How do you prepare for a job interview?
A 3-5 day plan after the invitation: company research, answer rehearsal, salary range and outfit, all finished before the day.
Short answer
On the day you get the invitation, confirm the date, time, address and interviewer's name in writing. Over the next two days, read the company's last six months of news and pull the five key requirements from the posting, with one 90-second concrete example for each. The day before, iron your outfit, print five copies of your CV and time the route in Google Maps at rush hour.
What you need
Step by step
Confirm the invitation in writing
If the invitation came by phone, email HR the same day and ask them to confirm the date, time, full address, floor, interviewer's name and expected duration. For a remote interview, ask which platform (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams) and request the link. A written trail protects you if the time gets mixed up.
Research the company in 60 minutes
Read the About and Careers pages on the company's own site, then the About and Posts tabs on its LinkedIn profile. If it is publicly listed, check its filings and investor page for recent announcements. Note three things: headcount, any new product or funding news from the last six months, and the main competitor.
Pull five key requirements from the posting
Read the requirements section line by line and write down the five skills that come up most often. Next to each one, note a single job or project from your CV that proves it. Most interview questions will come straight out of these five items.
Write six examples in STAR format
For each key requirement, write a five to six sentence example in Situation-Task-Action-Result order and end with a number: "cut prep time from three days to one", "brought the monthly error rate from 12% down to 4%". Read them aloud and keep each under 90 seconds. Build a frame rather than memorising sentences; word-for-word answers sound artificial.
Prepare your salary range and answer
Collect real figures for the same title from salary comparison sites, job board salary pages and posted LinkedIn ranges, and factor in current inflation. When asked about expectations, give a range rather than a single number, and always state whether the figure is gross or net.
Prepare four questions of your own
"Do you have any questions for us?" comes up in every interview, and answering "no" makes you look uninterested. Write four: team size, expected output in the first three months, how performance reviews work, and the next step in the hiring process. Save salary and time-off questions for the offer stage, not the first technical round.
Test the route and your setup the day before
Measure the address in Google Maps using the Depart at option, set to the same day and time as your interview, then add 30 minutes for a large city. For a remote interview, test your mic and camera in the platform's own Settings > Audio and Video screen and tidy your background. Iron your outfit and pack the CV copies the night before.
Arrive 15 minutes early on the day
Enter the building 15 minutes early, give the interviewer's name at reception, and silence your phone in the waiting area. Stand to greet and offer a handshake, and wait to be invited before you sit down. At the end, ask when you will hear about the next step, then send a short thank-you email within 24 hours.
Tips
Watch out
The most common mistake is naming a salary expectation without saying whether it is gross or net. The gap between the two can be 20-25% of the figure, so leaving it unstated can either undersell you by a wide margin or make you look outside the band and get you screened out. Always attach the word "net" or "gross" to the number.
Frequently asked questions
+How early should I arrive for a job interview?
Be in the building 15 minutes early and no more than 30 minutes early. Showing up very early corners the interviewer before they are ready; if you arrive early, wait in a nearby cafe.
+Do I need to bring a CV if HR already has it?
Bring it. Interviewers often turn up without a printout, and if there are two or three people on a panel, handing everyone a copy makes things easier. Five copies is plenty.
+Is a suit required?
In banking, audit and law it is close to mandatory; in software, agencies and manufacturing, a shirt and tailored trousers are fine. If you are unsure, check employee photos on the company's LinkedIn and dress one notch more formal.
+What should I say to "what is your weakness?"
Name something real that does not block the job, then say what you do about it: "I used to get stuck in the details, so I now time-box tasks and track them on my calendar." "I'm a perfectionist" is too worn out to earn any credit.
+How long should I wait after the interview if nobody calls?
Go by the timeline they gave you. If none was given, wait seven business days and send HR a short status email. If a second follow-up gets no reply, treat the process as closed and focus on other applications.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 13 Eylül 2026. tell us. Adapted from a Turkish guide; salary figures and gross-to-net ratios were generalised since they are country-specific.
This content is for information only; for official procedures the relevant institution’s current announcements take precedence. Details: disclaimer.