A 30-Day Interview Preparation Plan

Why structure matters more than hours

Most people prepare for interviews by cramming — reading a pile of articles the night before and hoping something sticks. A structured plan spread across a few weeks produces much better results, because it lets you practice retrieval (actually answering questions out loud) instead of just re-reading material.

Week 1: Research and self-assessment

• Research the company: what they do, recent news, their product, and — as much as you can find — their team structure and culture.
• Re-read the job description and list the top 5–6 things it's clearly screening for.
• Go through your own experience and identify 6–8 strong stories that demonstrate those things. You'll reuse these across almost every behavioral question.

Week 2: Behavioral interview prep

Most behavioral interviews are looking for structured, specific answers — the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a simple way to keep your answers grounded instead of rambling.

For each of your 6–8 stories from Week 1, write out:

• The specific situation and task (1–2 sentences)
• The action you personally took (this is the part people underexplain — be specific about what you did)
• The result, ideally with a concrete outcome

Practice saying these out loud, not just reading them. The gap between "I know this story" and "I can tell this story clearly under pressure" is real.

Week 3: Technical or role-specific prep

This varies a lot by role, but the principle is the same: practice retrieval under realistic conditions, not passive review.

• For technical roles: work through practice problems under a time limit, and practice explaining your reasoning out loud as you go — most interviewers are evaluating your thought process, not just the final answer.
• For non-technical roles: prepare a short walkthrough of a project or piece of work you're proud of, and practice answering follow-up questions about trade-offs and decisions you made.

Week 4: Mock interviews and logistics

• Do at least one full mock interview, ideally with another person, covering both behavioral and role-specific questions.
• Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer — this is also an evaluation point, and generic questions ("What's the culture like?") are a missed opportunity to show real interest.
• Confirm logistics: format, timezone, who you're meeting, and what you need to bring or set up in advance.
• Get a good night's sleep. It matters more than one more hour of review.

The day of

Arrive (or log in) early, review your prepared stories briefly rather than trying to learn anything new, and remember that an interview is a two-way conversation — you're also evaluating whether this is the right role for you.