How to prepare for an interview, one step at a time

Remember what an interview is for

An interview is a conversation to see whether you and the job are a good fit. That cuts both ways. They’re finding out whether you can do the work and would be good to work with. You’re finding out whether this is a place you’d want to spend your week.

Holding on to that changes how you prepare. You aren’t only rehearsing answers. You’re also deciding what you need to find out: the hours, who trains you, what a normal shift looks like, how they treat people who are new. The National Careers Service describes it the same way: a conversation about fit.

Before the interview

1. Find out the format

Reread the invitation. If it doesn’t tell you these things, it’s normal and polite to ask:

• When and where, and who you should ask for when you arrive.
• What kind of interview it is. Face to face, phone, video, a group session, or an assessment day with tasks.
• How long it will take and roughly how many people will be there.
• Whether there’s a task, like a short test, a role play or a trial shift.

Assessment days and group tasks are mainly about how you work with other people and handle problems. If there’s a task, read the instructions carefully on the day and ask if anything is unclear. For video interviews, see your first video interview.

2. Reread the job description

Go through the advert and mark what the job actually needs. Usually that’s a handful of things like dealing with customers, working in a team, being on time, following instructions or using a computer. Those are the things they’re likely to ask about. Reading a job description shows how to pull them out.

3. Find three real examples

For each thing the job needs, think of a time you’ve done something like it. It doesn’t have to be from a job. School, college, sport, volunteering, caring for someone, a group chat you organised, a part-time shift: all of it counts. Three solid examples will cover most questions, because one story can show several things. The STAR method helps you tell them clearly.

4. Learn a little about the employer

Ten minutes is enough. What do they sell or do? Where are they? Is there anything on their website about how they train people or what they care about? You’re not trying to memorise facts. You want one or two genuine reasons you’d like to work there, and anything you’re curious about.

5. Reread your own CV or application

They’ll ask about what you wrote. Make sure you can talk about every line, including dates.

6. Write down your questions

Pick two or three things you really want to know. Questions to ask the interviewer has ideas, but your own questions are better.

7. Plan the day itself

• The journey. Check the route and how long it takes at that time of day. Plan to arrive with time to spare, then find somewhere nearby to wait if you’re early.
• Clothes. Wear something clean that you’re comfortable in and that suits the kind of place it is. If you’re unsure, it’s fine to ask what people usually wear. Nobody expects you to buy a suit for a café job, and a good employer won’t judge you on how expensive your clothes are.
• What to bring. Anything they asked for (often ID or certificates), your questions, a copy of your CV if you have one, and a drink of water.
• A backup contact. Save the name and number or email of the person who invited you, so you can reach them if something goes wrong.

Jordan is made up, but his situation isn’t unusual. Sending a message as soon as you know is what matters. Most people understand that buses and trains go wrong.

If you need adjustments

If you’re disabled or have a health condition, a learning difference or anything else that makes part of the process harder, you can ask for changes. Employers must make reasonable adjustments for job applicants, not just for staff, according to Acas. Examples include extra time for a test, an accessible room, the questions in writing, or an interpreter.

• Ask early, ideally when you accept the invitation. Scope’s guide suggests explaining what part of the process is hard and what would help.
• Put it in writing, so there’s a record.
• You don’t have to share a condition when you apply. If you want an adjustment, you’ll need to say enough for them to understand what you need.
• Access to Work can help pay for communication support at an interview, such as a BSL interpreter.

During the interview

• Introduce yourself however feels natural: your name and a hello is plenty.
• Listen to the whole question. It’s fine to pause before you answer. A few seconds of thinking looks considered, not lost.
• Ask for clarification if you’re not sure what they mean. “Could you say that another way?” or “Do you mean at school or in a job?” are completely normal.
• Answer the question they asked, using a real example where you can, and say what you did.
• Be truthful. If you haven’t done something, say so and say what you’d do or how you’d learn it.
• Look at notes if you need to. A short list of your examples and questions is fine.
• Ask your questions at the end, and it’s fine to ask when you’ll hear back.

You don’t have to hold eye contact, give a firm handshake or act more outgoing than you are. Interviewers meet quiet people, nervous people and neurodivergent people all the time. Clear, honest answers matter far more than performance. If something about the format makes it hard for you, that’s what adjustments are for.

If something goes wrong

You blank on a question: say “Can I come back to that one?” or “Let me think for a second.” You realise an answer was weak: it’s fine to say “Can I add something to what I said earlier?” A mistake in one answer rarely decides an interview.

After the interview

Write down what they asked while you still remember, and one thing that went well. If they told you when you’d hear back and that date passes, a short, polite follow-up is fine. After the interview covers what to send and when, and when you don’t get the job covers what to do if it’s a no.