Resources

Interview Preparation Guide

Walk into your next interview prepared, calm, and ready to make a strong impression.

Before the interview

  • Research the company — products, recent news, leadership, and culture.
  • Re-read the job description and map your top three examples to its requirements.
  • Prepare three thoughtful questions to ask at the end.
  • Test your tech if it's a video interview, and confirm logistics if in person.

The STAR method

Behavioural questions ("tell me about a time when…") are best answered with the Situation, Task, Action, Result framework. Set the scene briefly, explain what you needed to do, describe what you specifically did, and close with the outcome — ideally with numbers.

Common questions to practise

  1. Tell me about yourself.
  2. Why do you want this role?
  3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  4. Tell me about a time you handled conflict at work.
  5. Describe a project you're proud of.
  6. Where do you see yourself in five years?
  7. Why are you leaving your current role?
  8. What are your salary expectations?
  9. Tell me about a failure and what you learned.
  10. Do you have any questions for us?

Talking about salary

It's normal to be asked about salary expectations early. Have a researched range ready — check our Salary Guide for benchmarks by role and province. Anchor with a range, not a single number, and emphasise that the right opportunity matters more than a precise figure.

After the interview

Send a short thank-you email within 24 hours. Restate your interest, mention one thing from the conversation that resonated, and offer to provide anything else they need. Track each application's status in your Tracker so nothing falls through the cracks.

Industry-specific notes

Technical roles often include a coding or scenario test — practise on your laptop with a camera on. Customer-facing and sales roles usually include role-play. Healthcare, education, and government interviews often follow structured scoring rubrics, so concrete examples score higher than general statements.

Want personalised practice? The CareerJunctionZA app includes AI-powered Interview Prep tailored to the role you're targeting.