How to prepare for your first job interview

You did it — you’ve got an interview scheduled for your first full-time job. That’s a big accomplishment, a testament to how hard you’ve worked, and validation that an employer is looking for someone like you.

If you’re nervous, that’s normal.

Throughout the conversation, interviewers are looking for various answers and how you compare to what they’re looking for. You won’t know exactly what they’ll ask, but you can prepare answers and stories that demonstrate your problem-solving skills, professionalism, work ethic, and overall potential.

Preparing now is the best way to fight against nerves and have you walking into that building confidently.

Preparation starts before you first meet (no matter where)

Leading up to the interview, research the organisation, the sector or industry, and the role you’re interviewing for.

Interviewers will likely ask you about working with teams, managing projects, demonstrating leadership, and minding problems. Use what you learned in your initial research to shape your answers to reflect the organisation’s values.

Questions in your interview will vary, but you can prepare answers to these common interview questions:

What motivated you to pursue this job?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Why do you want this job and why are you suited for it?
How do you stay organised and prioritise tasks?
Can you explain a time when you had to manage a challenging project and what was the outcome?

For your responses, think about skills built through sports clubs, class projects, internships, and other work experiences and shape your answers using the STAR method:

Situation
Task
Action
Result

Imagine the interviewer asks, “Can you tell me a time when you had to work in a group on a project and what your role looked like?”

Using the STAR method as a template for your response, you could say: “In one of my accounting courses, we got into teams to analyse financial statements to learn which company would be the best investment. We worked together to break down what information would be needed and assigned tasks. I researched debt ratios by looking at the company’s balance sheet and then performed calculations. I added my answers to my group’s results to help us paint a full picture of our company.”

Tip: Add how the experience prepared you for the role you’re interviewing for. “Thanks to that project, I practiced my negotiating skills when we couldn’t agree on who would research what.”

Recite your answers aloud to refine delivery and phrasing, reduce filler words, and polish the answers to sound more professional than robotic.

You will usually be given the chance to ask questions too. In addition to your answers, prepare a few questions about the organisation and the role itself. The interviewer’s answers will help you gauge the company’s workplace culture, role, and team. Plus, asking demonstrates your genuine interest in the job.

AI tools for interview prep

In your prep, you can go deeper than a web search. AI tools can personalise your prep in ways a generic search can’t.

Choose an AI chatbot or generative AI tool like ChatGPT and input the details of the sector in which you are applying, the job’s description, and your own CV. From there, you can ask the chatbot to:

Generate practice questions tailored to the role
Highlight the top skills needed for this role
Identify your relevant skills and experiences to demonstrate
Analyse your typed responses to certain questions

AI tools streamline the process, but don’t rely on them to do all the work.

Strong first impressions — virtually and in person

Whether virtual or in person, first impressions matter. (And if you haven’t already, create or update your LinkedIn profile.)

For online interviews, prepare a quiet spot with a tidy, neutral background and focus on good lighting. You’ll want stable Wi-Fi, too. An interview is not a good time to join the meeting at a local café or outside.

In-person interviews emphasise physical presence and nonverbal communication. Practice sitting up straight to demonstrate confidence and reduce fidgeting as best as you can.

For either interview scenario, dress appropriately — smart trousers or skirt, a blouse or button-up shirt — arrive on time, and introduce yourself clearly. As you answer questions and chat, take your time.

You can bring notes into the interview. Having notes demonstrates preparation, organisation, and serious thought. Your notes should be brief to recall your prepared answers. For in-person interviews, bring your notes in a professional padfolio or binder — don’t bring loose papers. And it’s perfectly acceptable to take notes during the interview.

Steer clear of certain interview dealbreakers

Your job interview is not the time to improvise. Interviewers can tell when you’re prepared or not — and not being prepared would be a massive mistake

There are a few other drawbacks to avoid, but don’t worry, they’re easy to plan for and avoid. Here’s a “what not to do” list to bear in mind during your interview:

Be late
Use your mobile or keep the ringer on
Speak negatively about former employers, professors, or classmates
Give vague answers
Fail to research the company or prepare examples
Interrupt the interviewer
Ignore your body language

Job interviews can be intimidating, and feeling nervous about one is normal. If you make a mistake during the conversation and fumble over some words, pause, breathe, and try again. Those kinds of mistakes are recoverable.

Preparing for the conversation improves your confidence and helps you sail through. Do your research, recite answers out loud, and believe in yourself. You got this.

Interview prep 101: What to expect and how to stand out

Tagged in:

Preparation starts before you first meet (no matter where)

AI tools for interview prep

Strong first impressions — virtually and in person

Steer clear of certain interview dealbreakers

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