A job interview is largely decided before you enter the room. The candidate who has reread the advert, chosen their examples and prepared their questions answers more simply and listens better. Here is a five-stage method for preparing for a job interview, whatever the occupation and whatever your level of experience.
1. Understand the advert and the organisation
The advert is your first working document. Reread it line by line and underline what the employer expects: the duties, the skills, the qualities required. Against each expectation, note a situation in which you have already shown it, at work, on a placement, during your studies or in an association.
Then find out about the organisation: its activity, its customers or users, its size, its recent news. You do not have to know everything. You must be able to explain, in two sentences, why this position and this organisation interest you.
2. Prepare a 60-second introduction
“Tell us about yourself” opens most interviews. A structured answer of about one minute sets the tone. It comes down to four elements.
- Who you are today: your occupation or your training, in one sentence.
- Your career path in two or three stages, chosen for their link with the position.
- A concrete achievement, which proves what you are able to do.
- Why this position and this organisation: what you want to bring to it.
Write this introduction down, then say it aloud several times. Do not recite it word for word: remember the order of the ideas, not the sentences.
3. Back each answer with a concrete example
“I am thorough” proves nothing. An example does. Prepare four or five situations you have experienced and tell each one in the same order.
- The situation: where were you, and what was the problem?
- Your role: what had you been entrusted with?
- What you did, yourself, precisely.
- The result, and what you learned from it.
Choose varied situations: a success, a difficulty overcome, a disagreement with a colleague, a mistake corrected. Stay accurate. A modest, true example is more convincing than an embellished account, and it stands up to follow-up questions. If you are starting out, a placement, a study project or voluntary work in an association provide good examples.
4. Prepare your own questions
At the end, you will be asked whether you have any questions. Answering “no” leaves an impression of lack of interest. Prepare three or four that show you can see yourself in the position.
- What does a typical week in this position look like?
- What will the priorities be for the first three months?
- Who will I work with day to day, and who will I report to?
- What are the next steps in the recruitment process?
Keep for later the questions whose answer is already in the advert.
5. On the day
The day before, check the address, the route and the time. Prepare several copies of your CV, something to write with and the documents requested. For a remote interview, test the connection, the microphone and the camera, and choose a quiet place.
On the day itself, arrive a little early. Listen to each question to the end. Take two seconds before answering. If you have not understood, ask for clarification: it is a sign of seriousness, not of weakness. If you do not know, say so, then explain how you would look for the answer.
A modest, true example is more convincing than an embellished account.
Practising with MOKILIX Entretien
A method is only worth something if you practise. MOKILIX provides a free interview simulator, with no account to create. You state the occupation, your experience and, if you have it, the advert. The tool asks you five questions in writing. After each answer, it indicates what is convincing and what is missing, and proposes a stronger version based on your own facts. A review then gives three priorities to work on. The page also offers guides by occupation.
Let us be clear about its limits. The tool does not predict whether you will be hired: a recruiter's decision depends on other factors. It works in writing and does not replace practising aloud with a person you trust. The number of simulations per hour is limited. Your answers are analysed by an artificial intelligence service: do not write any confidential information in it.
If the preparation reveals a skill to strengthen, you can also consult the MOKILIX Academy training courses.
