What to Do Before Your First Job Interview: Essential Preparation Steps

What to Do Before Your First Job Interview: Essential Preparation Steps

Published: October 24, 2025 Author: Jobesta Team 4 min read

Preparing for your first job interview is an exciting milestone — but it also requires structured and strategic preparation. Recruiters evaluate whether candidates understand the role, the organisation and the value they can provide. In the United States employment market, hiring is highly competitive, so preparation must go beyond reviewing your resume.

This guide outlines the most effective preparation steps supported by academic and industry research, helping job seekers perform confidently and professionally in their first interview.

1. Research the Company Thoroughly

One of the strongest predictors of interview success is understanding the organisation and job role. Research the mission, products or services, industry position, culture, customers and leadership team.

A study published by Hardavella et al. highlights that in-depth organisation research significantly improves confidence and interview performance. Source: National Institutes of Health / PubMed Central https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5298161/

University of California, Davis Career Center also emphasizes researching the company as a core interview-readiness step: https://careercenter.ucdavis.edu/interviews-and-offers/questions-and-prep

2. Review Your Interviewers’ Professional Backgrounds

If the interview invitation includes names, review their professional profiles on LinkedIn or company pages. This helps you tailor your communication, identify shared interests and prepare questions specific to their role.

While less studied academically, professional preparation literature supports this as part of situational awareness in interview strategy: https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.05570

3. Use Interview Question Databases Like Glassdoor

Glassdoor allows candidates to search interview questions asked for specific companies and roles: https://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/index.htm

Glassdoor also recommends preparing by reviewing company-specific interview patterns: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/the-ultimate-job-interview-preparation-guide/

This can reveal if the organisation uses:

Knowing what to expect improves both performance and confidence.

4. Practice Questions Using STAR Method

Common interview questions appear across industries — particularly behavioral ones. The STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) creates structured and memorable responses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situation,_task,_action,_result

The University of North Carolina provides a widely used list of example interview questions and preparation guidance: https://research.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Handout-Job-Interview-Questions-Feb-2018.pdf

Research confirms that mock interviews and repeated practice improve clarity, delivery and success outcomes: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5298161/

5. Prepare Insightful Questions for the Interviewers

Interviews are a two-way assessment. Thoughtful questions signal seriousness, research and engagement in the decision process.

Former recruiters emphasize that failing to ask questions can imply low interest and poor preparation: https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-meta-recruiter-job-interview-red-flags-always-ask-questions-2024-2

Strong question topics include:

6. Review Resume, Job Description and Align Talking Points

Candidates must clearly articulate how their experience satisfies the job requirements. Revisiting both documents allows you to prepare specific examples that match employer expectations.

Hardavella et al. highlight this alignment as a key success determinant: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5298161/

Bring copies of your resume or have them visible in a virtual environment to quickly reference detailed accomplishments.

7. Test Technology or Logistics in Advance

Whether in-person or remote, logistics can influence first impressions. The same NIH-referenced study confirms reducing avoidable stressors improves cognitive performance during interviews: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5298161/

Checklist before the interview:

Preparedness demonstrates professionalism and reliability.

8. Mental Preparation and Rest

Confidence and clear thinking are essential. Rest improves memory recall and communication quality. Candidates who allocate mental preparation time enter the interview feeling calmer and more in control. Supported in: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5298161/

Conclusion

Your first job interview offers an opportunity to present your strengths and learn whether the company aligns with your career goals. Successful candidates consistently invest time in preparation — researching the company, practising interview techniques, reviewing key role expectations and preparing thoughtful questions.

Comprehensive preparation allows you to:

By following the steps supported by academic and professional guidance in this article, U.S. job seekers can dramatically improve hiring success and feel more prepared from the moment the interview begins.

References

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5298161/

https://careercenter.ucdavis.edu/interviews-and-offers/questions-and-prep

https://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/index.htm

https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/guide/the-ultimate-job-interview-preparation-guide/

https://research.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Handout-Job-Interview-Questions-Feb-2018.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Situation,_task,_action,_result

https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.05570

https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-meta-recruiter-job-interview-red-flags-always-ask-questions-2024-2

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