Work: interviews and career
Job interviews and career conversations: how to prepare
In job interviews and conversations about how you work, preparation beats a talent for improvising. Pick a situation, read how to answer and practice it with an AI counterpart who asks follow-up questions like a real recruiter or manager.
Conversations to practice
- I am going to a job interviewHow to prepare for a job interview
- I am answering “tell me about yourself”How to answer “tell me about yourself”
- I am answering the weaknesses questionHow to answer “what is your greatest weakness”
- I am explaining a gap in my CVHow to explain a gap in your CV in a job interview
- I am changing careers and going to an interviewHow to talk about a career change in a job interview
- I am on a phone screen with a recruiterHow to get through a phone screen with a recruiter
- I am asking my former boss for a referenceHow to ask a former boss for a reference
- I am returning to work after parental leaveHow to talk to your manager about returning from parental leave
- I am asking my boss to work remotelyHow to ask your boss to work remotely
- I am asking for flexible working hoursHow to ask your boss for flexible working hours
- I am telling my boss I am burned outHow to tell your boss you are burned out
- Negotiating my job offerHow to negotiate a job offer
- Asking for a promotionHow to ask for a promotion
- Behavioral interview for a team lead roleA structured interview for your first team lead position. Expect "tell me about a time" questions and follow-ups on each answer.
Three principles that help in any conversation about work
An example, not an adjective
“I am conscientious” says very little. A short story about a specific situation, what you did and what came of it is what the other person remembers.
Answers in two minutes
Long answers lose the point. Start with the most important sentence, add one example and stop before the other person starts to drift.
A request with a plan
When you ask for remote work, different hours or a reference, show how it will work in practice. A concrete plan is easier to accept than a general request.
Frequently asked questions
How do I prepare for a job interview?
Read the job ad and pick the three requirements that best match your experience. Prepare a short example from work for each. Practice your answer to “tell me about yourself” and the weaknesses question out loud, because they come up almost every time.
What should I say when asked about salary expectations?
Check pay for similar roles beforehand and give a specific number or a narrow range with a short reason. If you would rather not name a number in the first round, ask what range is planned for the role.
How do I talk about a career break or a change of industry?
Briefly and without apologizing. Say what the break or change was, then move quickly to what you bring to the new role. Recruiters listen to your tone more than to the break itself.
What does practicing a job interview with AI look like?
The AI plays a recruiter or manager with doubts they do not reveal right away. You talk by voice or chat, and afterwards you get a report quoting your answers and showing what convinced them and what sounded weak.
See also
- Job interviewMost people prepare a few stories and hope the questions fit. A real interviewer listens for gaps, asks what you personally did and moves on when an answer runs long. Practice with one who does exactly that.
- NegotiationIn a negotiation the other side knows things you do not: how far they can go, what they need most, what happens if you walk away. Practice uncovering that before you make your offer.
Answer the hard question before it is asked for real.
Pick a conversation, practice it with an AI recruiter or manager and see in the report which answers sounded convincing.