INTERVIEW PREPARATION CHECKLIST — BCC Business Hub Career Clinic

ONE WEEK BEFORE
[ ] Research the company: products, customers, competitors, recent news
[ ] Re-read the job advert and list the top 5 requirements
[ ] Prepare one STAR story for each requirement
[ ] Prepare 2–3 questions to ask the interviewer
[ ] Research the salary range for the role

THE STAR METHOD (for "Tell me about a time when...")
S — Situation: set the scene in one sentence
T — Task: what you were responsible for
A — Action: what YOU did (use "I", not "we")
R — Result: the outcome, with a number if possible

PRACTISE THESE COMMON QUESTIONS
1. Tell me about yourself. (Present → Past → Future, under 2 minutes)
2. Why do you want this role / to work here?
3. What is your greatest strength? Your biggest weakness?
4. Tell me about a challenge you overcame.
5. Tell me about a time you worked in a team / handled conflict.
6. Where do you see yourself in 3–5 years?
7. What are your salary expectations?
8. Why should we hire you?

GOOD QUESTIONS TO ASK THEM
- What does success look like in the first 90 days?
- What are the biggest challenges facing the team right now?
- How do you support learning and growth?
- What are the next steps in the process?

THE DAY BEFORE
[ ] Outfit ready (dress one level above the company's everyday dress)
[ ] Printed copies of your CV, a pen and notebook
[ ] Route planned — aim to arrive 15 minutes early
[ ] Early night

VIRTUAL INTERVIEW SETUP
[ ] Test camera, microphone and meeting link 15 minutes early
[ ] Light in front of you, neutral background, camera at eye level
[ ] Laptop charged, power backup ready, backup data line on
[ ] Phone on silent, notifications off

AFTER THE INTERVIEW
[ ] Send a thank-you email within 24 hours
[ ] Note what went well and what to improve
[ ] Follow up politely after 7 working days if you haven't heard back