Interview Tips
Ace your next interview with these practical tips
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Before the Interview
- Research the company — Know their products, recent news, leadership, and culture. Check LinkedIn and their website 30 minutes before.
- Study the job description — Map your experience to every key requirement. Prepare a specific example for each skill mentioned.
- Prepare your story — Have a crisp 90-second answer for "Tell me about yourself" that covers your background, key achievement, and why you're here.
- Prepare questions to ask — Never say "No, I have no questions." Ask about team structure, success metrics, or growth opportunities.
During the Interview
- Use the STAR method — For behavioural questions: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep it concise and specific.
- Quantify your impact — "I improved report turnaround time by 40%" beats "I made reporting faster."
- Pause before answering — It's okay to take 3–5 seconds to think. Thoughtful answers beat rushed ones.
- Ask for clarification — If a question is unclear, ask the interviewer to rephrase rather than guessing.
- Match their energy — Be warm, confident, and professional. A genuine smile goes further than you think.
For Technical Interviews
- Think out loud — interviewers want to see your reasoning process, not just the answer.
- Start with a brute-force approach, then optimise. Show structured thinking.
- For SQL/Excel rounds: practice common scenarios — aggregations, joins, pivot tables, VLOOKUP.
- For data analysis rounds: always clarify assumptions before diving into numbers.
Salary Negotiation
- Never give a number first. Ask "What is the budgeted range for this role?"
- Research market rates on LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor, and AmbitionBox before the discussion.
- Negotiate on total compensation — base, bonus, ESOPs, joining bonus, and notice period buyout.
- Always take 24–48 hours before accepting. It's expected and respected.
After the Interview
- Send a thank-you email within 24 hours — brief, genuine, and reiterating your interest.
- Follow up after the committed timeline if you haven't heard back. One polite follow-up is professional, not pushy.
- If rejected, ask for feedback — most companies will share it and it helps you improve.