The days before: prepare from the job ad, not from a list of tips
The job ad is the interviewer's checklist. Everything they ask will come from it, so your preparation should too.
- Split the ad into requirements. Write each skill, duty and quality it names on its own line.
- Find one example for each. A real moment from work, study, volunteering or a project where you showed it. Specific beats impressive.
- Learn the company in ten minutes. What they sell or do, who their customers are, and one recent piece of news.
- Plan the practical side. The time, the place or the video link, what to wear, and a quiet room if it is online.
The five questions almost every interviewer asks
| Question | What they really want | A good answer |
|---|---|---|
| Tell me about yourself. | A quick reason to believe you fit. | Two minutes: where you are now, one thing you did that matters for this job, why this role is next. |
| Why do you want this job? | That you chose them on purpose. | One thing about the work and one about the company, linked to what you want to get better at. |
| What is your biggest strength? | Proof, not adjectives. | Name one strength from the ad and give the example that shows it. |
| Tell me about a time something went wrong. | Honesty and what you learned. | A real mistake, what you did about it, what you do differently now. |
| Do you have any questions for us? | Interest and judgement. | Two prepared questions about the work itself, such as what a good first three months looks like. |
How to answer any example question
When they ask "tell me about a time when...", most people describe the situation for too long and never say what they did. Keep the shape short and put your actions in the middle:
- Situation (one or two sentences): where you were and what the problem was.
- What you did (most of the answer): your own steps, with "I", not "we".
- What changed: the result, with a number if there is one, and what you learned.
Aim for about ninety seconds. If they want more, they will ask, and a follow-up question is a good sign.
Practise out loud, not in your head
An answer you have only read sounds different when you say it. Out loud you notice the long start, the filler words and the missing result. Three spoken run-throughs of your five answers do more than an evening of reading tips.
- Time each answer. Two minutes at most for "tell me about yourself", ninety seconds for examples.
- Record one and listen back once. Pick one thing to change, not five.
- Practise with a different question each time, so you learn to reach for the right example rather than recite a script.
On the day, and after
- Arrive or log in ten minutes early. For video, test the camera, the sound and the light the day before.
- Pause before you answer. Two seconds to choose your example looks thoughtful, not slow.
- If you do not know, say so and say how you would find out. That is an answer interviewers respect.
- Send a thank-you message the same day: one line of thanks, one line on what you enjoyed discussing, one line that you are keen.
Your interview plan
- Split the job ad into requirements and write one real example for each.
- Spend ten minutes learning what the company does and one piece of recent news.
- Prepare the five common questions; time each answer.
- Shape every example: situation, what you did, what changed.
- Say your answers out loud three times; record one and fix one thing.
- Prepare two questions to ask them.
- On the day: early, pause before answering, honest when unsure.
- Send a three-line thank-you the same day.
Save this plan: print the page or save it as a PDF from your browser's menu, or keep the plain-text version.
Frequently asked questions
How long should my answers be?
About ninety seconds for an example and no more than two minutes for "tell me about yourself". If they want more detail they will ask.
What if I have no work experience?
Use examples from study, projects, volunteering, sport or caring for family. What matters is what you did and what changed, not where it happened.
Can I practise a job interview on my own?
Yes. Answer the common questions out loud, time yourself and listen back. LoWisa interview practice asks you real questions, scores each answer and gives you one thing to fix.