format: in-person, video call, or phone, and who will be interviewing you.
- [ ] For in-person: plan your route, check travel time, and build in a 20-minute buffer for delays.
- [ ] For video: test your camera, microphone, internet connection, and background at least a day before.
- [ ] Print two copies of your CV and bring a notepad and pen to an in-person interview.
- [ ] Save the interviewer contact details and the interview link or address somewhere accessible offline.
- [ ] Prepare appropriate dress for the company culture: research what people typically wear and aim slightly above it.

## 🌅 The Day Before

- [ ] Re-read your CV and the job description one final time so they are fresh in memory.
- [ ] Review your prepared stories and key talking points briefly without over-rehearsing.
- [ ] Lay out your outfit, pack your bag, and charge your phone and laptop if needed.
- [ ] Get at least seven hours of sleep. Cognitive performance drops measurably on less.
- [ ] Avoid alcohol the evening before and eat a proper meal so energy levels are stable.

## 🚀 Interview Day

- [ ] Eat breakfast and drink water before the interview. Hunger and dehydration affect memory and focus.
- [ ] Arrive or log on five minutes early, not fifteen. Arriving very early can create awkwardness for hosts.
- [ ] Take a moment to breathe slowly before entering or joining. Calm the nervous system intentionally.
- [ ] Speak at a slightly slower pace than feels natural. Nerves speed up speech and reduce clarity.
- [ ] If a question is unclear, ask for clarification rather than guessing and answering the wrong thing.
- [ ] Take a short pause before answering difficult questions. Interviewers respect thoughtfulness over speed.
- [ ] Note any follow-up questions or action items that come up during the conversation.

## 📬 After the Interview

- [ ] Send a thank-you email within 24 hours referencing one specific topic from the conversation.
- [ ] Write down the questions you were asked while they are still fresh so you can prepare better for future rounds.
- [ ] Note anything you wish you had said differently and refine those answers for next time.
- [ ] Follow up if you have not heard back within the timeline the interviewer gave. One polite email is professional, not pushy.
- [ ] Whether or not you get the role, reflect on what you learned about what you want and what to work on.