AI-Powered Interview Prep Tips from a Professional Interview Coach
AI-Powered Interview Prep: Save Time and Focus on What Really Matters
Preparing for interviews can feel like a full-time job, and oh yeah….you already HAVE a full-time job.
Here, I share my favorite AI tools to help you breeze through the basics, leaving you time to focus on what really matters - telling your stories and building your confidence so you can nail your interview.
Let’s dive in!
1. Understand What the Company Actually Does—Fast!
Ever found yourself on a company website, trying to figure out what they do, only to get lost in buzzwords and corporate speak? Phrases like “We increase ROI for clients using industry-leading best practices” sound impressive, but they don’t really say anything. What clients? What industry? What investments? Pleeeease, just tell me what you sell and who you sell it to.
Enter ChatGPT, your personal translator for corporate jargon. Here’s how I recommend using it to quickly get clarity:
Prompt #1: What does [company name] do?
If the first response still feels like a jumble of buzzwords, try this:
Follow-up Prompt: Please explain as if you're talking to a 6th grader.
Boom. Clear, concise, and in plain English. You’ll understand the company’s core business in seconds instead of spending hours combing through pages and pages of their website.
For even more insight, ask ChatGPT how the company makes money:
Prompt #2: How does [company name] make money?
This simple question often uncovers key details about the company’s revenue streams, helping you understand what’s truly important to them. Especially for big companies, this can quickly break down the various divisions and profit centers.
2. Identify Key Job Skills in Minutes
I recommend beginning with reading a job description thoroughly on your own first to comb through and identify key technical, functional, experiences, or soft skills. Yup, this is still manual. I recommend copying and pasting into your own doc so that you retain the job description even when a company pulls the post because job posts are being taken down SO quickly these days, (like sometimes 1 day after it’s been posted because now AI bots are applying to jobs for people. That’s a whole different topic).
After you do this, use NotebookLM to give you another perspective on those key skills.
[If you haven’t used Notebook LM yet, give it a try - it’s awesome.
To me, it’s like ChatGPT in that you can ask it questions, but the key difference is that YOU feed it its source information. NotebookLM is an experimental AI-powered notebook that allows users to upload Google Docs, Slides, PDFs, text files, Web URLs, or copied text as sources. Currently, you can upload up to 50 sources per notebook.]
You can then ask questions and organize ideas based on the uploaded sources. This is the cool thing about it. It focuses its answers from the sources YOU feed it. This makes it accurate, personal, and therefore, really powerful.
Here’s how to use it to help you identify key job skills in minutes.
Copy and paste the job description text into Notebook LM, or upload the document if you have it saved.
For extra context, you can also search LinkedIn for a few people from the same company with the same job title, or in the same department and input those URLs too. You could also include the company website URL, or the company’s Careers page, or “culture and values” type page. Then, ask Notebook LM the following prompts:
What are the top 3 technical skills this person needs?
What are the top 3 soft skills this person needs?
How does this job make the company money?
These quick prompts will surface the most important aspects of the role, giving you a solid foundation for focusing your prep. Take a look and pick the ones that most line up with your strengths and voila you have info to weave into your “tell me about yourself” answer, or “What made you interested in this position” or “What would you say your strengths are” questions.
3. Get to Know Your Interviewer—Quickly
Here’s another good way to do a little research on commonalities or things a person cares about. Let’s say you’ve found out who’s interviewing you. Normally, you’d spend time scrolling through their LinkedIn profile, searching for commonalities or shared interests. With Notebook LM, you can speed up this process.
Find your interviewer on LinkedIn and paste in their URL. Then include YOUR resume and/or LinkedIn profile. If they’ve written articles, you could also include those links. Then, ask Notebook LM to highlight anything you have in common with them. Whether it’s shared connections, similar educational backgrounds, or mutual interests, you’ll have personalized talking points at your fingertips.
4. Prepare Personalized Interview Questions Based on Your Resume
This is where things get really cool. With your own resume as an additional source in Notebook LM, along with the company and job description. Ask:
What questions would you ask this candidate (that’s you) in an interview?
Notebook LM will cross-reference your resume with the job description, creating personalized interview questions that align with both the role and your unique experience. When I tried this out, it gave me questions in three categories: Questions related to the Role & Company, the Team and Collaboration, and ways to highlight my strengths and address potential gaps. I even liked the way it phrased some questions: For instance, it suggested “Are there specific leadership styles or approaches that are particularly valued within the company's project management culture?” I liked that it was specific enough while also being open-ended enough.
5. And Don’t Forget the Olide, but Goodie—Glassdoor for Sourcing Real Interview Questions
This isn’t AI, but it’s still making use of curated info. Glassdoor is a website where people can self-report their salaries and the questions they’ve been asked during their interviews. I like to see the real-world interview questions people are saying they’ve been asked. When you get to Glassdoor, search for the company name you’re interviewing with, then click on “interviews.” I find the search feature within the “interview” tab lacking, so I often just end up scrolling through what’s there, even if it’s for unrelated roles. Sometimes you can easily spot a theme that pops up again and again as you scroll—sometimes companies have standard questions like “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” or “Of our company products, which is your favorite?” it’s often just a few basics, but still a valuable clue as to what to expect so you can prepare accordingly.
Congrats! You just streamlined your interview prep.
Now Focus on What Only YOU Can Do
Now you’ve just bought yourself time to focus on what only you can do: tell your story. Think about a story that highlights those skills that you identified during your prep and consider how you’ve made an impact.
And if as you’re preparing, you’re noticing some thoughts come up like:
“I just want to bury my head in the sand and avoid this unpleasant task”
Or “that achievement wasn’t actually that great/important”
Or maybe the pleaser in you knows you’re actually pretty good at interviews because you’re going to morph into the person they want you to be (but that’s not who you really are!), and you want to work on ways to make sure you’re presenting your real self and getting the info YOU need to determine if this is right for you at the moment.
Or maybe that imposter syndrome is creeping in. What am I even doing? I’m a fraud.
If any of these sound familiar, I’d love to connect because those are wonderful topics for coaching. Book an interview mindset session here!
The stories, experiences, and insights you bring to the table are what will make you stand out. Use AI to speed up your prep, so you can focus on human connection and storytelling during your interview.
Good luck, and go crush that interview!
A Fresh Approach to Interview Prep - Engage All your Senses
The world is constantly sending us sensory signals—through sight, sound, taste, touch, and movement—that shape our experience of it in ways we often overlook. I’ve been taking a class called Coaching with the Senses where I’ve gained new insights into just how uniquely we all perceive these signals.
Interview Tips - A Perspective From a Professional Interview Coach
As you prepare for your next interview (or important meeting, 1:1 with your boss, or presentation), here are a few ideas for how to use YOUR personal sensory preferences to support you. Select the ones that speak to you.
Before your interview:
Movement: Do you want to feel more calm or more engergized? Which types of movement support that? Maybe it’s a morning yoga session, a refreshing walk, power-lifting, boxing, or a Zumba class? Or a bubble bath the night before to help you relax. Right before your interview, roll your shoulders, shake out your hands, or do some power poses. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and feel supported. If you’re on Zoom, waiting for the person to log on, maybe you spell the abc’s with your ankles or take a deep, deep breath.
Sound: What kind of sounds support you? As you’re getting ready in the morning, do you want an amp-up/ramp you-up/energizing playlist, or something calming, soothing, centering, chill-you-out. Maybe you put your cell phone on vibrate with volume low, or off so it doesn’t make your nerves jump, or maybe you let out a cathartic yell.
Visual: What else makes you feel like you? Having your nails done in a fun color? Maybe clearing your desk helps you focus, or tape a picture of your best friend to your computer if you’re doing an online interview.
Touch: What fabric feels good to you to wear?
Smell: Do you have a shampoo you especially like to use, or a candle you want on your desk, or a peppermint essential oil you can pop in your purse and smell before you get out of the car and find that building door?
During the interview (to help focus, or do a little mini re-set after you didn’t love your answer to the last question):
Gently squeeze each finger on one hand
Rub your fingertips together and focus on the sensation
If you're on Zoom, discreetly move your feet for a little movement break
Take a sip of water
Take notes - or jot down the question especially if it’s a multi-part question
Obviously, these are just a few ideas, but it’s worth thinking about preparing your body, and not just your interview answers and mindset. This will allow you to bring your most present, focused, and sharp self to your interview.
Take 10 seconds to focus on an object and really notice the color nuances, the shadows, the luminescence, the texture, and the size. This kind of exercise can activate the more positive parts of your brain according to a practice called Positive Intelligence!
Think about what YOUR sensory preferences are
Every person has their own makeup of sensory preferences and thresholds. In terms of movement, some people thrive on stillness, while others crave adrenaline-fueled activities like skydiving or rollercoasters. I’ve come to realize I sit somewhere in the middle with most of my preferences, except for sound. Certain sounds can really annoy or distract me, rather than trying to just supress my irratibility, I’ve embraced the fact that I really have limits to what I want I want to tolerate. Simple changes—like using earbuds (or handing my daughter her own headphones when she’s watching A for Adley on YouTube). I’ve also started a habit where instead of checking my phone first thing in the morning I take 10 seconds before I get out of bed in the morning to listen to the world around me, and I usually notice things I wouldn’t otherwise - like the sound of the crickets talking to each other.
As an interview coach, I love helping people learn how to be more confident in interviews through a variety of techniques. I believe in crafting answers to the questions you know are very likely to be asked, practicing in front of a real person, and also working on owning your capabilities and confidence. I hope these tips help you tap into your full potential as you navigate the interview process!
If you’re looking for interview prep coaching - explore more here.
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Your greatest strengths
Have you ever been in an interview where you answer a question, and the interviewer just gives a blank stare.
You know they’re not getting it, the dots are not connecting.
You might be finding it particularly challenging to connect the dots between your past experience and your next role because:
you’re switching roles (such as going from accounting to sales) or
you’re new to the field (maybe fresh out of college) or
you’re switching industries
Here’s a formula to showcase your relevance even if you're in one of these circumstances.
Examples of questions this formula works for include: “What are your core strengths?” “Tell me about one of your greatest accomplishments.” “Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond your job description.”
THE FORMULA
STEP 1: Introduce 3 skills or competencies you have that are also important to the interviewer. (Don’t know what to select? Comb through the job description and consider a technical skill, a job-specific skill and a competency such as: flexibility, adaptability, persistent at solving problems, or self-starter. Need more ideas? Reply to this email and I'll give you more tips!)
STEP 2: Pick ONE skill you believe would be most important for the job you’re applying for and tell a short story about that particular skill. The best story will be one where you can prove the impact your skill had by providing specific numbers, percentages, feedback, rankings, or dollar amounts.
STEP 3: Mention you’re proud of your achievement
STEP 4: Link your past accomplishments or results with your future performance by saying something like “And that’s exactly what I’d like to do here at X company.”
Here’s an example from a client I worked with today:
A few of my greatest strengths are 1) working collaboratively with cross-functional teams 2) my subject-matter expertise in health, safety, and industrial hygiene and 3) my ability to find solutions (vs. just pointing out problems.). One of the times I had to work very closely and collaboratively across departments was in the early stages of COVID. I was working for the DOT in NY overseeing the safety of subway tunnel operations. I started watching the World Health Organization and helped gather consensus among multiple leaders within departments X, Y, and Z and was able to have conversations with key stakeholders to very quickly put a plan in place which included ordering PPE and putting in place blood-borne pathogen protocols. As a result, we had the PPE available when unfortunately at that time, many others didn’t. As a result, I’m pleased to say we didn’t miss a single day of operation during that critical period. I’m confident I can build those same type of cross-functional relationships in your organization that are the foundation for being able to make critical decisions quickly.