How to Prepare for a Job Interview in One Week

Before you start

Interviewers want to know three things: can you do the job, will you fit the team, and do you actually want this role. Good preparation helps you show all three. If your interview is sooner than a week away, do the steps in the same order and spend less time on each.

Days 1 and 2: understand the role and company

1. Read the job description line by line. Highlight the skills, tools and responsibilities.
2. Next to each highlighted item, write one example from a project, internship, job or course where you did something similar.
3. Visit the company website. Note what it does, who its customers are and where it operates.
4. Search for recent news about the company and read a few reviews from current or former employees, keeping in mind that reviews are only opinions.
5. Write down why you want this role and this company in two or three sentences.

Days 3 and 4: practise common questions

Write your answers down, then practise saying them aloud. Aim for clear answers of one to two minutes. Use real examples, not memorised scripts.

• Tell me about yourself. Cover education, your main skills and why you are applying, in about a minute. Do not read out your whole resume.
• Why do you want this job? Link the role to your skills and interests.
• What are your strengths? Choose two that fit the role and back them with examples.
• What are your weaknesses? Name a real one you are working on and say what you are doing about it.
• Describe a time you solved a problem or handled pressure. Use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
• Where do you see yourself in a few years? Show that you want to learn and grow in this field.
• Why should we hire you? Summarise your fit with the job requirements in three or four sentences.

Day 5: prepare for role-specific questions

Revise the core skills the job needs.

• Customer support and BPO: practise handling an upset customer, and be ready for a short English speaking or typing test
• Technical roles: revise fundamentals, and be ready to explain your projects line by line
• Finance, KYC and operations: review the basic process terms from the job description and be ready for situation-based questions
• Sales: practise explaining a product to a stranger and handling the answer "I am not interested"

Day 6: logistics and your own questions

1. Confirm the date, time, location or video link, and the interviewer's name.
2. For an in-person interview, check the route and travel time. For video, test your camera, microphone, internet and charger.
3. Keep copies of your resume, ID, certificates and any documents the company asked for.
4. Choose neat, comfortable, professional clothes.
5. Prepare two or three questions for the interviewer, such as what training is provided, what the team looks like, or what success looks like in the first three months.

Day 7: rest and review

Do a light review of your notes, then rest. Sleep well. Avoid cramming new information the night before.

On interview day

1. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, or join the video call a few minutes before the start.
2. Greet everyone politely and keep your phone silent.
3. Listen to each question fully before you answer. It is fine to take a moment to think.
4. Answer honestly. If you do not know something, say so and explain how you would find out.
5. Ask your prepared questions at the end.
6. Confirm the next steps and the expected timeline before you leave.
7. Send a short thank-you message the same day if you have the recruiter's contact.

Mistakes to avoid

• Not researching the company at all
• Speaking badly about a previous employer or college
• Giving one-word answers, or very long ones with no point
• Lying about skills or experience
• Asking about salary and leave before you have shown interest in the work, unless the interviewer raises it