How to Prepare and Crack Any Interview: Tips for Success

You have definitely heard people say, "I failed that interview," meaning they failed to answer the questions asked during the interview. The interesting thing is that interview failure does not only depend on answering incorrectly. See the following points that can cause failure:

Candidate CV/Resume
Job Type & Description
Candidate Behavior
Candidate Expertise
Candidate Confidence
Interviewer Nature
Interviewer Six Sense
Your Preparation

Surprised why your preparation is at its peak but still not enough? Yes, that's also a factor; preparation alone is not enough to crack an interview. But don't worry, I'm here for you. In this article, I will share some interesting tips to help you succeed in your interview.

To crack an interview, it is really important to understand the sceince behind it.

An interview is a conversation where one side asks questions and the other proves why they are the right fit.

Means someone will ask questions, and you will answer them. Based on you answers the interviewer will decided whether you pass or fail.

Note: The guide contains the general tips to crack interview, whether it is online or onsite.

Interview Prerequisites

Whether you have an online or onsite interview, you need to first prepare the pre-checklist as follows:

1. Onsite

A neat & clean dress preferably professional one (search based on your country culture)
Printed CV (submitted for job) enclosed in a file
Required Documents (if any) such as Identity Card

2. Online

Best Internet Connection
Internet Backup
Energy Backup
Silence Zone
Microphone/Headphone
Camera (Should working)
Screen Sharing (test that you can share screen)
Room Lighting (you are sitting for interview)
Install Required Tools (if any)

Be on Time

One of the the most important thing is to be on time. If you have an onsite interview and only have a few moments to reach the location under normal circumstances, unexpected emergencies can arise.

For example, public transport issues or a flat tire when driving yourself can cause delays. Without a backup plan, you may be late, and there is an 80% chance you will miss the interview. So, always have at least a 30-minute buffer to handle any uncertainties.

Note: For an online interview, you can join at the exact time, provided that you have followed the prerequisites for an online interview.

Physical & Mental Fitness

Please be careful about your physical and mental fitness. What does this mean? Actually, you should be active because if you didn't sleep well, you might feel lazy and have a tired brain.

Don't worry there is a simple solution, just do some physical exercises like cobra stretching, planks, push-ups, or leg raises. These exercises will keep your body active even if you are feeling lazy.

It is also recommended to stay silent for five minutes and think about a place you have visited or a memorable moment in your life. Similarly, watching some funny videos can refresh your mind and boost your thinking ability.

Prepare General Answers

Normally, there are few questions frequently asked in most of interviews. So, you should prepare the best answers for those questions. The following can be the questions:

Please introduce yourself
Why should we hire you? (Answer based on the job you are applying for)
Motivation behind this Job (Only if your are switching)
Tell Us about your strenghts & weaknesses
Salary expectations (only for HR interview)
What are you doing right now?
Total team members in your current role
Process you are following in your current job (How you work in your current company.)
Why didn't you do anything? (Only if you were free and didn't do anything for a specific period of time.)
Why do you want to join this company?

Research About Company

Research the following about company:

Name
Official website
Address & Location
Total employees
Core business
Their products or services

Note: You can use the LinkedIn for research or google.

Research About Interviewer

This is nice to have. If you know who is conducting the interview, research them. Sometimes, you get the interviewer's name in the emails you receive for the interview schedule, or you may find links indicating who might conduct the interview.

So, do some research on their expertise, experience, and educational background. This can help you prepare better.

Comparison Between the Job Description and CV

You have to understand the job description and compare it with the CV you submitted while applying for the job. After the comparison, identify the gaps or differences and determine your strengths.

You should identify following points:

Skills you are good at
Weak points (your gaps)
Mandatory skills for the job
Do you have the mandatory skills?
Core responsibilities of the job
Job responsibilities vs. your strengths
Alternative skills vs. required skills

Predict the Questions

After comparing your CV with the job description, you should anticipate potential questions. It is common for interviewers to ask a mix of questions based on both your CV and the job description.

Let's take a scenario:

Bob applied for a web developer job and mentioned React, Node, and Angular in his CV. However, the job description requires Python, Angular, and React, with React (especially React Hooks) being mandatory. Since Bob is somewhat weak in React, comparing his CV with the job description makes it clear that the questions will likely focus on:

So, following questions can be predicted:

Why we should use React? (especially React Hooks) - since it is mandatory.
How to use Dict in Python - because it is required, but Bob hasn't mentioned it.
What is lazy loading in Angular - since both the CV and job description include it.
His experience with Node - as it is in his CV but not required for the job.

AI Assistants for Predicting Questions

To predict potential interview questions, you can use AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and others. Simply copy the content of your CV and the job description, then ask the model:

"Please analyze the job description and CV content and list the interview questions that might be asked by the interviewer."

You can also specify the job level, such as whether it is a senior or junior role.

Predict the Worst Situations

Now, you need to predict the worst situations that may occur during the interview.

Let suppose, what will you do if you don't know much about a question?

How to deal Uncertainty During Interview

There are multiple techniques to handle worst situations during interview, but the most commonly used are:

Be confident
Send signals to your brain "I can do it"
Don't give up
Ask for a hint
Try to think (only if it requires thinking)
Don't pause for too long

Prepare What You Have Mentioned on Your CV

Now, create a list of predicted questions along with other questions related to the skills you have mentioned on your CV.

Additionally, review the list of requirements for the job that you are not familiar with. At the very least, gain enough knowledge about them, including their purpose and how they are used.

Conclusion

If you want to crack any interview, be on time, have a power and internet backup for online interviews, and allow some time margin for onsite interviews. Be polite and behave well during the interview. For online interviews, open your camera without waiting for the interviewer to ask and wear appropriate attire for both online and onsite interviews.

You should also research the company you are interviewing with and the interviewers (if you know who they are). This will help you prepare answers for general questions.

Not only does preparation matter, but you should also try to predict the interview questions by comparing your CV with the job description and listing the possible questions that may be asked. You can also take help from AI models like chatgpt.

The most important thing is to identify your weak points that may put you in uncertain situations. If you don't know something, don't give up; be confident and stay relaxed. Ask the interviewer for a hint and try to explain a bit; this will show that you have at least made an effort.

Using all these tips has increased your chances of cracking the interview.

💡 Pro Tip: Treat your interview preparation like a strategic plan-research, practice, and refine your answers to showcase your skills with confidence.