How to Prepare for a Job Interview: The 7-Day Plan
Updated 2026-09-17 · Interview Buddy team
Interview outcomes are mostly decided before anyone says hello. The candidate who researched the company, built a story bank and rehearsed out loud walks in with an unfair advantage over someone smarter who winged it. Preparation is the one variable completely in your control.
This is the plan we recommend to Interview Buddy users with a week's notice. Less time? Compress it — the order of priorities stands.
Days 7–6: research like an insider
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The company: what they sell, how they make money, their two or three current strategic priorities (annual report summaries, recent news, their LinkedIn posts). One specific recent fact deployed naturally is worth an hour of generic praise.
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The role: print the job ad and highlight every capability it names. This list is your interview syllabus — most questions map straight to it.
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The people: look up your interviewers on LinkedIn. Knowing the hiring manager rose through operations changes how you frame answers.
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The context: for Australian companies, check recent results or news — walking into a bank interview unaware of yesterday's headline is avoidable damage.
Days 5–4: build your evidence
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Write 6–8 STAR stories covering pressure, conflict, failure, initiative, teamwork and leadership (see our STAR guide for the template).
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Map each story to capabilities from the job ad; fill any capability with no story using smaller, real examples.
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Prepare your 90-second 'tell me about yourself' with a present–past–future arc, tuned to this role.
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Draft answers to the questions you dread — the gap in your CV, the short stint, why you're leaving. Prepared honesty beats improvised spin.
Days 3–2: rehearse out loud
Reading answers silently trains recognition, not delivery — the difference shows the moment you speak. Rehearse spoken answers under interview conditions: get questions you haven't pre-selected, answer in real time, and get feedback. A friend works; a mock interview with Interview Buddy's AI coach works on demand — it asks role- and company-specific questions, listens, and scores each answer on communication, confidence, relevance and STAR structure so you can fix the weakest ones before they cost you.
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Time your answers: 90 seconds to 2 minutes for behavioural stories, under 90 seconds for 'about yourself'.
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Record one session and watch it — filler words and pace fix themselves once you've heard them.
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Prepare five questions to ask them, at least one company-specific.
Day 1: logistics and settling
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In person: plan to arrive in the area 20 minutes early, at reception 5–10 early. Do a dry run of the route if the stakes justify it.
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Video: full tech check — camera, mic, platform, lighting (our video interview guide has the checklist).
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Prepare outfit, printed CV copies, notebook and questions tonight, not tomorrow.
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Re-read the job ad and your story bank once. Then stop — cramming past this point trades composure for marginal recall.
On the day
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Warm up your voice — say your 'about yourself' aloud once in the morning; the first delivery of the day shouldn't be the one that counts.
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Treat everyone as an interviewer, because informally they are — receptionists get asked for impressions more than candidates think.
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Listen fully before answering; a two-second pause to choose the right story reads as considered, not slow.
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Afterwards: send a short same-day thank-you email reaffirming interest and one specific point from the conversation. Few do; it's remembered.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours should I spend preparing for an interview?
For a role you want: six to ten hours across a week — roughly two on research, three on building stories, three or more on spoken rehearsal. The rehearsal hours move outcomes most and are the ones candidates usually skip.
What should I bring to an in-person interview in Australia?
Two or three printed CVs, a notebook with your prepared questions, photo ID (corporate buildings often require it), and water. Certificates or portfolios only if requested or standard for the field.
How do I calm interview nerves?
Preparation is the real anxiolytic — nerves feed on the unknown. On the day: box breathing (4-4-4-4) before walking in, reframe symptoms as readiness, and remember interviews are two-way — you're also assessing them, which restores a sense of agency.
What if I only have one day to prepare?
Priority order: read the job ad and pick your 4 strongest STAR stories (1 hour), research the company's current priorities (1 hour), rehearse out loud — especially 'about yourself' and your stories (2 hours), prepare three questions and logistics (30 minutes). Skip breadth; nail the core.
Put it into practice
Reading only gets you so far. Run a realistic mock interview with Interview Buddy's AI coach — tailored to the company you're targeting — and get scored feedback on every answer.
Start a practice interview
Related guides
→ The STAR method, explained with examples→ Common interview questions in Australia→ Video interview tips that actually matter© 2026 Interview Buddy · AI Interview Preparation Australia