How to get ready for a job interview

The day before

• Read the job listing again: the pay, the shift, the place and what they need. Write down anything you want to ask.
• Find out how to reach the place and how long it takes. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early.
• Keep your phone charged and your number on. Employers often call from a new number on the day.
• Get your documents ready in one folder (see "What to bring").

What to bring

• A photo ID: Aadhaar card, voter ID, PAN card or driving licence. Carry the original and a photocopy.
• Two or three printed copies of your resume, if you have one. If you don't, you can make one free on the resume builder.
• Copies of your marksheets or certificates, and experience or relieving letters from earlier jobs.
• Two passport-size photos, a pen and a little cash for travel.

Make a resume free

On the day

• Wear clean, simple clothes. A plain shirt and trousers or a kurta is fine for most jobs.
• Greet them, sit when asked and keep your phone on silent.
• Listen to the whole question before you answer. Short, honest answers are better than long ones.
• If you don't know something, say so and say how you would find out. Nobody expects you to know everything.
• Talk about real things you have done: a target you met, a customer you helped, a machine you fixed.

Questions most interviews ask

Tell me about yourself.

Say your name, where you live, your education, your last job (or that you are a fresher) and why you want this job. Keep it under a minute.

Why do you want this job?

Say something true about the job: the work, the place, the shift or learning something new. Don't talk only about money.

Why did you leave your last job?

Give a short, polite reason (better pay, closer to home, the work ended). Don't speak badly about your old employer.

What salary do you expect?

Know the pay on the listing and what the role usually pays. Say a range and that you are open to talk.

When can you join?

Give a real date. If you have a notice period at your current job, say how long it is.

Questions to ask them

• What will I do on a normal day, and who will I report to?
• What is the in-hand pay each month, and are PF or ESI cut from it?
• What are the working hours, the weekly off and the overtime pay?
• Is there a joining date, and what happens after this interview?

Phone and video interviews

• Sit somewhere quiet with good network. For a video call, face a window or a light.
• Keep the job listing and your resume in front of you.
• Say your name when you pick up, and speak a little slower than usual.

Walk-in interviews

• Go early in the walk-in time. Late in the day the openings may already be filled.
• Carry everything from "What to bring". There may be a short test or form to fill on the spot.
• Take the name and number of the person you met, so you can follow up.

After the interview

• Thank them before you leave, and ask when you will hear back.
• If you haven't heard by that day, call or message once, politely.
• Read the offer letter fully before you sign: pay, hours, place and notice period.

Stay safe

• Never pay anyone to get an interview or a job: no registration fee, no training fee, no uniform deposit.
• Never hand over your original documents to keep. Showing them is fine; they can keep photocopies.
• Don't share OTPs, bank PINs or passwords. No real employer needs them.
• Go to interviews at an office or a public place in the daytime, and tell someone where you are going.

Asked for money or something feels wrong? Tell us, or use "Report this job" on the listing.

Tips for your job