Interview Preparation Checklist: What to Do Before, During and After

Interviews are won or lost mostly before they start. The candidate who researched the company, rehearsed honest stories and prepared real questions walks in different from the candidate who skimmed the About page in the elevator.

Here is a checklist in three phases — before, during, after.

Before the interview

Research (do not memorize scripts)

• [ ] What the company actually sells, and to whom
• [ ] One or two recent things in the news — a launch, a milestone, a change
• [ ] Your interviewer, if you know who it is: role, background, anything you genuinely share
• [ ] The job description, re-read — especially the first three bullets

Stories, not scripts

• [ ] 5–6 examples from your real experience mapped to the STAR shape: Situation, Task, Action, Result
• [ ] At least one story about a mistake or conflict and what you did about it
• [ ] Numbers and outcomes where you genuinely have them — never invented ones

Your questions

• [ ] Three questions you actually want answered: what success looks like in 90 days, how the team works, why the role is open
• [ ] Salary expectations, thought through in advance so you are not deciding on the spot

Logistics

• [ ] Time, platform (video link, office address), and who is attending — confirmed
• [ ] Test call setup: camera, mic, internet — for a video interview
• [ ] Resume copy, the job description and your notes in front of you

During the interview

• [ ] Listen to the actual question; answer that question
• [ ] STAR your examples briefly — do not turn 30 seconds of story into 5 minutes
• [ ] If you do not know something, say so and describe how you would find out
• [ ] Ask your prepared questions when invited — they are part of the evaluation
• [ ] Note the questions you are asked; you will want them for the next interview

After the interview

• [ ] Same day: write down every question you were asked and how you answered
• [ ] Within 24 hours: short thank-you email, referencing one specific thing discussed
• [ ] Update your application tracker status
• [ ] Keep applying elsewhere until an offer is signed — momentum is your negotiating position

Common failure points

• Rehearsed word-for-word answers. They sound rehearsed. Rehearse the facts of your stories, not sentences.
• No questions asked. It reads as low interest even when it is just nerves.
• Invented metrics. Interviewers probe numbers; a fabricated one collapses the whole story. Only use real ones — qualified honestly if approximate.
• Stopping the search after a good interview. A great interview is a signal, not a contract.

For the complete preparation system — a STAR answer builder, a question worksheet and follow-up email templates — see the Get Hired Action Kit. The free job application tracker keeps the interviews you land from colliding with each other.