How to Prepare for a Job Interview: What Recruiters Say Actually Works

Good interview preparation means being able to explain three things clearly: why this role interests you, what experience you bring, and what you still need to learn. You do not need a memorised answer to every possible question.

To get beyond generic interview tips, we looked at eight CareerFairy Live Streams with hiring teams and employees from EY Germany, EY Switzerland, Henkel, Forvis Mazars and Grant Thornton Switzerland/Liechtenstein. Their advice makes preparation more concrete: save the job advert, practise explaining your own contribution, prepare questions that help you assess the team, and give yourself permission to think before answering. Watch the recordings: EY Germany (2026-02-04), Henkel (2025-11-26), Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (2026-09-14), EY Switzerland (2025-05-14), EY Germany (2026-05-28), Forvis Mazars (2025-12-10), Forvis Mazars (2025-01-15), Grant Thornton Schweiz/Liechtenstein (2025-04-29).

The quick answer: Research the employer and the specific role, match your real experience to the job description, prepare a short introduction and a few examples, and test the practical setup. In the interview, listen, explain your thinking and acknowledge gaps honestly. Before leaving, clarify next steps and reflect on whether the job suits you.

These conversations took place in 2025 and 2026. Interview formats differ by team, country and position, so use the advice to prepare and check the instructions for your own interview.

How much company research do you need before an interview?

Enough to explain what the company does, why its work interests you and how the particular team fits into that business.

EY Switzerland recommended looking beyond the company homepage. Its recruiters suggested understanding the employer's services, recent developments, relevant market trends and how it differs from similar organisations. That gives you material for a more specific answer than saying that you want to work for a large international company.

Forvis Mazars made the same point from the interviewer's perspective. Its recruiters described candidates who could not explain which tasks in the vacancy had interested them. The problem was not a failure to memorise company statistics. It was that the interviewer could not understand the candidate's reason for applying.

Henkel's September 2026 session connected company research to personal motivation. If sustainability genuinely interests you, for example, identify something specific in the employer's work and explain why it matters to you. A value on a website is only useful in your answer when you can connect it to your own interests or experience.

Our synthesis: write down a short explanation of the business, one reason this employer interests you, and one reason the role fits your next step. If those answers could be used unchanged for five competitors, make them more specific.

How do you connect your experience to the job description?

Put the responsibilities next to evidence from your studies, projects, work or extracurricular activities.

Henkel offered a particularly practical tip in its November 2025 application session: download the job description as a PDF when you apply. Adverts can disappear before an interview. If you have applied for several positions, remembering precisely which tasks belonged to which vacancy becomes much harder.

EY Switzerland advised candidates to compare their experience, knowledge, skills and interests with the role. The useful question is not just whether you have held the same job before. It is whether you can explain what in your background prepares you for its responsibilities.

Henkel illustrated this with a student-organisation example. Someone who had taken a leadership role could connect that experience to communication and presenting, then describe a particular occasion when they used those skills. The evidence makes the connection credible.

For your preparation notes, choose a few important responsibilities from the advert. Under each, record an experience you can discuss and any gap you need to acknowledge. This is our practical way of applying the recruiters' advice; it is not an employer's required preparation format.

What should you say when asked to introduce yourself?

Give the interviewer a short explanation of who you are and why you are there, rather than reading your CV aloud.

In Henkel's September session, the speaker recommended a roughly 30–60 second elevator pitch: who you are, what you study or do, what matters to you and why your background makes sense for the opportunity.

Forvis Mazars suggested a similar introduction covering who you are, why the role and why the company. Its recruiters also encouraged candidates to mention relevant examples that could be explored later, making the conversation more interactive.

You might organise your opening around your current studies, the experience that shaped your interest, and the responsibility you want to develop next. The exact words should be yours. Henkel's November speakers warned against over-rehearsed answers that sound as though they are being read from a script.

Practise until the logic feels clear. You should be able to say it naturally in a slightly different way each time.

How should you answer questions about teamwork or achievements?

Explain the situation and your own actions, including what happened as a result.

Henkel introduced the STAR method in its September recording: situation, task, action and result. It is a structure for making an example understandable, rather than a script you must recite.

The same speaker emphasised individual contributions. Saying that your group delivered a successful project leaves the interviewer wondering what you did. Explain which task you owned, how you approached it, and what your contribution changed.

Forvis Mazars described questions about how candidates work, organise themselves and contribute to teams. A concrete example lets an interviewer explore those behaviours. A list of personality adjectives gives them much less to assess.

For a university project, you could identify the problem, your responsibility within the group, a decision you made and the outcome. Do not invent a dramatic result. A clear account of a modest contribution is more useful than claiming that you led everything.

Henkel's November recruiters also recommended preparing a success or failure story, including how you overcame a problem. That preparation can help with several questions without requiring a separate canned answer for each one.

How do you talk about weaknesses without undermining yourself?

Show self-awareness and explain what you are doing about a genuine limitation.

EY Switzerland explicitly rejected the expectation that a new graduate should present themselves as an experienced expert. Its recruiters wanted candidates to understand their strengths, recognise missing skills and explain what they hoped to learn.

Forvis Mazars explained that a weakness question may arrive indirectly. Instead of asking for your biggest weakness, an interviewer might ask about a challenge you encountered. The purpose can be to understand where you need support and how you respond to difficulty.

EY Germany also encouraged honesty about strengths, weaknesses, team roles and feedback. Its preparation advice included asking friends or family how they see you, then reflecting on the answers. That can be useful when you struggle to describe yourself beyond familiar phrases.

The practical conclusion is to prepare an example of a limitation and a real response to it. What feedback did you receive? What did you change? What are you still working on? Avoid turning the answer into an unsupported claim that you have already solved every problem.

What if you don't know an interview answer?

Say so, take a moment and explain any reasoning you can offer.

This was one of the clearest points of agreement. EY Germany told students that being unable to answer a question is not automatically a problem. Using the knowledge you have to approach it can still show the interviewer how you think.

Forvis Mazars added an important nuance in its December 2025 session. A technical question may help the team understand your level of knowledge and where additional training would be needed. The speakers gave an accounting example where a candidate could not answer a basic booking question despite having relevant experience.

Their advice was to avoid bluffing, but also to avoid abandoning the question immediately. Ask for a minute or two to think, attempt an approach and be transparent about uncertainty. They distinguished an honest knowledge gap from giving an invented answer or refusing to engage.

That does not mean technical knowledge is irrelevant. Prepare the foundations connected to the role. It means a difficult question is also an opportunity to demonstrate how you respond when your knowledge runs out.

Is it okay to be nervous during a job interview?

Yes. The recruiters did not treat visible nervousness as an automatic negative.

Henkel's November speakers explicitly said candidates could acknowledge feeling nervous. One recruiter described doing this in her own interview. Their emphasis was on openness rather than pretending to be perfectly relaxed.

EY Switzerland similarly described interview stress as normal. Its advice included preparing properly, taking a step back and expressing yourself clearly. Notes at the side could be helpful if they made you more comfortable.

There is a useful distinction here: preparation can reduce avoidable stress, but you do not need to eliminate every sign of nerves. Concentrate on listening to the question and giving a clear answer rather than monitoring whether you look completely calm.

How should you prepare for a video interview?

Test the technology early and choose a setting where you can concentrate.

Henkel's September speaker described candidates discovering camera or audio problems only a couple of minutes before the interview. Testing in advance gives you time to solve them and avoids starting the conversation while scrambling.

The speaker also recommended a quiet, well-lit space and a camera at eye level. Henkel's November recruiters recalled distracting backgrounds, televisions and other people moving through the room. Their advice was to choose a plain background and check the microphone.

Forvis Mazars suggested testing the interview software with family or friends. Its recruiters said joining around five minutes beforehand was reasonable; starting the meeting twenty minutes early was unnecessary.

Technical problems can still happen. The point is to deal with the predictable ones beforehand, leaving more attention for the conversation itself.

What questions should you ask the interviewer?

Ask about things that affect whether you would enjoy and succeed in the job.

Forvis Mazars proposed questions about onboarding, the first weeks, tools and expectations. Henkel encouraged curiosity about team dynamics and structure. These questions serve two purposes: they show interest, and they help you assess the opportunity.

EY Switzerland advised using your research as a starting point, then asking something that the website does not already answer. EY Germany's women-in-tech session reinforced that interviews are a mutual introduction and candidates should decide what they want to learn about the people and work.

Henkel's September speaker recommended arriving with at least three specific questions. Some may be answered during the interview, so having several gives you options. Listen closely and build on what the interviewer has already said instead of mechanically working through your list.

For example, if the team describes a project, you could ask what a new joiner's contribution would be. If they mention training, ask how it connects to the responsibilities discussed. These are applications of the speakers' advice, rather than questions guaranteed to appear in every interview.

Should you send a follow-up email after an interview?

EY Switzerland strongly recommended one. Other sessions put more emphasis on clarifying next steps and staying in touch.

The EY Switzerland recruiters suggested reiterating your interest, mentioning something you enjoyed in the conversation and clarifying the timeline if it had not already been covered. They also explained that feedback can take time because interviewers need to discuss candidates and coordinate schedules.

Henkel's September session encouraged mentioning a specific takeaway, asking about next steps and being patient. EY Germany recommended reflecting afterwards on what went well, what you would change and whether you felt comfortable with the employer.

Our synthesis is to use a follow-up when you have something specific to say, and respect the timeline you were given. A thoughtful message is useful; repeatedly chasing an answer before the agreed date adds little.

Your interview preparation checklist

Save and reread the job description.
Identify why the company and the particular role interest you.
Match relevant responsibilities to real examples from your background.
Practise a short introduction and a success or challenge story.
Review technical foundations relevant to the position.
Prepare several questions about the work, team and onboarding.
Check the technology or travel arrangements.
Clarify next steps before the interview ends, then reflect afterwards.

This checklist brings together the advice across the recordings. Check your invitation too: EY Germany noted that interview formats vary between teams, and suggested asking whether there is a case study or specific preparation requirement.

Frequently asked questions about interview preparation

How long should “Tell me about yourself” be?

Henkel's September speaker suggested roughly 30–60 seconds for an opening elevator pitch. Keep it focused on your background, interests and connection to the role, then let the interviewer explore details.

Can I use university projects as interview examples?

Yes. Henkel specifically connected student-organisation experience to communication and presenting. Explain your own contribution and why it relates to the job.

Should I admit that I don't know a technical answer?

Yes. EY Germany and Forvis Mazars advised honesty. Forvis Mazars also encouraged taking time to think and attempting an approach rather than immediately giving up.

Will every interview include a case study?

No. EY Germany described differences by team and position, while Forvis Mazars gave examples of cases used for particular roles. Ask what your interview will involve.

Do I need to hide my nervousness?

No. Henkel's recruiters said acknowledging nerves can be fine. Preparation and clear communication matter more than appearing completely unaffected.

What should I do after an unsuccessful interview?

Reflect on what you learned and request useful feedback. EY Germany and EY Switzerland both emphasised using the experience to improve your next conversation.

Want to hear advice directly from hiring teams? Explore upcoming CareerFairy Live Streams to meet recruiters and employees and ask your own questions before applying.