The short answer: to prepare for an interview, decode the job posting, research the company and your interviewers, build four to six stories that prove the skills the job needs, prepare the common questions, and practice answering out loud until your answers are clear and specific. Then prepare for the format (video, coding, case, presentation), plan the logistics, and follow up within a day. Most people under-prepare on one thing: saying their answers out loud. Below are the 10 steps, what Google, Amazon and Microsoft tell their own candidates, and a free printable interview preparation checklist (PDF).
The 10 steps
1. Decode the job posting
Read it twice and underline the four or five skills or experiences it mentions most. Those are the questions you’ll get and the evidence you’ll need. Note the level of the role, the team and anything unusual.
2. Research the company
Know what it sells, who its customers are, recent news, its competitors and its stated values. You’ll need it for “Why do you want to work here?” and for your own questions. See why do you want to work here.
3. Research your interviewers
If you know who you’ll meet, look at their roles and backgrounds. It helps you pitch your answers at the right level and ask better questions.
4. Build your story bank
Write four to six true stories from your work, studies or volunteering: a challenge, a success with numbers, a mistake, a disagreement, a time you led something, a time you worked in a team. Most behavioral questions can be answered with one of them. Use the STAR method: situation, task, action, result.
5. Prepare the questions you’ll almost certainly get
- Tell me about yourself
- Why should we hire you?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Why are you leaving your current job?
- What are your salary expectations?
More in our guide to the 25 most common interview questions. Prepare role-specific questions too; see interview questions by role.
6. Practice out loud
This is the step most people skip. An answer that sounds fine in your head often runs long, wanders or skips the result when you say it. Record yourself, time your answers (about one to two minutes for most), and listen back. MIT’s career office puts it plainly: “Practice, practice, practice. A mock interview with a career advisor can be helpful — especially if you’ve never interviewed before.” See how to run a mock interview.
7. Prepare for the format
- Video interviews: test your camera, sound and light. See video interview practice.
- One-way or AI interviews: learn how thinking time and retakes work. See AI interviews.
- Coding: practice on the platform you’ll use. See HackerRank and CoderPad.
- Case or presentation: practice the structure and timing out loud.
- Panel: prepare to address several people, looking at whoever asked the question and including the others as you answer.
8. Prepare your questions for them
Three to five questions about the role, the team, success in the first year and next steps. See questions to ask the interviewer.
9. Plan the logistics
Confirm the time and time zone, the address or link and who you’ll meet. Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, or log in a few minutes early. Decide what to wear the day before.
10. Follow up
Send a short thank-you email within 24 hours. See our thank-you email templates. Then write down the questions you were asked while you remember them.
What employers tell their own candidates
Several large employers publish interview advice. A few points they agree on:
- Use specific examples. Google’s interview tips recommend the STAR method and say its behavioral questions “are meant to elicit specific examples over ‘I always do X’.”
- Show how you think. Google says “the interviewer will be looking to see the thought process versus the answer itself.”
- Bring data. Amazon’s interview prep says “your answers should include metrics or data where applicable.”
- Clarify before solving. Microsoft advises candidates to “start by asking clarifying questions and stating your assumptions.”
- Don’t use AI during the interview unless you’re told you can. Google says Search and AI “are not permitted to be used during your interviews.”
See our company guides for Google, Amazon and Microsoft.
How long should you spend preparing?
It depends on the role and how familiar the questions are. A practical guide:
- First-round or screening call: two to four hours (posting, company basics, “Tell me about yourself,” a few stories).
- Final round or senior role: several days spread over a week or two, including mock interviews and role-specific preparation.
- Technical roles: add regular coding or case practice over weeks.
On the day
- Eat, hydrate and give yourself extra time.
- Keep your phone silent and a notebook ready.
- Listen to the whole question. It’s fine to pause and think.
- Answer with a specific example and a result.
- Mind your body language, but don’t overthink it.
- If you freeze, see what to do when you blank.
Common preparation mistakes
- Memorizing scripts word for word instead of preparing stories
- Researching the company but not the role
- Practicing only in your head
- Preparing no questions for the interviewer
- Leaving logistics until the morning of the interview
Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare for a job interview?
How long should I prepare for an interview?
What should I do the day before an interview?
What is the best way to practice for an interview?
What do employers want to see in interview answers?
Sources
- Google Careers, Interview tips. Read on 1 October 2026.
- Amazon, SDE II Interview Prep. Read on 1 October 2026.
- Microsoft Careers, Interview tips. Read on 1 October 2026.
- MIT Career Advising & Professional Development, Interviewing. Read on 1 October 2026.
