Interview Cheat Sheet and Prep Tips
Interviews can be nerve-wracking, that’s for sure. Whether it’s your first job or your fifth, that pre-interview buzz of anxiety never quite goes away. But the more prepared you are, the more confident (and impressive) you’ll come across.
This isn’t just about memorizing answers, it’s about showing up with clarity, confidence, and control. In this guide, we’ll give you a no-fluff cheat sheet to help you walk into any interview knowing exactly what to expect and how to crush it. So let’s get you interview-ready!
The Ultimate Interview Cheat Sheet: What to Know Before You Go
If you walk into a job interview without doing your homework, it shows. The good news? Just a bit of smart preparation can massively boost your confidence and your chances of landing the job. Think of it like preparing for a high-stakes performance: the better you rehearse, the more naturally you shine under pressure.
Start by digging into the company. Not just their homepage but also their mission, their products, the space they operate in, and any recent updates, especially funding rounds, acquisitions, or leadership changes. This doesn’t just help you sound informed; it shows you’re genuinely interested and proactive. Hiring managers can always tell who took the time and who didn’t.
Next, get ultra-clear on the role you’re applying for. Read between the lines of the job description. What problem is this position meant to solve? What kind of person are they really looking for? Often, it’s not just about technical skills, it’s about how you think, collaborate, and adapt. Tailor your talking points to align with what they value.
Now, let’s talk about you. One of the most powerful things you can do before an interview is prepare your career story: how you got here, what drives you, and where you want to go next. A strong “Tell me about yourself” answer isn’t just a list of jobs. It’s a narrative that connects your experience with the role you’re aiming for. Practice saying it out loud until it feels authentic and confident, not robotic.
Don’t forget to revisit your resume. You should know every bullet point inside and out, especially the ones involving metrics and impact. If you say you led a project that increased performance, be ready to talk about how and why it worked. Vague claims won’t cut it; bring receipts in the form of data, results, or lessons learned.
Behavioral questions can trip people up, so have a few strong examples in your back pocket. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your stories. It’s not just what you did. It’s how you approached the challenge, what decisions you made, and what the outcome was.
Also, remember: an interview isn’t an interrogation, it’s a conversation. You should walk in with thoughtful questions of your own. Ask about the team’s biggest priorities, what success looks like in the first 90 days, or how decisions are made. This shows curiosity, initiative, and that you’re thinking like a future team member.
If your interview is remote, do a full tech check ahead of time. Test your video and audio, make sure your background is clean and non-distracting, and log in five minutes early. These are small things, but they send a big message: “I’m prepared, professional, and I respect your time.”
Lastly, set yourself up physically and mentally. Lay out your clothes the night before, even if it’s a video call. A polished appearance (even just from the waist up!) makes a stronger impression and helps you feel more “on.” And don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep and a deep breath before you start.
The Prep Game Plan: Day-by-Day Timeline
Interview prep isn’t something you cram the night before—it’s a process. Spreading your preparation over a few days helps you absorb information, sharpen your answers, and settle your nerves. Here’s a realistic, low-stress timeline to get you fully prepared without feeling overwhelmed.
3–5 Days Before: Lay the Foundation
Start with the big picture. Research the company thoroughly, not just their website, but recent news, LinkedIn updates, and any content they’ve published. If it’s a product company, use the product if you can. This helps you speak their language during the interview and ask informed questions that go beyond the basics.
At the same time, begin reviewing the job description line by line. Match your experience to what they’re asking for. Think about what stories you can tell to demonstrate those skills or achievements. The goal here is alignment: you want to clearly connect the dots between their needs and your experience.
Now is also the time to outline your answers to common interview questions, both behavioral and technical. Write them down, structure them with STAR if needed, and practice speaking them out loud. Don’t aim to memorize scripts, just aim to get comfortable with your story and your tone.
2 Days Before: Go Into Practice Mode
You’ve done the research, now it’s time to rehearse. Run through a full mock interview with a friend, mentor, or even in front of a mirror. Focus on clarity, energy, and pace. It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Are you engaging? Are you being concise but informative? Are you showing enthusiasm?
If it’s a technical interview, spend some time solving sample questions. Don’t just code silently, practice explaining your thought process out loud, just like you would in the real interview. This helps you feel more natural when it’s game time.
Review your resume one more time, and prepare a few smart questions to ask the interviewer, ideally ones tailored to what you’ve learned about the company.
1 Day Before: Final Touches
Now it’s all about polish. Double-check the interview time and platform. If it’s a virtual interview, test your internet connection, camera, and microphone. If it’s in-person, plan your route and make sure you know where to go. Iron your clothes, charge your laptop, and prep your space.
Revisit your notes but don’t overdo it. This is more about reinforcing confidence than cramming. You’ve already done the work. Trust that.
Also, prep your mindset. Go for a walk, meditate, or do whatever helps you reset. Visualize yourself walking in and owning the conversation. Confidence isn’t just a feeling, it’s a choice backed by preparation.
Day Of: Showtime
Start your day early, give yourself time to breathe, and avoid last-minute panic. Eat something that fuels you but doesn’t weigh you down. Log in (or arrive) a few minutes early, sit up straight, and smile. It sounds small, but your energy and body language matter more than you think.
This is your moment to connect, not perform. You’ve done your homework, you know your story, and you’re ready to have a great conversation. Let your preparation carry you, and remember: t’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present, thoughtful, and real.
Tech Interview-Specific Tips
Technical interviews are a different beast. They don’t just test your knowledge, they test how you think, how you solve problems, and how well you communicate under pressure. The key isn’t to know everything, it’s to show that you can approach problems methodically and think like an engineer.
Start by brushing up on the fundamentals. If you’re interviewing for a software development role, revisit core data structures and algorithms. Know your way around arrays, linked lists, hash maps, recursion, and big-O notation. If system design is part of the process, make sure you can talk through how you’d build scalable, fault-tolerant systems, even if you’ve never worked on them directly. It’s about logical architecture, not perfection.
What separates a good candidate from a great one is their ability to think out loud. Interviewers don’t just care about the final answer—they care about how you get there. So, narrate your thought process. Walk through trade-offs. Ask clarifying questions. If you hit a wall, don’t panic—just talk through your options. Showing resilience and curiosity often counts more than getting everything right the first time.
For coding interviews, platforms like LeetCode, HackerRank, and CodeSignal can help sharpen your problem-solving skills. But don’t just grind problems but analyze patterns. Understand why certain solutions work and how to optimize them. It’s better to deeply understand 50 problems than to skim through 500.
If your interview includes take-home assignments or real-world projects, treat them like paid work. Follow instructions carefully. Write clean, well-documented code. Include a thoughtful README. And test everything, because submitting something broken will hurt more than submitting something simple.
Don’t underestimate soft skills either. Be prepared to talk about how you collaborate with teams, handle feedback, or deal with project ambiguity. These “non-technical” moments are often where hiring decisions are made.
Lastly, tech interviews, especially remote ones, are also about how well you communicate virtually. If you’re doing a live coding session, make sure you’re using a tool you’re comfortable with. Keep your environment distraction-free, and don’t be afraid to ask for a moment to collect your thoughts. Silence doesn’t mean failure—it can mean you’re thinking carefully, and that’s a good thing.
At the end of the day, technical interviews aren’t just about proving you’re smart, they’re about proving you’re someone who can grow, learn, and contribute meaningfully to a team. Focus on clarity, curiosity, and composure, and you’ll stand out in all the right ways.
How to Nail Remote Job Interviews
Remote interviews come with their own unique challenges, but also give you a chance to shine in a familiar environment. Here’s how to make sure you’re presenting your best self through the screen:
Choose the Right Location
Pick a quiet, well-lit space where you won’t be interrupted. Natural light is ideal, but a desk lamp behind your screen can help if needed. Avoid sitting with your back to a bright window — it’ll turn you into a silhouette.
Check Your Tech in Advance
Test your internet connection, webcam, and microphone at least the day before. Make sure the interview platform (Zoom, Google Meet, Teams, etc.) is installed and up to date. Have a backup plan ready (like a phone hotspot) just in case.
Keep Your Background Clean and Distraction-Free
Use a neutral, tidy background or a professional virtual one if necessary. Remove clutter, and avoid anything overly personal or distracting. You want the focus on you, not your laundry pile.
Dress the Part — Head to Toe
Even though you’re at home, dressing professionally helps you feel more confident and focused. Plus, you never know if you’ll have to stand up for some reason, so skip the pajama bottoms.
Use Notes But Don’t Read From Them
One of the perks of remote interviews is being able to keep reference notes nearby. Use sticky notes or a second screen for reminders, but don’t rely on them too heavily — glancing too often looks unnatural.
Make Eye Contact with the Camera
It feels weird, but try to look at the camera when speaking, not the screen. This simulates eye contact and helps build rapport with the interviewer on the other side.
Minimize Distractions
Turn off notifications, close extra tabs, and silence your phone. Let housemates or family know you’re in an interview so you don’t get surprise interruptions (pets included!).
Have a Glass of Water Nearby
Dry mouth happens when you’re nervous. Having water within reach can save you mid-sentence and give you a natural pause if you need to collect your thoughts.
Log In Early and Greet Warmly
Aim to join 5 minutes early. When the call starts, greet the interviewer with a smile and some light small talk. It helps ease into the conversation and sets a positive tone.
Be Yourself But On Your A-Game
Even remotely, authenticity matters. Be professional, but let your personality show. A little energy, humor, or personal connection goes a long way through a screen.
The Follow-Up Formula
The interview may be over, but your impression doesn’t end when the video call or handshake does. A thoughtful follow-up is your chance to reinforce your enthusiasm, professionalism, and attention to detail. These qualities are what every hiring manager loves to see.
Start with a thank-you email, sent within 24 hours of the interview. Keep it short, warm, and personal. Mention something specific from the conversation, maybe a project they brought up, a challenge the team is facing, or a shared interest that came up organically. This shows you were actively listening and are genuinely engaged.
If you interviewed with multiple people, send each person a customized message. It doesn’t need to be radically different, but personalize a line or two to reflect your interaction with them. If you’re not sure of their contact info, politely ask your recruiter or point of contact to pass along the note.
Here’s a simple structure that works every time:
- Thank them for their time and the opportunity.
- Reference something specific from the conversation.
- Reaffirm your excitement about the role and why you’re a great fit.
- Offer to provide any additional information if needed.
If you haven’t heard back within a week, it’s completely okay to send a gentle nudge. Keep it polite and positive, just a quick note to reiterate your interest and check if there’s any update on the process.
Avoid over-following up. One thank-you and one polite check-in is more than enough. If the process takes longer, trust that silence doesn’t always mean rejection — sometimes internal timelines shift.
A great follow-up won’t guarantee you the job, but it can tip the scales in your favor, especially when competition is tight. More importantly, it shows that you’re thoughtful, respectful, and invested.
Final Thought
It’s easy to forget this in the nerves and prep, but an interview isn’t just about them picking you. It’s about you picking them, too.
Sure, you want to make a great impression. But you also want to leave the conversation with a clearer picture: Is this a place where you’ll grow? Do the people seem supportive? Is the culture aligned with your values? These are just as important as whether you “nailed” every answer.
Pay attention to how they treat you throughout the process. Were they respectful of your time? Did they ask thoughtful questions? Did you feel heard? These are signals about what it might be like to work with them day-to-day.
Remember, no job is worth sacrificing your well-being, growth, or values. Even if you’re excited (or desperate) for an offer, trust your instincts. A role that isn’t the right fit can slow you down more than not getting it at all.
So, walk into interviews prepared but also empowered. You’re not just trying to impress them. You’re trying to find the right match. And when you treat the process like an honest conversation between equals, you’ll not only feel more confident, you’ll stand out for all the right reasons.
Looking for a job in tech? Check our career page — we have the hottest vacancies in the growing US-based companies and startups
FAQ
Totally normal, it happens to everyone at some point. If you go blank, take a breath and don’t panic. Say something like, “Let me take a moment to collect my thoughts.” That short pause helps you reset without looking unprepared. If you genuinely don’t know the answer, it’s okay to admit it, just show how you’d approach figuring it out. Interviewers respect honesty and problem-solving more than fake confidence.
Aim for 2 to 3 thoughtful questions; that’s enough to show genuine interest without hijacking the conversation. Ask about things like team culture, current challenges, or how success is measured in the role. It’s less about quantity and more about quality. Great questions show you’ve done your homework and help you decide if the job’s right for you, too.
You're not alone, interview anxiety is real. Try grounding yourself before the call: deep breathing, a short walk, or even saying your intro out loud to get in the zone. Also, prepping well in advance reduces stress; nothing calms nerves like knowing you’re ready. And remember, interviews aren’t exams, they’re conversations. You’re not there to be perfect, just present and engaged.
TurnKey Staffing provides information for general guidance only and does not offer legal, tax, or accounting advice. We encourage you to consult with professional advisors before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business or legal rights.
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