Interview preparation checklist

A Hired Podcast resource, informed by the show's published conversations. Meet host Matthew Sorensen.

Before the interview: build evidence, not a script.

1. Read the job description once for duties, then again for outcomes. Underline three things the employer needs solved. Write one example of your work beside each.
2. Research the organization and interviewer. Learn what the team does, how the role fits, and one recent development worth asking about. Use the company website and the actual job posting.
3. Prepare four short stories. Choose a problem you solved, a time you worked with others, a setback you handled, and a result you can measure. For each, note the situation, your action, and the result.
4. Practice the questions you can predict. Say your answers aloud to “Tell me about yourself,” “Why this role?”, a strength, a weakness, and a challenge. Aim for clear examples rather than memorized speeches.
5. Write three questions for the employer. Ask what success looks like in the first six months, which challenge matters most, and how the team works together.
6. Confirm the details. Check the time zone, location or video link, interviewer names, travel time, and a quiet backup location if the interview is remote.

During the interview

Listen for the problem behind each question. Answer directly, give a specific example, and connect the result back to the role. If you need a moment, take one. When you do not know an answer, explain how you would find it or approach it.

After the interview

Write down what you learned while it is fresh. Send a brief thank-you that references one specific conversation and restates the value you could bring. Track the stated next step and follow up professionally if that date passes.

This checklist is a planning aid. Tailor each answer to your real experience and the actual role.