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You got the interview. Now what?
Most people spend those 48 hours swinging between obsessive preparation and complete panic. Neither helps. What actually helps is having a clear list of things to do — and knowing when to stop.
Here is what I would do.
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48 hours before
Re-read the job description — properly this time
Not to memorise it. To find the 2-3 things they care about most.
Every job description has filler and it has signal. The signal is the stuff that appears more than once, or is listed first, or has the most specific language. Find those things and make sure you have a real story for each one. Not a vague answer — a specific example with a result.
If the description says "stakeholder communication" three times, they are going to ask you about it. Be ready.
Look up everyone who is interviewing you
Go to LinkedIn. Find your interviewers. Look at their background, how long they have been at the company, what they post about, where they worked before.
You are not stalking them. You are doing your homework. Knowing that your interviewer spent five years in consulting before joining this company, or that they recently posted about a challenge their team is facing, gives you context that 90% of candidates walk in without.
I also like to find latest interviews/articles/podcasts of CEO. Because they will talk about strategic goals, where the company is moving towards, what issues they are facing.
Research the company beyond the About page
Read their latest news. Check if they have published any annual reports or earnings calls. Look at what their competitors are doing. Find one thing that is genuinely interesting to you and be ready to bring it up naturally.
The goal is not to become a company expert overnight. The goal is to walk in knowing something specific — not just "you seem like a great company."
The night before
Prepare your "Tell me about yourself"
This is the question that opens almost every interview and the one people prepare for least. Most candidates either ramble for five minutes or give a dry CV summary nobody asked for.
Think of it as a 90-second professional trailer. Three parts:
Where you are now and what you do
The most relevant thing you have done that relates to this role
Why you are sitting in that chair
Write it out. Say it out loud. Time it. Then stop rehearsing it — you want it to sound natural, not memorised.
You can also record yourself, it actually adds some level of stress and you are fighting the cringe while practice, not while you are at the actual interview.
Prepare 3-5 questions to ask them
This is not optional. Candidates who ask thoughtful questions stand out. Candidates who say "I think you've covered everything" signal that they have not been paying attention or are not genuinely curious.
Good questions are specific. Not "what does a typical day look like" — everyone asks that. Instead:
"What is the biggest challenge the team is currently facing?"
"How has this role evolved over the last year?"
"What skill gap in your team are you hoping I can fill?"
These show you are thinking about the job seriously, not just trying to get an offer.
Mock interview yourself with AI
This is the tip most people miss. Paste the job description into Claude or ChatGPT and say: "Please interview me for this role. Ask me one question at a time, wait for my answer, then give me feedback on how I could improve it."
It is uncomfortable in the best way. You will quickly discover which answers are vague, which ones are too long, and which questions you are not prepared for. Better to find out the night before than in the room.
Sort the logistics
Where is the interview? How long does it take to get there? Is it in-person or on Zoom? What is the interviewer's full name and how do you pronounce it?
Do this the night before, not the morning of. Nothing derails your mental preparation faster than realising you are late or joining the wrong Zoom link five minutes before you start.
Stop preparing at a reasonable hour
Do your prep, then stop. Seriously. Exhausted and over-rehearsed is worse than slightly under-prepared. Watch something, go for a walk, eat a proper meal, sleep.
Your brain consolidates information while you sleep. The prep you did will be more accessible tomorrow if you actually rest tonight.
The morning of
Give yourself more time than you think you need. Not to cram more preparation — just to arrive calm.
If it is in-person, aim to be in the area 15-20 minutes early. Sit in a coffee shop, take a breath, review your notes once. Do not arrive at reception 30 minutes early — that just makes everyone uncomfortable.
If it is on Zoom, test your camera, microphone and internet connection. Close every other tab. Check your background. Do this 15 minutes before, not 2 minutes before.
I never made to Deloitte interview because I arrived to an old office, which happened to be a construction site. I called them to figure out new address which was in the other part of the city. Maybe checking the address on a map should be part of the preparation.
After the interview
Send a thank you email within 24 hours. Keep it short — two or three sentences. Thank them for their time, reference one specific thing you discussed, and reaffirm your interest.
Most candidates do not send one. It takes five minutes.
One last thing
Interviews are not just them evaluating you. You are also evaluating them — whether this is a place you actually want to work, whether the role is what it seemed, whether the people seem like people you can learn from.
Walking in with that mindset changes how you carry yourself. You are not auditioning. You are having a professional conversation to figure out if this is a good match. It is a two-way street, remember about this.
Keep pushing 💪,
Karina
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