How to prepare for any interview

Most interviews in India follow a familiar path: a screening call, one or two role rounds, then HR. The same questions come up again and again. Prepare well for the common ones and you free your mind for the surprises.

1. Research the company and the role

One focused hour is enough.

1. Read the job post twice. Underline the five things it asks for most. Your answers should prove those five.
2. Open the company’s website: what it sells, to whom, and where. Read the About page and the latest news.
3. For a listed company, skim the first pages of the latest annual report or results update. For a startup, read its recent funding news and the founders’ posts.
4. If you know your interviewers’ names, look them up on LinkedIn. Note their role and background, nothing personal.
5. Write three lines: what the company does, why this role matters to it, and why you fit. This becomes your “why us” answer.

2. The ten questions you will almost surely be asked

Prepare each one out loud and keep most answers under two minutes. The samples are examples to adapt, not scripts to memorise.

• Tell me about yourself. Present, past, future in about a minute. “I’m an accounts executive at an auto-parts maker in Pune. I process about 300 vendor invoices a month in SAP and handle the GST reconciliation. I want a role with more reporting, which is why this analyst post interests me.”
• Why do you want to work here? Be specific. “You supply hospitals across South India and you’re opening in Hyderabad. I’ve sold to hospital buyers for three years, which is what this post asks for.”
• What are your strengths? Name two and prove each. “I’m reliable with deadlines: I closed the monthly books by the 5th for 14 months in a row.”
• What is your weakness? Pick a real one and show what you are doing about it. “I used to say yes to every request and fall behind. Now I agree a deadline before I take work on, and I keep a simple task list.”
• Tell me about a challenge you handled. Use STAR (see below) and end with a result.
• Why are you leaving your current job? Stay positive and look forward. “I’ve learned a lot in three years, but the role has stopped growing. I want a larger territory, and this job offers that.” Freshers get “Why this field?” instead.
• What are your salary expectations? Give a researched range and a reason. Our guide on answering this question covers it in detail.
• What is your notice period? State the official period and what you can realistically do. “It’s 60 days. I’ve asked about an early release and can likely join in 45.”
• Why should we hire you? Match three of their must-haves with one proof each.
• Do you have any questions for us? Always say yes. “What would a great first three months look like?” “How is success measured in this role?” “Who would I work with most closely?”

3. The STAR method, in plain words

For any “tell me about a time when…” question, answer in four parts. It stops you rambling and makes your result clear.

• Situation: where and when, in one line.
• Task: what you were responsible for.
• Action: what you did. Say “I”, not “we”, and give two or three concrete steps.
• Result: what changed, with a number if you have one, and what you learned.

Example from sales: “Last March our biggest distributor in Nagpur stopped ordering. I had to win the account back before the quarter closed. I visited the owner, found that late deliveries were the problem, and set up a weekly dispatch call with our warehouse. Orders restarted within three weeks, and the distributor finished the year 18% above the year before.”

4. Technical and role rounds

• Expect to be tested on the post’s must-haves. Accountants may get a journal entry or a GST question, developers a coding problem, sales candidates a role-play, nurses a clinical scenario, analysts an Excel task.
• Revise the basics, not only advanced topics. Many people stumble on fundamentals they have not used in a while.
• Think out loud. Interviewers want to see how you reason, not only the final answer.
• If you don’t know something, say so, then explain how you would find out. Never bluff.
• For a take-home task, stay within the time asked and add a short note on your assumptions.

5. The HR round

HR checks fit, stability and the practical details. Be ready to confirm your current and expected pay, notice period, the reason for each job change, any gaps, whether you can relocate or work shifts, and which documents you have. Be consistent: what you say here must match your resume and your earlier rounds.

6. Video and phone interviews

• Test the link, camera and microphone 15 minutes early. Charge your phone and put it on silent.
• Face a window or a lamp, with a plain wall behind you. Keep the camera at eye level.
• Use earphones with a mic to cut echo. Keep a mobile hotspot and the recruiter’s number ready as backup.
• Look at the camera when you speak, not at your own picture.
• Keep your resume and a few notes beside the screen, but don’t read from them.

7. Hindi, English or your own language

You don’t need perfect English. You need to be clear. Speak slowly, in short sentences, and pause before you answer. If the interviewer switches to Hindi or a regional language, it is fine to follow. If you can explain a technical point better in another language, ask: “Can I explain this part in Hindi?” If the role needs English, they will tell you. If the job serves customers in a language, such as a Tamil support process or a Marathi sales territory, say you speak it. It is a skill, so put it on your resume too.

8. What to carry

• Two printed copies of your resume.
• Photo ID such as Aadhaar, PAN, passport or driving licence, and two passport-size photos.
• Mark sheets and degree certificates, with a set of photocopies, plus any professional certificates.
• If you have work experience: recent payslips, your offer and appointment letters, and relieving letters from past employers.
• A pen and a small notebook.
• Digital copies in DigiLocker. Documents issued into DigiLocker count as originals, but carry paper copies anyway.

9. Follow up the same day

Send a short thank-you note to the recruiter or interviewer within a day. For example: “Thank you for your time today. I enjoyed hearing about the Ahmedabad plant expansion and I’m keen on the role. As discussed, I’ve attached the reconciliation sample. Regards, Priya Shah.”

If you hear nothing in a week, send one polite check-in. After that, keep applying elsewhere.

Mistakes to avoid

• Memorising answers word for word. You will sound like a recording. Learn the points, not the sentences.
• Speaking badly of a past employer or manager.
• Long answers with no example and no result.
• Saying “no questions” at the end.
• Saying things that don’t match your resume or documents.
• Arriving or logging in late. Aim to be ready 10 minutes early.
• Using a competing offer as a threat. Mention it only if asked, and calmly.