In this article
Before you start
This page needs no background, only the job posting for your interview and some quiet time. It belongs to the behavioral interview guide, which covers the questions you will practice on.
Why interviewers ask this
Preparation matters because an interviewer can only judge the evidence you bring into the room. The University of Minnesota's career service states the goal: to prove to the employer that your past experiences and education prepare you to perform those duties. Interviewers rarely ask "how did you prepare", but they test the result.
Some employers, including US federal agencies, use structured interviews, which measure job-related competencies by asking about past behavior and/or hypothetical situations (United States Office of Personnel Management). In a 2022 re-analysis, Sackett et al. found structured interviews the top-ranked selection procedure. Their mean validity was .42, revised down from .51; validity is the correlation between interview results and later job performance. The same paper puts unstructured interviews lower, at .19.
A weak preparation shows as generic answers. A strong one shows as specific stories matched to the duties and as informed questions.
Preparing for an interview from first principles
- STAR story
- A STAR story is a short account of one real experience, told in four parts (situation, task, action, result), that gives an interviewer specific evidence for one requirement of the role.
In plain words
Think of an interview as a short exam where you choose your own evidence. A lawyer prepares exhibits before court. The lawyer does not memorize a speech. The analogy breaks in one place: an interview is not a trial. Texas State calls it a two-way conversation in which you and the employer decide whether you meet each other's needs.
In one precise sentence, preparing means collecting true evidence for each requirement of the role, learning about the employer, and rehearsing delivery until you can adapt it. The four steps below follow that order. The first step produces a list, the second turns the list into stories, the third adds knowledge of the employer, and the fourth turns your notes into spoken answers you can adjust to whatever you are asked on the day.
Step 1: Read the posting and list its requirements
Reading the job posting closely is the first step, because the posting shows what the interviewer will ask about. Read the job posting and list its requirements: every duty, skill and qualification it names. Minnesota advises focusing on the skills and responsibilities listed, and the New Jersey Department of Labor puts it in four words: know the job description. Texas State puts the goal as connecting your skills and qualifications to the requirements of the job.
Also ask the employer about the format beforehand, for example who you will be meeting (Texas State). Input: the posting. Output: a numbered list of requirements. You now have a list of things you must be able to show evidence for.
Step 2: Turn each requirement into a STAR story
The situation, task, action, result (STAR) method organizes an answer about a real experience in four parts. Turn each requirement into one STAR story. Minnesota's table maps each listed qualification to at least one story.
This mirrors how employers write questions: the guidance of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) says to write the question using the STAR method. Build outlines, not scripts. The New Jersey Department of Labor advises practicing answers without trying to memorize them. Input: one requirement. Output: a few notes for situation, task, action and result. A story you understand can adapt to a follow-up, and a script cannot.
Step 3: Research the employer and prepare your questions
Researching the employer lets your answers and questions refer to its real work; the New Jersey Department of Labor advises being prepared to ask questions that show you are well-versed in the company's business, including its mission and vision. Note what the organization makes or provides, who it serves, and how your requirements list fits its work.
Research the employer and write three to five questions to ask them. Oklahoma State advises that candidates bring three to five questions for the employer. Good questions come from the posting and your research, and they treat the interview as the two-way exchange it is. For ideas, see questions to ask in an interview. Input: the posting and your research notes. Output: a short list of questions you actually want answered.
Step 4: Practice aloud, then follow up
Practicing aloud turns written notes into sentences you can say, and Minnesota calls practice the best antidote to interviewing jitters: in front of a mirror, with friends and family, or with a career counselor. Cornell adds that you can practice alone by recording yourself and watching it back. Use real questions: common interview questions, tell me about yourself and why should we hire you.
On the day, Oklahoma State advises you arrive 10-15 minutes early; the page on how early to arrive covers it. Practice aloud, then send a thank-you note afterwards, and Cornell also suggests reflecting on your performance immediately after you leave.
Before the day, Texas State advises you to arrive early, be neatly groomed and dress professionally. Plain advice with no citation: bring a few copies of your résumé, work out the route in advance, and for a video interview test your camera, microphone and connection beforehand. On pay, the University of North Georgia advises waiting for the interviewer to mention salary and benefits. It also says not to be embarrassed if you are nervous, which is one more reason to practice aloud.
Step-by-step description
- List every requirement.
- One STAR story per requirement.
- Learn the employer, write questions.
- Say it aloud, then follow up.
- Read the job posting and list its requirements.
- Turn each requirement into one STAR story.
- Research the employer and write three to five questions to ask them.
- Practice aloud, then send a thank-you note afterwards.
Worked example: a posting with five requirements
Suppose a posting lists five requirements (illustrative): lead a small team, handle a conflict, meet a deadline, use a data tool and communicate with clients. Minnesota's rule of at least one story per qualification means five stories to prepare.1 Say each answer in about 90 seconds (an illustrative target). One pass through all five then takes 450 seconds, or 7.5 minutes, so a full rehearsal is cheap.1
| Quantity | Value (computed or illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Requirements in the posting (illustrative) | 5 |
| Stories to prepare, at least one per requirement | 5 |
| Target length of one answer (illustrative) | 90 seconds |
| Time for one spoken pass of all stories | 450 seconds (7.5 minutes) |
| Words in a 90-second answer at an illustrative 130 words per minute | 195 |
| Arrival window for a 10:00 start, 10-15 minutes early | 9:45 to 9:50 |
The 90 seconds can be split across the four STAR parts. In this illustrative budget, situation and task together get 20 seconds, action gets 45 and result gets 25, because action is where you show what you personally did.1
Text description of the diagram
- In this illustrative budget, situation and task together get 20 seconds, action gets 45 and result gets 25.
- Action is where you show what you personally did.
Knowing it is half the job. Saying it is the other half.
Interview Clozo is an AI interview copilot for real interview rounds: it hears the question and puts a strong answer on your screen, and you say it in your own words. See the features or how it works.
Start Free Trial →The Staff-level answer
If an interviewer asks how you prepare, the answer below is a Staff-level one. It is sayable in about a minute.
How do you prepare for an interview?
I start from the job posting and list every duty and qualification, because that is what I will be asked about. For each one I write a short story with the situation, task, action and result, using my own real experience, and I practice it aloud without memorizing it. I research the employer so my answers refer to its actual work, and I prepare three to five questions to ask. Then I run one full practice round, in a mirror or with a friend, and I send a thank-you note afterwards. The trade-off is that a few well-chosen stories adapt to follow-ups, while scripts break on them.
What makes it Staff-level is that it names the trade-off, adaptable stories against fragile scripts, and ties every piece of preparation back to the posting.
The rubric
A strong answer to "how do you prepare" shows a method tied to the role, not a list of generic habits. The table sets out the qualities, as advice rather than any employer's scoring.
| Dimension | Weak answer | Strong answer | Staff answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit to the role | "I read about the company." | Starts from the posting's requirements. | Maps every requirement to evidence and flags gaps honestly. |
| Evidence | Claims skills without examples. | One real story per requirement. | Stories chosen to show different skills, each with a measurable result. |
| Structure | Rambling answers. | Situation, task, action, result. | Spends most time on action and adapts the story to the follow-up. |
| Employer knowledge | Repeats the website. | Refers to the employer's real work. | Turns research into specific questions that treat the talk as two-way. |
| Practice | "I will wing it." | Practices aloud once or more. | Records, reviews, and practices without memorizing. |
Three variants of this question
What if the interview is by phone or video?
The core preparation is the same, and the format adds checks. Ask beforehand how the interview will run and who you will meet, as Texas State suggests, then read the pages on phone interviews and virtual interviews for the format-specific points.
Can you use AI to prepare for an interview?
Yes, as a way to draft practice questions: one university career office suggests prompting AI with the job description to generate sample questions you could anticipate. The stories must still come from your own experience.
How do you prepare when you have very little time?
Keep the order of value: read the posting, write one story for each top requirement, and say them aloud once. The posting and the stories are the parts to protect.
Common mistakes
- "I'll memorize my answers." (wrong) The New Jersey Department of Labor advises practicing without memorizing. (right) "I know my stories well enough to adapt them to any follow-up."
- "The interview is an interrogation I have to survive." (wrong) Texas State calls it a two-way conversation. (right) "I'm also finding out whether the role fits me, so I have questions."
- "I'll learn the company's details in the room." (wrong) Research comes first so answers are informed. (right) "I researched the employer, and here is how my experience fits its work."
- "I'll have an offer after one interview." (wrong) The University of North Georgia says do not expect a job offer at the first interview. (right) "I'm preparing for a possible second or third round."
Follow-up questions
How do you prepare for a technical interview?
Practice the skills the posting names by solving problems aloud and explaining your reasoning as you go. Prepare STAR stories for the behavioral part, as the behavioral interview guide describes.
How early should you arrive for an interview?
Oklahoma State advises arriving 10-15 minutes early. The page on how early to arrive goes into more detail.
How many questions should you ask the interviewer?
Oklahoma State suggests bringing three to five. Leave pay for later: the University of North Georgia advises waiting for the interviewer to mention salary and benefits. See questions to ask in an interview for ones that fit different roles.
Should you memorize your answers to interview questions?
No: the New Jersey Department of Labor advises practicing answers without trying to memorize them, and Cornell suggests recording yourself and watching it back to check how you sound. Also see how to answer interview questions shows how to adapt a story to the wording asked.
What should you do after an interview?
Texas State advises a brief thank-you letter that restates your interest, and a call if you hear nothing within a week; Cornell adds taking time to think about your performance right after you leave.
- Start from the job posting and list its requirements.
- Prepare at least one STAR story per requirement, as notes, not scripts.
- Research the employer and bring three to five questions.
- Practice aloud, arrive 10-15 minutes early, and send a thank-you note.
- Reflect on your performance right after the interview.
Sources
- Prepare for Interview - Career Services — University of Minnesota, 26 Oct 2026
- Preparing for the Successful Job Interview — Texas State University Career Services, 26 Oct 2026
- Interviewing Assistance — State of New Jersey Department of Labor, 26 Oct 2026
- Prep for an Interview — Oklahoma State University Career Services, 26 Oct 2026
- Structured Interviews — United States Office of Personnel Management, 26 Oct 2026
- How do I create structured interview questions? — United States Office of Personnel Management, 26 Oct 2026
- Revisiting meta-analytic estimates of validity in personnel selection (Sackett, Zhang, Berry, Lievens), Journal of Applied Psychology 107, 2040-2068, doi 10.1037/apl0000994 — American Psychological Association (Journal of Applied Psychology), 1 Nov 2022
- Interview Preparation — Cornell Career Services, 26 Oct 2026
- Tips for a Successful Interview — University of North Georgia Career Services, 26 Oct 2026
