Start with the role
Read the job advertisement again and identify the three or four skills the employer needs most. Next to each one, write down a real example from your work, study or volunteering. Focus on what you personally contributed.
Learn what the business does and who its customers are. Prepare a short explanation of why this opportunity interests you and how your experience relates to the role.
Turn experience into clear examples
Use the STAR approach to organise your answers: describe the Situation, explain your Task, outline the Action you took and finish with the Result. Keep the background brief so you have time to explain your decisions.
For example, if you are asked about teamwork, describe a particular deadline or challenge. Explain how you coordinated with others and what improved. Use figures only when you can support them; a clear, honest outcome is more useful than an exaggerated claim.
- Prepare examples of solving a problem, learning a skill and managing competing priorities.
- Practise answering aloud, using short notes rather than memorising a script.
- If you have not done a task before, explain related experience and how you would learn.
Make the practical details easy
Confirm the interview time, location and format. Plan your journey and aim to arrive a little early. For a video interview, test your connection, microphone and camera, choose a quiet place and keep the interviewer's contact details available.
Have your CV and the job description nearby. If you need an adjustment to take part in the interview, contact the organiser ahead of time so you can discuss what would help.
Ask questions that help you decide
An interview is also your chance to understand the job. Ask about responsibilities, support and expectations rather than relying on the job title alone.
- What would success look like during the first three months?
- How is the team organised, and who would I work with most closely?
- What training or induction is provided?
- What are the next steps and expected timing?
Finish clearly and follow up
Thank the interviewer and briefly restate your interest if the role feels right. After the meeting, note what you learned and any questions you still have. If a follow-up date passes, send a short, polite message asking for an update.
Each interview gives you useful practice. Reflect on one answer that worked well and one you would improve before your next conversation.