48 Hours Before: Company Research
Spend one focused hour on company research: read the company's About page and mission statement, read their last 3 press releases or blog posts, check Glassdoor for interview questions and culture reviews, look at the LinkedIn profiles of your interviewers (education, career path, areas of expertise), and identify one specific aspect of their product or mission that genuinely interests you. Candidates who demonstrate real company knowledge in interviews convert at 2–3× the rate of those who give generic answers.
24 Hours Before: Prepare Your Stories
Most interviews are behavioral — "Tell me about a time when..." — and the best structure for answering them is STAR: Situation (brief context), Task (what was your responsibility), Action (what specifically YOU did), Result (what happened, with numbers). Prepare 6–8 STAR stories from your experience that can be adapted to different questions: a time you led a project, a time you failed, a time you handled conflict, a time you exceeded expectations.
The Questions You Will Almost Certainly Be Asked
"Tell me about yourself" — this is your 90-second professional summary, not your life story. "Why do you want to work here?" — reference your company research. "What is your greatest weakness?" — choose a real weakness you are actively working to improve. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" — align your answer with the company's growth trajectory. "Why are you leaving your current role?" — neutral and forward-looking, never speak negatively.
The Questions You Should Ask
Always have 3–4 questions ready for the end of the interview. Best questions: "What does success look like in this role at 90 days?" "What are the biggest challenges the team is currently facing?" "How would you describe the culture on this team?" "What is the career path from this role?" Never ask about salary or benefits in a first interview, and never ask questions whose answers are on the company website.
The Night Before
Lay out your clothes (business professional or business casual depending on the company). Confirm the interview location, parking, or video call link. Test your tech if it is a video call. Print two copies of your resume. Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier than you think you need to. Sleep.
The First 5 Minutes
Arrive or join 5–10 minutes early. Greet everyone you encounter professionally — hiring decisions are sometimes influenced by people you met in the lobby or waiting room. Make eye contact, offer a firm handshake, and wait to be seated. Do not look at your phone in the waiting area. These details are noticed.