Full disclosure: my team built an interview prep tool, so I'm biased. The plan below needs nothing but a doc and a friend or a timer.
TL;DR
Interview prep works best when it is specific: questions from the real job post, answers from your real experience, and out-loud practice. A week is enough.
- Build a question list from the job description.
- Write STAR answers (situation, task, action, result) using true stories.
- Practice out loud with a timer, and tighten rambling answers.
- Prepare your negotiation notes before the offer, not after.
The week at a glance
| Day | Task | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read the job post and the company | 10 likely questions |
| 2 | Pick 5 stories from your work | 5 short story outlines |
| 3 | Write STAR answers | 5 answers under two minutes |
| 4 | Say them out loud | Notes on where you ramble |
| 5 | Mock interview with a person | A short fix-list |
| 6 | Prepare questions and negotiation notes | 3 questions, a range to research |
| 7 | Rest, review, logistics | Ready |
Why this goes wrong
- Generic answers. "I'm a team player" is forgettable. A specific story is not.
- Rambling. Written answers feel fine, but out loud they run long.
- Negotiation as an afterthought. People freeze when the offer arrives with no plan.
- No practice with feedback. Reading your answers silently is not practice.
Step 1: Mine the job post
Highlight the repeated skills and responsibilities. Turn each into a question, for example "Tell me about a time you managed competing deadlines."
Step 2: Choose five stories
Pick real projects: a win, a mistake, a conflict, a deadline, a time you led or learned something. One story can answer several questions.
Step 3: Write STAR answers
Situation, Task, Action, Result. Spend most of the words on Action. If the result has no number, describe the outcome honestly instead of making one up.
Step 4: Practice out loud
Set a two-minute timer. Record yourself if you can. Cut anything that doesn't support the point.
When you play the recording back, check three things:
- How long until the point? If the first 30 seconds is background, move the situation into one sentence.
- How much is "we"? Interviewers want to know what you did. Keep the team context, but say your own actions in the first person.
- Does it end, or fade? Finish with the result and one line on what you'd repeat or change. Then stop talking.
A simple way to tighten a rambling answer: write it out, then cut it to half the length while keeping the action and the result. Say the short version out loud. It usually sounds more confident, not less.
Step 5: Run a real mock round
Ask a friend, a former colleague, or anyone who will be honest to play the interviewer for 30 minutes. Give them your question list and ask them to pick in a random order, with at least one follow-up per answer ("What would you do differently?", "What was your part exactly?").
Ask them to score each answer from 1 to 5 on three things: was it specific, was it relevant to the job, and was it clear. Anything under 3 goes on your fix-list. If nobody is available, record yourself answering questions you draw at random and score the recording the next day, when it feels less familiar.
Step 6: Prepare the three questions everyone gets
Some questions come up so often that they deserve their own prep:
- "Tell me about yourself." Keep it to about a minute: what you do now, one or two things you're proud of that match this role, and why this job is the next step.
- "What's your biggest weakness?" Pick a real one that won't sink the role, and say what you're doing about it. A rehearsed non-weakness ("I work too hard") wastes the question.
- "Why do you want to work here?" Mention something specific from the job post or the company's own public material, and connect it to your experience.
Also write down three questions for them. Good ones ask about the work itself: what the first 90 days look like, what makes someone successful in the role, and what the team is struggling with right now.
Step 7: Prepare for the money talk
Research the typical range for the role and location from several sources, and decide your lowest acceptable number and what else matters (start date, remote days, review timing). Don't quote numbers you can't source.
Write two or three sentences you can say calmly when the offer comes, for example: "Thank you, I'm excited about the role. Based on what I've seen for similar roles, I was hoping for something closer to [your researched number]. Is there flexibility on the base or on other parts of the package?" Saying it out loud a few times beforehand makes it much easier in the moment.
Day-before checklist
- Test the video link, camera and microphone, or plan the route and arrive ten minutes early.
- Have the job post, your five stories and your questions on one page.
- Prepare a short, honest answer for any gap or job change on your resume.
- Sleep. A rested, slightly under-rehearsed answer beats a tired, perfect script.
A made-up example
This example is invented for illustration.
Question: Tell me about a time you handled a missed deadline.
Situation: A client report was due Friday and a data source changed on Wednesday.
Task: Deliver an accurate report without hiding the delay.
Action: I told the client on Wednesday, agreed a smaller first version, and finished the rest Monday.
Result:[real outcome here]
What I'd do today
- Paste the job post into a doc and mark the top five requirements.
- Write five story outlines with real details.
- Record yourself answering two questions and cut the first thing that doesn't matter.
- Write down your questions for the interviewer and your negotiation notes.
FAQ
How many stories do I need?
Five solid ones usually cover most behavioral questions.
What if I don't have a result with a number?
Describe what changed and who noticed. An honest outcome beats an invented figure.
Should I memorize answers?
Memorize the outline, not the wording. It sounds more natural.
Can I negotiate a first job offer?
Often yes, politely. Know your range from sources you trust, and ask about the full package.
Practicing with Interview Coach
If you'd like a first draft, my team built a chat agent called Interview Coach. It runs on Capafy, an AI agent marketplace.
What you send: the job description and your resume.
What you get back, according to the listing:
- a prep dossier of likely questions with STAR-method answers drawn from your real experience,
- a scored multi-turn mock interview with an honest fix-list,
- a rambling answer tightened into a sharper one,
- offer-negotiation scripts.
The listing says negotiation scripts are based on general compensation knowledge and not invented numbers. It can only use what you paste, so verify salary ranges yourself.
Pricing on the listing is $2.99/day, $6.99/week or $14.99/month.
Wrap-up
- Build questions from the real job post.
- Use five true stories and the STAR shape.
- Practice out loud and plan the negotiation early.
Disclosure: my team built Interview Coach and sells it on Capafy.
