Interview cue cards

How do I prepare for a job interview?

Prepare for a job interview in four moves. Study the job ad and the employer. Write short notes for the questions you are likely to get, with a real example for each. Practise your answers out loud. Then sort the practical things: your clothes, your route and two questions of your own.

Card 1 · Research

What should I do first?

Start with the job ad. Copy it into your notes and underline every skill and duty it names. These are clues to the questions.

Next, spend twenty minutes on the employer. What do they sell or do? Who are their customers? What do they say about themselves on their own website? Write three facts on a card.

Last, confirm the basics: the time, the address or video link and the name of the person you will meet.

Card 2 · Likely questions

What questions will they ask?

You can guess most of them. Expect some version of these:

  • Tell us about yourself.
  • Why do you want this job?
  • Tell us about a time you worked in a team, or solved a problem.
  • What are you good at, and what are you working on?
  • When can you start, and which hours suit you?

For each one, write three dot points, not a script. Dot points keep you sounding like yourself.

Card 3 · Story shape

How do I answer "tell me about a time" questions?

Use a four-part story. Say where you were. Say what needed doing. Say what you did, in detail. Say how it turned out.

"Our netball club canteen ran out of change on finals day. I was on the till, so I asked the next stall to break a fifty and kept a tally on paper. The till balanced that night."

That takes thirty seconds and shows one clear skill.

Card 4 · Rehearse

How do I practise without feeling silly?

Say your answers out loud. Thinking them through is not the same thing. Record yourself on your phone, or ask a friend to play the interviewer and throw in a question you did not plan for.

Listen for two habits: rushing and rambling. Slow down, finish the sentence and stop.

Card 5 · Nerves

How do I handle nerves?

Nerves are normal. Arrive ten minutes early so you are not flustered. Breathe out slowly before you walk in. Accept the glass of water.

If your mind goes blank, say "Can I take a moment to think?" and take it. A short pause reads as thought, not panic.

Card 6 · On the day

What should I wear and bring?

Dress one step neater than the job's everyday clothes, clean and ironed. Bring two copies of your resume, a pen, your notes and any ID or licence the ad mentioned. Put your phone on silent before you go in.

For a video interview, test your camera and sound, face a window and close every other tab.

Card 7 · Close

What do I ask at the end, and what comes after?

Have two questions ready. "What does a normal day look like?" and "What would you want me to learn first?" suit almost any interview. Ask when you can expect to hear back.

That evening, send a two-line thank-you message. Then write down the questions you were asked while you remember them. They are your practice sheet for next time.

Lesson card

From the course

An interview is a conversation, and half of it is listening. This passage is from the lesson Active Listening and Communication in the Worthy Courses Being Your Best Self course. Use all three on the interviewer's questions.

Active listening means giving someone your full attention. It means putting your phone down, making eye contact and focusing on what they are telling you. When you listen actively, you pick up not just the words but also the tone and the meaning behind what is being said.

There are three techniques every good listener uses:

  • Paraphrasing: Repeat back what you heard in your own words. Try saying, "So what you mean is..." or "It sounds like you are saying..." This shows the other person you understood and gives them a chance to correct you.
  • Clarifying questions: If something is unclear, ask. A simple "Can you tell me more about that?" is always better than guessing. Employers respect people who ask good questions.
  • Summarising: At the end of a conversation, briefly recap the key points. "So the plan is to finish the stock count by 3pm and then let you know, right?" This reduces mistakes and shows you were paying attention.

You can read this lesson in full, free, on the Worthy Courses demo page.

Card box

Your options

We compared these on what each helps with, how you pay and whether a recognised qualification comes with it.

  1. Worthy Courses our course

    Our pick for interview preparation is the Job Readiness course. It runs from finding ads to your first week and includes practising interview answers. A pass in its final assessment earns a certificate of completion, which is not a recognised qualification.

  2. Your Career

    The Australian Government runs this career information website and it costs nothing. Use it to explore occupations and to search for courses. Handy the night before an interview, when you want to read up on the occupation. Go to the site for the latest.

  3. LinkedIn Learning

    Its library is large and global: video courses that teach professional skills. You pay by subscription. Choose it when you would rather watch than read and want one plan that covers many topics. Its site shows what a subscription includes now.

  4. Udemy

    Courses on nearly any topic, each priced on its own and made by many different instructors around the world. A subscription plan is offered as well. It fits when you want to buy a single course on one subject. Check the site for current prices.

  5. TAFE

    Your state or territory's public training provider. It delivers accredited short courses and qualifications that are nationally recognised. TAFE is where to go when the job you are interviewing for requires a recognised qualification. Fees differ by course, state and subsidy. Follow the link for the national training register's own listing.

About Worthy Courses

Why Worthy Courses

Written for Australian workplaces, Worthy Courses teaches practical employment skills across 9 online courses and 52 modules. Job Readiness, the course linked on this page, follows a job hunt in order. One course on its own is $299, with access until you finish it (all prices).

Lessons are written in plain English, at a Grade 6 to 9 reading level, so they make sense the first time. Learn at your own pace, on any device. Each module has a quiz, and the course ends with a scored final assessment. Pass it and you earn a verifiable certificate of completion you can show an employer.

Corso is the AI coach built into every lesson. He shows you around at the start, steps in when you are stuck, a couple of times a session at most, and after an assessment points you to the lessons to review first. You can rename him, choose he, she or they, or switch the character off and keep all the help.

See the Job Readiness course

Flip side

Questions and answers

How long should my answers be?

Aim for one to two minutes for most questions. Give your main point first, then one example, then stop.

Is this course accredited or nationally recognised?

No. It is not a nationally recognised qualification and it is not accredited training. Worthy Courses is not a registered training organisation. Pass the final assessment and you earn a Worthy Courses certificate of completion.

What if I do not know the answer?

Say so calmly and ask the interviewer to repeat or rephrase the question. Then explain how you would find out.

Will this course get me a job?

No course can promise that, and we do not. It teaches practical skills you can use in a job search and at work.