If you Google “interview prep” looking for a checklist, the results are overwhelming. Sometimes, there’s too much information available.
We call it analysis paralysis when you have too many options to choose from… or too many things to do… so you end up unable to do anything at all. Again: Google “How to prepare for an interview,” and you’ll see thousands of blogs and articles to choose from.
Who do you trust? What do you do first?
How should you practice?
When English isn’t your native language, it becomes even more confusing. That’s why I gathered all the advice I’ve seen, heard, and used myself to give it to my clients and other English learners.
First: I’ve been there and felt this way, too!
I used to be nervous about any sort of interview or presentation, even as a native English speaker. My brain would just… stop.
As soon as I shook the interviewer’s hand, I could hear my heart beating faster. Suddenly, I couldn’t tell the interviewer my practiced answers! And my voice would shake. (Even though I was confident in my job skills.)
It was not fun. Plus, I wasted a lot of energy by over-thinking everything.
But after:
- experiencing a few interviews,
- getting advice from friends and family,
- and learning how to prepare for them,
then, I became a lot more comfortable with the process.
I even got comfortable with public speaking! It’s one of the most common fears in the world… and I started to… maybe… enjoy it?
Eventually, I started tricking people into thinking I was an extrovert because the question and answer part of my presentations was my favorite. But no — I shifted my mindset, learned how to practice these conversations, and simply communicate the ideas I needed to talk about. Then, I went out and did it.
So, you can do it, too! I believe in you.
It only takes 8 basic steps to become confident and prepared for your interview.
In a hurry? I recommend spending 1 – 2 hours each day for at least one week to prepare.
Have some time? I think you’ll feel fully prepared if you spend at least 30 minutes every weekday (Monday – Friday) for one month to prepare.
The 8 Steps for Interview Prep Checklist
- Get in the right mindset.
You must believe in your own ability to grow and know what interviewers want to hear.
- Research the company.
Look for clues about the company’s goals, products, and culture.
- Write down your purpose, goals, and preferences.
Know how to talk about your career journey and motivations.
- Write your “About Me” speech.
Decide what matters and keep it short.
- Organize your online presence and job search material.
Update your social media profiles and personalize your resume (or CV).
- Practice. Then practice. And practice some more.
You should practice by yourself and with others.
- After the interview, follow up with the hiring manager.
Send a thank you note!
- Reflect on your performance.
Keep track of what worked and what didn’t so you can keep improving.
Well, that seems simple enough. Right? Right!
Now: let’s get into the details!
Step 1: Get in the right mindset.
You might want to skip step one, but I think you’ll be the best candidate possible if you do the work in this step first.
So, please don’t skip it!
You must believe in yourself and your ability to grow.
The simple act of applying for a job as a non-native English speaker is a huge accomplishment! You should feel proud of your ability to study and learn… and then apply that feeling to your general self-confidence.
For me, the worst part of the process was not knowing what to do first… Mainly, this was because I was too distracted with worrying. I forgot that I applied for the job because I could do the job!
Also, here’s a tip: interviewers don’t want employees that already know everything… Because they want employees who can learn.
If a friend or hiring manager never told you how to answer some of the big, common questions, it’s almost impossible to figure out. However, if you know what the interviewer wants to hear, suddenly, you know how to plan your answers.
It just takes a little bit of patience and direction to prepare for your first job interview.
Besides… If companies want to hire people who know how to learn, that means you — as a language learner — already have a great story to tell! It also means you don’t (and you shouldn’t) apologize for your level of English at any time.
Are you ready to believe in yourself? Can you trust yourself?
Step 2: Research the company.
If you’re going to be the candidate this company wants, you need to understand how the company works.
Go to the company’s website.
Find the company values on their website.
Look for the “About Us” page to find the company’s mission statement. If you know what their big-picture goals are, you’ll know how to answer other questions.
Understand the products and services they offer.
You should be able to describe what they sell or how they help their customers.
Search for recent events.
First, look for a blog. Then, look in the news. Interviewers want to make sure you are interested enough to stay updated with the company’s recent events.
Use the vocabulary words you find!
This is the perfect opportunity to add important words to your professional vocabulary.
If you notice a new vocab word on their website, write it down. Then, make a note every time you see that word. At the end of your research session, you’ll have a great list of vocabulary to memorize!
And, as a bonus, you’ll know which words are the most important.
Step 3: Understand your own purpose and career goals.
Know your own motivations.
Hiring managers want to trust that you’ll stay at this job for a while. In order to do this, they need to understand you. Why did you choose this career?
What motivates you to be productive and efficient? If you can talk about this and — as a bonus — are able to tie it into the company’s mission, you’ll stand out to the hiring manager.
Know your career journey.
How did you get here? You should have a clear explanation of how and why your previous jobs led you to this job interview!
Interviewers want to know that you have a good reason for applying because motivated candidates stay longer.
So tell them why you are interested in joining their team!
Step 4: Write your “About Me” interview introduction speech.
This is the step that everyone wants to do first. However, because you’ve done the hard work in the first three steps… now you can write the best possible introduction.
First, decide what matters.
Use your resume (or CV) as a checklist of professional experiences you can talk about. Since you know what is important to this company, choose your stories that prove you’re a good match.
Then, keep it short.
Don’t try to memorize a 5-minute speech!
The best “About me” introductions last between 60 and 90 seconds… That’s it!
Step 5: Organize your social media profiles.
If you’re online, the hiring manager might search for you. According to US employment law, they should not do that… But unfortunately, many interviewers are too curious.
- LinkedIn should be a better version of your resume (or CV).
- Link to examples or screenshots of your work, if you can.
- Ask past teammates for recommendations.
- Update your skills list.
- Facebook, Instagram, and other “personal” profiles should be professional… or set to “friends only.”
Step 6: Talk to yourself about yourself. Practice your answers. Keep practicing!
You made it past all the other difficult steps, so now it’s time to get comfortable with your “About Me” speech and stories about your past work experiences.
- Try recording your “About Me” speech on your phone 4-5 times until it feels natural.
- Put common interview questions on flashcards and practice answering them in a different order each time.
- Ask friends and/or family to ask you common interview questions.
- Practice asking questions about the interviewer and the company.
Steps 7 & 8: Follow up and reflect.
Congratulations! You made it through your interview. Now, it’s time to finish strong!
Follow Up with the Hiring Manager
Before the day is over, send an email to the hiring manager and thank them for speaking to you about the open job.
Note: Almost everyone hates writing formal, professional emails like these. If you want to know how to add a “call to action” to the end of your thank you email, take a look at my blog post: How to End Your Emails.
Don’t wait too long! I recommend sending the thank you email 2 – 4 hours after the interview ended.
You should also use this email as an opportunity to remind the hiring manager why you are a good fit for the role.
Reflect on your interview performance.
What was the best part of the interview? Write down things that felt comfortable and the things that felt difficult.
Now you know how to improve your interview prep checklist for next time!
Don’t forget: Put everything together.
Don’t forget that everything is connected!
The best interview candidates understand how their motivation is connected to their past career journey… and how that should connect to the job description of the position you applied for!
Hiring managers and interviewers want to know that you understand each of these concepts individually and together.
You’ll be able to put even more important concepts together with my full interview prep checklist… and book.
8 Steps for Interview Prep: I wrote a book!
It is specifically for non-native English speakers preparing for a job. However, I think anyone who is nervous about their interview could use it.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that — at no additional cost to you — I may earn a small commission on if you click to purchase.