Job interview prep
A checklist for interview prep: what to research about the company, what to ask, and how to stay composed. Pick offline or online and the list adapts.

[ ] Research the company
    Check out their product, recent news and what they're proud of — 'what do you know about us' comes up almost every time, and a vague answer shows you didn't prepare.
[ ] Reread the job post and map your experience
    Go through each requirement and line up a real example from your experience for it — you won't be improvising an answer on the spot.
[ ] Prepare 3–5 STAR success stories
    The 'situation → action → result' structure covers most behavioral questions ('tell me about a conflict', 'a failure', 'an initiative') — prepare them ahead instead of making them up live.
[ ] Reread your own resume
    Questions will be based on it — dates, responsibilities, numbers. It looks bad if you can't explain your own resume line.
[ ] Prepare your 'tell me about yourself' answer
    Keep it to 1–2 minutes, not a life story: a quick path through your experience to this role and why it interests you.
[ ] Prepare questions for the interviewer
    Have 3–5 ready — not asking anything reads as disinterest. Ask about the team, what success looks like, and next steps.
[ ] Work out your salary expectations
    Decide on a range in advance, with a floor you won't go below — there shouldn't be an awkward pause when they ask.
[ ] Ask the recruiter about format and stages
    Who's attending, how long it runs, how many stages remain — this cuts anxiety and lets you prepare for exactly what's coming.
[ ] Gather your portfolio and work samples
    Keep links or files ready to hand — not something to hunt for mid-call, but a link you can share in seconds.
[ ] Get a good night's sleep
    Sounds obvious, but it matters: a tired brain formulates worse answers and misreads questions.
[ ] Plan your route with a 15–20 minute buffer
    Being late to an interview is hard to explain away. Budget extra time for traffic and finding the entrance.
[ ] Find out who meets you and who to call at the entrance
    Office building reception often doesn't know about visitors. Having the recruiter's number saves you nerves at the door.
[ ] Plan an outfit that fits the company culture
    Asking the recruiter about dress code is normal, not a sign of insecurity — it saves everyone time.
[ ] Print two copies of your resume
    There may be more than one interviewer in the room, and fumbling for a file on your phone is awkward.
[ ] Bring a notepad and pen
    Jotting down details as you go — questions, names, next steps — is easier on paper than fumbling with your phone.
[ ] Test your camera, mic and platform an hour ahead
    Not five minutes before the call — so you have time to fix it if the app won't launch or the mic isn't detected.
[ ] Set up your background and lighting
    Face a window or light source — a dark video feed reads worse than you'd think.
[ ] Find a quiet room and give your household a heads-up
    A doorbell or a barking dog mid-answer throws you off — ask people around you not to interrupt.
[ ] Use headphones
    Headphone audio is cleaner than laptop speakers, and it avoids echo and feedback.
[ ] Exchange phone numbers with the recruiter as a backup
    If the video call drops, you can call to reconnect instead of scrambling through email for a contact.
[ ] Close extra tabs and turn off notifications
    A pop-up notification with a personal message during screen share is a bad surprise to have.

Checklist from Unload: https://unloads.me/c/job-interview