Interview call prep guides
Free guides with example answers to the questions recruiters actually ask.
Screening calls
All 8 guidesThe first call in most hiring processes: what recruiters check, what to say about salary, and what to ask.
- How to answer "Do you have other offers?"Suggested answers to "Do you have other offers?" and "Are you interviewing elsewhere?" that stay honest, keep your leverage and favour this role.
- How to practise for a phone or video interviewHow to practise for an interview call out loud: the mirror method, timed answers, a phone recording and one mock call, in three 20-minute sessions.
- Interview call checklist: before, during and afterA simple checklist for phone and video interviews: what to prepare the day before, the hour before, during the call, and in the ten minutes after.
- Phone vs video interview: what changes and how to prepareWhat changes between a phone and a video interview: your voice, camera, light, notes and eye contact, plus what to do if the call drops.
- What to do after a phone interview: thank-you and follow-upWhat to do after a phone interview: notes to write straight away, a short thank-you email, when to follow up, and what to do if you hear nothing.
- How to answer "What are your salary expectations?"Suggested answers to "What are your salary expectations?" with a researched range, how to ask for their budget first, and what to say if they push.
- How to prepare for a recruiter screening callA recruiter screening call, line by line: what they ask, what they actually mean, and the answers that get you to the next round.
- Questions to ask at the end of a phone interviewGood questions to ask at the end of a phone or video interview, sorted by who you're talking to, plus the 5-3-1 rule and a closing line.
Common questions
All 10 guidesSuggested answers to the questions almost every interview includes, with examples you can adapt.
- How to answer "Why are you changing careers?"Suggested answers to "Why are you changing careers?" that show the move is planned, connect your old skills to the new role, and prove you've started.
- Tell me about a conflict with a coworker: how to answerSuggested answers to "Tell me about a conflict with a coworker" that show you can disagree well, stay fair to the other person, and reach an outcome.
- How to answer "What is your greatest strength?"Suggested answers to "What is your greatest strength?" that pick one strength the job needs and prove it with a short, specific story.
- How to answer "What is your greatest weakness?"Suggested answers to "What is your greatest weakness?" that are honest without hurting you, plus why "I'm a perfectionist" fails.
- How to answer "Tell me about a time you failed"Suggested answers to "Tell me about a time you failed" with a real failure, what you did next, and what changed, using a simple three-part story.
- How to answer "Where do you see yourself in five years?"Suggested answers to "Where do you see yourself in five years?" that show ambition and commitment, even if you honestly don't know.
- How to answer "Why are you leaving your current job?"Suggested answers to "Why are you leaving your current job?" for growth, pay, a bad manager, burnout or relocation, without sounding negative.
- How to answer "Why do you want to work here?"Suggested answers to "Why do you want to work here?" using one specific fact about the company, why it matters to you, and what you'd bring.
- How to answer "Why should we hire you?"Suggested answers to "Why should we hire you?" that match their top need to your proof, in three short sentences, without sounding arrogant.
- How to answer "Tell me about yourself" on a callA simple now, before, next structure for "Tell me about yourself", with a before-and-after rewrite, a career-changer example, and timing for calls.
Tricky situations
3 guidesGaps, layoffs, short jobs and other things people worry about explaining, and how to explain them calmly.
- How to explain a career gap in an interviewSuggested answers for explaining a career gap in an interview, whether you were laid off, caring for family, unwell or travelling, plus what not to say.
- How to explain a short stint at a job in an interviewSuggested answers for explaining a job you left after a few months, without blaming anyone, and showing why this next role will last.
- How to explain being laid off in an interviewSuggested answers for explaining a layoff in an interview: say it plainly, show it wasn't about performance, and turn to why you're right for this role.
Interview don'ts
3 guidesThe mistakes that quietly cost people the next round, and what to do instead.
- Should you use an AI copilot in an interview? The risksWhy using an AI copilot to feed you answers in an interview call is a bad bet: how interviewers spot it, what it can cost you, and what to do instead.
- 10 phone interview mistakes and what to do insteadThe ten phone interview mistakes that quietly cost people the next round, from noisy rooms to rambling answers, with a simple fix for each one.
- What not to say in an interview, and what to say insteadTen interview phrases that hurt you, why they land badly, and a better line to say instead, from "I'm a perfectionist" to "I don't have any questions".