Prepare for an interview

Explain what you can contribute, ask useful questions, and learn about the opportunity. Prepare with examples from your education, projects, volunteering, or everyday responsibilities—even if you have never had a paid job.

Time: about 30–45 minutes to prepare notes, plus a short practice session • Cost: this guide is free • Use: anywhere, adapted to the opportunity • Keep: preparation notes and a review.

Use your own notebook or document, your application if you have one, and the opportunity description. No registration or paid coaching is needed to use this guide. This page does not collect or save your answers.

1. Understand the opportunity and interview

Choose a job, internship, volunteer role, or training opportunity. Read its description and your application. Identify what interests you and the preparation you can honestly demonstrate.

Check the invitation: date, local time and time zone, language, location or platform, expected length, and any tasks or documents. Ask the organiser about details that are missing.

Research the organisation through its official website. Note what it does, who it serves, and one specific reason you are interested. Keep the source link with your notes.

If access, communication, travel, or technology could be difficult, contact the organiser early about what would help you participate. Available arrangements depend on the setting; check rather than assume.

Write: “The opportunity is… They want to understand… My interview is… I still need to confirm…”

2. Choose three real examples

Select three experiences that show relevant abilities, such as working with others, solving a problem, learning a tool, or completing a responsibility. School, home, and volunteer experience can be useful.

For questions about past experience, use STAR: Situation—the context; Task—your responsibility; Action—what you did; Result—what happened and what you learned. Keep the focus on your own contribution.

Keep examples brief, honest, and conversational. Prepare for follow-up questions. In group work, distinguish what you did from the team’s result. Include numbers only when you can support them.

STAR helps organise an example; it is not a script for every question. A question about your interests may need a direct reason, while a technical or academic question may require a different approach.

3. Practise a conversation

Practise aloud with someone you trust, or on your own. Use short notes instead of memorising full answers. If you record yourself, keep the recording private and involve others only with their agreement.

Try these prompts: “What are you learning, and how does it relate to this opportunity?” “What specifically interests you about this organisation or programme?”

Then practise: “Describe a contribution you made to a group project.” “Explain how you handled a task that did not go as planned.” “What skill are you working to improve, and how?”

Ask your practice partner: “Was my contribution clear? Did I answer the question? What one part could I explain more simply?” Practising alone? Check the same points and revise one answer.

Prepare two questions you want answered, such as what a beginner would do first or how training and feedback work. Check whether the invitation or website already answers them.

4. Copy this preparation template

Copy these prompts into your own notes. Replace the brackets with your details. Keep them as reminders for preparation; check whether notes are permitted during the interview.

OPPORTUNITY: [Role or programme] | [Organisation] | [Link to the description].

INTERVIEW: [Date] | [Time and time zone] | [Language] | [Location or platform] | [Live or recorded].

MY REASON: [One specific reason this opportunity interests me, connected to what I have learned about it].

THREE PRIORITIES: [Relevant requirement 1] | [Requirement 2] | [Requirement 3].

INTRODUCTION NOTES: [What I am currently studying or doing] → [Relevant experience] → [What I hope to contribute or learn].

EXAMPLE 1: [Skill shown] | Situation: […] | Task: […] | Action: […] | Result and learning: […].

EXAMPLE 2: [Different relevant skill] | Situation: […] | Task: […] | Action: […] | Result and learning: […].

EXAMPLE 3: [Another relevant experience] | Situation: […] | Task: […] | Action: […] | Result and learning: […].

MY QUESTIONS: [Question about responsibilities or learning] | [Question about support, feedback, or the next stage].

PRACTICAL PLAN: [Travel or connection check] | [Requested materials] | [Organiser’s contact] | [Backup if something goes wrong].

PRACTICE AND REVIEW: [When I will practise] | [One answer to improve] | [What I still need to confirm].

An example from a class project

This fictional example answers a teamwork question. It illustrates a structure; use your own experience and words. It is not a claim about a St. James student.

Situation: Our class group was preparing a presentation, and the slides had overlapping information.

Task: I was responsible for bringing the slide sections together before our practice session.

Action: I asked each person to identify their main point, checked for repetition, and proposed an order for the group to review. We then rehearsed the transitions.

Result: We agreed on a clearer sequence and completed the rehearsal. I learned to confirm responsibilities earlier, rather than waiting until all the slides were finished.

For your own example, identify the decisions you made and explain what you learned. A modest, accurate result is enough; do not invent a dramatic outcome.

5. Get ready, take part, and review

Use the checklist below before the interview. Follow the organiser’s instructions about materials, timing, clothing, notes, and any assessment tasks.

In person: plan your route and allow time for delays. Prepare requested materials, choose suitable clothing you already have, and keep the organiser’s contact details accessible.

Phone or live video: charge your device, test sound and the connection, and choose the quietest setting available. For video, check lighting and what the camera shows. Keep a backup contact route if the connection drops.

Recorded interview: check the deadline and time zone, answer limits, practice options, and whether retries are allowed. Practise under similar conditions; do not assume you can rerecord.

Listen to the whole question. You can pause to think or ask for clarification. If you lack an example or do not know an answer, say so and explain relevant learning or how you would approach the task.

Follow the assessment rules on notes, outside help, recording, and AI. Your answers should represent your own experience and reasoning. Ask the organiser if a rule is unclear.

At the end, thank the interviewer and confirm the next step and expected timing. Follow up through the stated contact route if needed, respecting any instructions.

Afterwards, write: [What I explained clearly] | [A difficult question] | [A better answer or example] | [One thing to practise next].

Consider what you learned about the opportunity, too. An interview helps you assess whether its responsibilities, learning, and practical arrangements suit you. Preparation cannot guarantee an offer.

Free guidance to support your practice

The National Careers Service provides free public interview tips. Its guidance is written for England; adapt the practical ideas to your opportunity and local expectations.

Its STAR guide explains the method and gives examples. Read it to understand the structure, then choose evidence from your own experience.

Oxford’s public interviewing pages cover technique and different formats, including phone and video interviews. The guidance is free to read; appointments, events, and some linked resources are intended for Oxford users.

This is an original St. James Institute practice guide informed by the linked sources. Keep your preparation and review in your own notes. External links were checked on October 3, 2026.