How to Prepare for a Job Interview (Before, During and After)

LiveRec EditorialUpdated

Most of an interview is decided before it starts, so knowing how to prepare for a job interview pays off. Spend your time on four things: map the job description to your own examples, research the company, say your answers out loud, and sort out logistics the day before. Then follow up within 24 hours with something specific.

At a glance

  • Before: match each skill in the posting to one real example from your work.
  • Before: practice aloud, with a timer, and have three questions of your own ready.
  • During: answer the question asked, give one specific example, and ask about next steps before you leave.
  • After: write notes straight away and send a short, specific thank-you within 24 hours.

What do interviewers actually score?

On LiveRec, the form an employer fills in after an interview rates the candidate from one to five stars on three things: technical skills, communication skills and culture fit. The interviewer then picks a decision and has to write a comment. That is the whole shape of the feedback, and it is a useful way to plan your preparation.

  • Technical skills means evidence you can do the job. Prepare one concrete example per skill the posting names.
  • Communication skills means you answer the question that was asked, in order, without rambling. Practise out loud so your answers are short and structured.
  • Culture fit means how you would work with the team. Show you researched the company and have thought about how you like to work.

Other employers use other forms, but nearly all of them reduce to these same questions: can you do it, can you explain it, and will you work well here.

Before the interview

1. Turn the job description into a list of examples

Read the posting line by line. Underline the hard skills and the soft skills it names, then write one example from your own work next to each: what the situation was, what you did, what changed. This list is the raw material for almost every answer. For the answer structure, see behavioral questions and the STAR method.

2. Research the company and the people

Read the company's website, its recent news and how it describes its own products and customers. If you know who will interview you, look at their professional background so you can ask better questions. If the interview came through a Live Recruiter, ask them what the hiring team cares about most; a recruiter who works the role often knows things a careers page does not.

3. Practise out loud

Reading sample answers is not the same as saying them. Practise with a friend, or alone with a timer, on the questions every interview includes: why this job, what you are best at, and tell me about yourself. Keep most answers to about a minute and a half.

4. Prepare three questions of your own

Good questions come from your research: how the team measures success in the first 90 days, what a typical week looks like, what the next steps are. Avoid questions you could have answered from the website.

5. Sort the logistics the day before

For an in-person interview, plan your route, aim to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, and bring printed copies of your resume and something to write with. For a video interview, run the checks in our virtual interview guide. If the interview is held on LiveRec, the Join button unlocks 15 minutes before the start and the lobby lets you check your camera and microphone first. See how to join an interview.

During the interview

  • Listen to the whole question, take a breath, then answer. A short pause reads as thoughtful.
  • Lead with the answer, then give the evidence. If the question is "have you managed a deadline slipping", start with "Yes", then tell the story.
  • Be specific and honest. Use "I" for what you did, name the tools and the result, and do not criticise a past employer.
  • Treat everyone as part of the process. Reception, coordinators and future teammates often share their impressions with the hiring manager.
  • Take brief notes and ask your prepared questions.
  • Before you leave, ask about the timeline and next steps so you know when and how to follow up.

If the interview is recorded, you will be asked to agree beforehand. See is my interview recorded for how LiveRec handles recordings and AI notes.

After the interview

  1. Write it down within the hour. Names, topics, the questions you struggled with and the answers you would change.
  2. Send a thank-you within 24 hours. Mention one specific thing from the conversation, restate why you fit and keep it short. Use our thank-you email templates.
  3. Tell your recruiter how it went, if one arranged it. They can pass on your interest, chase next steps and often get feedback you would not otherwise hear.
  4. Follow up once if the date they gave you passes, politely and within whatever communication preference they stated.
  5. Keep applying. Do not pause your search for one decision.

Frequently asked questions

How early should I arrive? For in-person interviews, 10 to 15 minutes early. For video interviews, join a few minutes before the start so you are not rushed.

Should I send a thank-you if I think it went badly? Yes. A brief note costs nothing and sometimes changes the outcome.

What if I blank on a question? Say you would like a moment, or ask for the question again. If nothing comes, describe the closest example you have and say what you would do differently.

How long should I wait before following up? Use the timeline the interviewer gave you. If they gave none, a polite check-in after about a week is reasonable.

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