Getting invited to an interview means one important thing: your CV has already done its job.

The employer has seen something in your experience, skills, or potential that they want to explore further. Now, the interview is your opportunity to bring that application to life.

And while there may not be one magic answer that guarantees you the job, there is one thing that can make a significant difference:

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Preparation.

Good interview preparation isn't about memorising answers or trying to predict every question. It's about understanding the company, knowing what the role actually requires and being ready to explain why your experience makes you a strong candidate.

Here are three areas to focus on before your next interview.

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1. Research the company properly

"Research the company" is probably one of the most common pieces of interview advice.

But what does that actually mean?

Reading the About Us page five minutes before your interview isn't enough. You want to understand the organisation well enough to have a genuine conversation about why you want to work there.

Start with the basics:

• What does the company actually do?
• What products or services do they provide?
• Who are their customers or clients?
• What are their values?
• Where do they operate?
• Have they announced any recent projects, developments or company news?

Then go a little further.

Look at the company's LinkedIn page and other social channels. What have they been talking about recently? Are they growing? Have they launched something new? What does their culture appear to be like?

The National Careers Service recommends researching an employer's website, products, services and values before an interview, particularly because employers often ask questions such as "What do you know about our company?" and "Why do you want to work for us?"

The objective isn't to memorise a list of company facts.

It's to connect what you've learned back to why you want the role.

Instead of:

"I saw on your website that you operate across the UK."

Think:

"I noticed the business has been expanding across the UK. That's one of the things that interested me about the opportunity because I'd like to work somewhere where there is room to develop as the business grows."

That's the difference between knowing something about a company and using your research effectively in an interview.

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2. Understand the job description

The job description is more than something you read before clicking "Apply".

Think of it as your interview preparation guide.

Employers are interviewing you against a particular requirement, so go back through the job description before the interview and identify what they're really looking for.

Pay particular attention to repeated skills, key responsibilities, required experience and any systems, qualifications or behaviours mentioned.

The National Careers Service specifically recommends reading the job description carefully and understanding the skills and experience the employer is looking for before attending an interview.

Then compare those requirements with your own experience.

For example, if the job description repeatedly mentions:

Stakeholder management

Ask yourself: When have I successfully managed different people or expectations?

Working to deadlines

Ask: What's my strongest example of delivering something under pressure?

Problem-solving

Ask: When have I identified a problem and taken action to resolve it?

Customer service

Ask: What's an example where I went above expectations for a customer or client?

You don't necessarily need to meet every single requirement perfectly. What matters is being able to clearly explain where your experience is relevant and, where you have gaps, demonstrate transferable skills and your ability to learn.

Before the interview, aim to have a strong example prepared for each of the main requirements in the job description.

And that's where STAR comes in.

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3. Use the STAR method

Have you ever been asked:

"Tell me about a time when..."

"Can you give me an example of..."

"Describe a situation where..."

…and suddenly forgotten every professional achievement you've ever had?

This is exactly where the STAR method can help.

STAR stands for:

Situation→ What was happening?

Set the scene briefly. Give the interviewer enough context to understand your example.

Task→ What needed to be done?

Explain your responsibility or the challenge you were facing.

Action→ What did you do?

This is the important part. Focus on your personal contribution, the decisions you made and the actions you took.

Result→ What happened?

Explain the outcome. Where possible, make it tangible: Did you improve something? Hit a target? Save time? Solve a problem? Receive positive feedback?

STAR is recommended by both the National Careers Service and the UK government's JobHelp service as a way of structuring examples during interviews.

The biggest mistake is waiting until you're sitting in the interview to think of these examples.

Instead, use the job description beforehand.

If there are five major skills or responsibilities mentioned, prepare examples demonstrating each one. You don't need to memorise a script, you simply need to know which experiences you want to draw from.

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Connect the three together

The strongest interview preparation doesn't treat these as three separate tasks.

Research the company → understand the role → prepare evidence that you can do it.

Your company research helps you explain why you want to work there.

The job description helps you understand what they need from you.

The STAR method helps you demonstrate where you've done it before.

That's when an interview starts to become less about trying to give the "perfect answer" and more about having a well-prepared conversation about what you can bring to the role.

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Before your next interview...

Give yourself enough time to prepare.

Research beyond the first page of the company's website. Re-read the job description. Highlight the key requirements. Prepare real examples from your experience. And think about the questions you want to ask the employer too.

You don't need to have an answer memorised for every possible question.

‍You need to understand your experience well enough to explain why it's relevant.

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Looking for your next opportunity?

Westwood Recruitment works with candidates across a range of sectors and roles, connecting people with opportunities that match their skills, experience and ambitions.

Explore our latest vacancies and take the next step in your career with Westwood Recruitment.

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