Preparing for a job interview: questions, STAR and online calls

A step-by-step guide to interview preparation: researching the employer, structuring answers, online interviews, test tasks and handling nerves.

An interview is not an exam — it is a two-way introduction. The employer is looking for the right person, and you are looking for the right place. That thought alone reduces the nerves considerably. The main source of fear is uncertainty, and preparation shrinks it. This article gathers a practical plan for young people looking for their first job, for women returning to work after a long break, and for anyone joining an online interview from the regions. You can work through it step by step over one or two evenings.

1. Research the employer: 30–40 minutes is enough

Knowing the basics about an organisation before you meet them is a sign of respect and your biggest advantage. Most candidates skip this, so you will stand out straight away.

What to find out:

What the organisation does — which product or service, and for whom.
The job advert — write each requirement on a separate line and next to it note your matching experience or skill.
Recent news — the official website, social media pages, the Telegram channel. Have they opened a new branch or launched a new service?
Working style — dress code, working hours, team size.

Example: Dilnoza (a hypothetical example, 28, an accountant) is going to an interview at a retail company. On the company’s page she saw that they recently opened a second shop. In the interview she might say: “With a second branch open, your bookkeeping volume has probably grown — I have experience keeping separate accounts for two outlets.” One sentence like that shows she came prepared.

2. The most common questions and how to prepare

You cannot know the exact questions in advance, but most of them are similar. Practise answering out loud — do not memorise, just remember the key points.

”Tell me about yourself”

This is not your life story. Build a short one-minute account: who you are now, what you did before, and why you are applying for this particular job. You do not need to go into family status, age or personal details.

Example: “For three years I worked as a cashier and bookkeeper in a small shop. Then I spent two years at home with my child, and during that time I completed an Excel course. Now I want to use my bookkeeping experience in an office role, which is why your vacancy suits me so well."

"What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

For a strength, name one or two qualities that fit the role and give an example. For a weakness, choose something real but not critical to the job, and add how you are improving it: “I used to find it hard to speak in front of people; now I practise every week by giving a short update at the team meeting."

"There is a gap in your work history — why?”

Do not fear this question. Answer briefly and calmly: “My children were small; now they are at kindergarten and I am ready to work full time.” Then move straight on to what you learned in that period — a course, running a household, helping in a family business. There is no need to apologise.

3. The STAR method: structuring your answer

Questions such as “Tell me about a difficult situation” or “Describe a time you made a mistake” often make people ramble. The STAR method splits your answer into four parts:

S — Situation: where, when, under what circumstances.
T — Task: what your responsibility was.
A — Action: what you did (not the team — you).
R — Result: what changed and what you learned.

Example (hypothetical): Jasur, 22, has finished a computer literacy course and is interviewing for an office assistant role.

Situation: While volunteering at the mahalla office, one day before the monthly report was due we discovered the data was scattered across three different files.

Task: I was asked to combine them into a single spreadsheet.

Action: I drew up a list of common columns, found duplicates with a filter and colour-coded each section.

Result: The report went in on time, and in the following months working from that template was twice as fast.

While preparing, write down 4–5 stories like this from your own life: a success, a mistake and its lesson, teamwork, working under pressure, learning something new quickly. One story can be adapted to several questions. If you have little work experience, take examples from study, volunteering, family or community life — that is real experience too.

4. Questions you ask

At the end, you will almost always hear: “Do you have any questions?” Saying “no” is a missed opportunity. Write down 2–3 questions in advance:

What does a typical working day look like in this role?
What results would you expect from me in the first three months?
How big is the team, and who would I report to?
Is there training or a mentor for new staff?
What is the next stage of the selection process, and when can I expect an answer?

Asking about conditions — working hours, official employment, leave — is also natural. Just do it at the end of the conversation rather than the start, and in a calm tone.

5. Online interviews: camera, connection and setting

For many candidates in the regions, the first interview now happens over video. It saves travel but needs its own preparation.

Check the day before:

Find out which app will be used (Zoom, Google Meet, Telegram and so on), install it and sign in.
Do a test call with a friend: sound, camera, screen sharing.
Make sure the name and photo on your profile look professional.

Connection:

If your internet is weak, ask the household not to stream video on other devices during the call.
Have a backup ready: mobile data switched on on your phone.
If the connection drops, do not panic — reconnect or send a short message: “The connection dropped, I am rejoining now.”

Setting and appearance:

Light should fall on your face from the front — no window behind you.
Put the camera at eye level (a stack of books works).
Keep the background calm and tidy. A plain wall is fine.
Warn family members, close the door, switch off phone notifications.
Dress as you would for an in-person interview — at least from the waist up.

When speaking, try to look at the camera rather than the face on the screen — that way the other person feels you are making eye contact. You can keep a small note with your key points nearby, but do not read from it.

6. Test tasks: how to approach them

Many employers set a practical task before or after the interview: building a spreadsheet, writing a short text, preparing a social media post, writing simple code.

Read the brief twice. If something is unclear, ask — that is not a weakness but a sign of responsibility.
Meet the deadline. If you cannot, let them know in advance.
Do what was asked, and if time remains, add one small extra with a separate note.
Write a short comment: what you did and why you did it that way.
Check spelling and formatting. Even the file name should be tidy: “Surname_test_task”.

If the task is very large — several full working days of effort — you can calmly ask: “Which part of this task matters most to you?” A fair employer will understand.

7. Handling nerves

A little nervousness is normal and even sharpens your attention.

The day before:

Prepare your clothes and documents (passport copy, CV, copies of diplomas or certificates).
Check the route and how long it takes. Arrive 10–15 minutes early.
Go to bed earlier. Running through your answers once more in the evening is enough — do not stay up all night.

Just before:

Breathe slowly: in for a count of four, out for a count of four, several times.
Remind yourself: “I am here to introduce myself, and they want to get to know me too.”

During the interview:

If you do not understand a question, ask: “Could you clarify the question?”
It is fine to pause: “Good question, let me think for a second.”
If you do not know the answer, do not make one up: “I have not worked with that yet, but I learn quickly — for example, I taught myself Excel in two months.”

8. Common mistakes

Turning up without knowing anything about the organisation.
Criticising a former employer or colleagues.
Answering every question at great length, five or six minutes each.
Saying “any job will do” — it sounds like a lack of interest.
Contradictions between your CV and what you say in the interview.
Holding your phone or checking messages during the conversation.
Joining an online interview late or installing the app at the last minute.
Not asking a single question at the end.

9. After the interview: thank-you message and rejection

Thank-you message. On the same or the next day, send a short message — by email or Telegram, depending on how you have been in touch. For example:

Hello Nodira, thank you for today’s conversation. What you said about the team’s reporting system was very interesting, and it has made me even more keen on this role. If you need any further information, I will gladly send it. Kind regards, Dilnoza.

If you hear nothing by the promised date, it is fine to send one polite reminder.

Rejection. A rejection is not a verdict on your worth. Often several good candidates compete, and the decision depends on reasons you cannot see. What to do:

Thank them for the reply and say you would be interested in future vacancies.
Where appropriate, politely ask for brief feedback: “What could I improve next time?”
After each interview, make a short note for yourself: which questions came up, which answer went well, what to change.
Do not stop searching because of one result. Applying to several places at once is normal practice.

Final checklist

Basic information about the organisation and the role gathered.
One-minute “Tell me about yourself” answer rehearsed.
4–5 STAR stories written down.
2–3 questions for the employer ready.
Equipment and setting checked for an online interview.
Documents and clothes ready, route clear.
Thank-you message template drafted.

Preparing for interviews is a skill in itself, and it gets easier every time. If you need a new profession or digital skills, take a look at the association’s free programmes: computer literacy, data analytics, accounting, English and other fields. Once you have found a suitable programme, submit an application and we will get in touch.