Job Interview Preparation 101

You finally got the call. After all those applications and all that silence, someone finally wants to meet with you. The first emotion that hits you? Excitement. Like more excited than you were packing for your last vacation. But, given that most people have anxiety around interviews, that was likely followed immediately by panic. 

And that’s okay, love. We tell everyone that interviews are just a vibe check, but it’s often hard to embody that attitude when you’re ready to sweat through your good interview outfit. Translating everything you've built up on paper into a bomb conversation that leaves the interviewer wanting just the right amount of more is a skill that most people struggle with. 

The good news is that interview preparation is absolutely something we can help you with. And, like every other skill we teach at 6 Figure Chick Consulting™, it can be learned, practiced, and perfected until answering questions in interviews feels like second nature. 

Now, go grab a pen and paper because you’re gonna want to take notes on this!

How Do I Research a Company Before a Job Interview? 

Start on their website! Just know that the “About Us” page is only the beginning of your search and tbh hella lazy if that’s where you stop. I want you to get into the habit of diving a little deeper. Search for the company name on Google News and then filter for the last three to six months. Look for recent funding announcements, leadership changes, product launches, or challenges they've been navigating publicly. 

Then, check their LinkedIn page to see what they're posting and what their employees are saying. If you know who your interviewer is going to be, look them up on LinkedIn too! Before the conversation even starts, make note of anything you have in common or anything that gives you insight into what they care about. If two candidates are perfect for a role on paper, the one who makes the best impression (meaning  the one the interviewer actually likes) will get the job every single time. 

The goal is to walk in knowing something about that company and, ideally, the interviewer that most candidates don't because they didn’t read this article and stopped at the “About Us” page. That knowledge gives you material to reference naturally throughout the conversation and signals that you're not just looking for any job. You're looking for this one specifically.

What Are Behavioral Interview Questions and How Do I Answer Them?

You know those questions that start with "tell me about a time when” that tend to leave you stumped? Those are behavioral interview questions and, fun fact, 85% of companies now use them as a core part of their interview process. They're designed to determine how you've handled situations in the past and are simultaneously used as a predictor of how you'll handle similar situations in the future.

The most effective way to answer them is with a clear structure. We like the S.T.A.R. method. 

• Set up the situation briefly

• Explain what task you took responsibility for completing

• Then describe the actions you took

• And finally wrap up with the positive results of your actions.

  
  

If someone asks you to “tell me about a time when you navigated change in a previous role” you need to answer with something more in depth than "I managed the transition." That’s too brief and leaves a whole lot unsaid.

Instead, something like this would leave interviewers impressed and more aware of just how capable you really are:

"A few years ago the company that I worked for at the time was acquired by a new organization. My team was relatively green but, as the most senior member of my cohort, I assumed responsibility when our supervisor was let go during the merger. I successfully led a team of eight through a system migration that reduced processing time by 40% and went live two weeks ahead of schedule."

See the difference? That first response is boring. The second though? Complete boss behavior. Just make sure to practice your stories out loud before the interview. Not word for word, but enough that you know the beginning, middle, and end of each one without having to search for it mid-sentence.

If you’re in a virtual interview, feel free to reference bullet points on a document off to the side of your screen. Whatever you do, just make sure you prep in advance so you’re not struggling to respond when asked in your interview.

My Background Is Nontraditional. What Questions Should I Prepare For?

Expect a question about the reason behind your transition. Expect a question about the gap in your work history (if you have one). Expect "why are you interested in this role when your background is in xyz."

None of these questions are traps. They're just invitations to, clearly and confidently, tell your story. Make sure to talk about: 

1. What you did

2. What it taught you

3. Why that experience makes you the right person for this specific role

   
   

You don’t need to apologize for pivoting into something new. But you do need to be prepared to connect the dots between what you’ve done and what you want to do so that the hiring manager doesn't have to do the heavy lifting.

Can Job Interview Preparation Help Me Beat Imposter Syndrome?

First of all, let's be clear about one thing. You don’t have imposter syndrome. You wouldn’t have applied to that role or been chosen for an interview if you didn’t belong in the room. What you call “imposter syndrome” is what I call a lack of confidence. Argue with your mama, not me. You’re just not comfortable talking your 💩 or articulating your value in a way that turns heads.

Imposter syndrome is absolutely real but the more specific you can get about your accomplishments, your results, and the problems you've solved, the less room there is for self-doubt when you’re in front of that hiring manager or recruiter. "I'm pretty good at managing teams" leaves way too much space for insecurity to rear its ugly head. "I led a cross-functional team of twelve through a department restructure while maintaining a 95% project completion rate" hits real different and leaves no space for anything except awe and follow up questions about how you managed to pull off being dope af.

So, before your next interview, I want you to write down your five most significant professional accomplishments with specific numbers wherever possible. I want you to read that bad b*tch list before every interview. I want you to be damn near insufferable because you feel so powerful and confident when you step into that room. I want you to keep your head held high because you know that you belong there, just like everyone else.

Should I Practice Interview Answers Out Loud?

Absolutely. Reading your answers in your head and saying them in real time are two completely different experiences. You’re likely to stumble over words you didn't expect to stumble on. You’ll realize a story is much longer than it needs to be. You’ll even find places where your storytelling falls flat and needs to be spiced up a little bit. Practice until the stories feel conversational instead of recited. The goal isn't rote memorization so much as knowing your material well enough that you can deliver it naturally, adjust on the fly when a question comes at you sideways, and still stick the landing every single time.

Let's Wrap This Up

Job interviews aren’t for figuring out how to talk about yourself and your accomplishments. They’re for confirming what the hiring manager already suspects from your resume: that you're exactly who they need for the role. The women who walk out of interviews with offers aren't necessarily the most qualified people in the room. But they are the most prepared.

If you're ready to stop winging it and start walking into interviews knowing exactly how to position yourself, come work with us. Over 5,000+ Black and brown women have used our framework to go from overlooked to hired and we built every piece of it with you in mind.

6 Figure Chick Consulting™ offers career coaching, resume optimization, LinkedIn profile enhancement, interview preparation, and career transformation programs for Black women and women of color across the United States.