Interview Preparation
Worksheet

CAREER & PROFESSIONAL TOOLS

Prepare with structure so you can show up with presence.

Where This Tool Helps

Interview anxiety usually comes from two sources: not knowing what you'll be asked, and not having your stories organized. You can't control the first entirely, but this worksheet eliminates the second.

Most candidates walk into an interview having thought about their experience - but thinking about it is different from having it organized and ready to deliver under pressure. The difference between a confident answer and a rambling one is usually preparation, not knowledge.

The STAR method is the backbone of this worksheet - not because it's novel, but because it forces specificity where most candidates default to generalities. "I led a cross-functional team through a challenging project" tells an interviewer almost nothing. "I had three engineers and a PM, the deadline moved up six weeks, and we shipped by cutting scope and increasing daily syncs" tells them something real.

The research sections exist because interviewers can tell the difference between a candidate who read the job description and one who actually thought about it. Connecting your experience to their specific context - their team, their challenges, their language - is what separates candidates who get offers from candidates who get polite rejections.

How to Use This Worksheet

  1. Complete 3-5 days before your interview. Don't leave it for the night before. You need time to draft, sit with your answers, and refine them.
  2. Work through the sections in order. Role research first - your STAR stories should connect to what this company actually needs.
  3. Write your STAR stories in full sentences, not bullets. You'll practice aloud later, but writing forces you to be specific about details that bullets let you skip.
  4. Prepare your tough questions honestly. Don't write what you wish were true. Write what's actually true, then work out how to frame it constructively.
1

Interview Preparation Worksheet

Section 1 — Role Research
Company & Current Focus
3 Key Requirements from the Job Description
1.
2.
3.
Team / Manager (what you know)
Your Connection to the Company's Mission
Section 2 — STAR Story Bank

Prepare 4 stories covering different situations. Suggested categories: Leadership, Problem-Solving, Conflict, Achievement.

1
Situation
Context in 1-2 sentences
Task
What was expected of you
Action
What YOU specifically did
Result
Measurable outcome
2
Situation
Context in 1-2 sentences
Task
What was expected of you
Action
What YOU specifically did
Result
Measurable outcome
2

STAR Story Bank (continued)

3
Situation
Context in 1-2 sentences
Task
What was expected of you
Action
What YOU specifically did
Result
Measurable outcome
4
Situation
Context in 1-2 sentences
Task
What was expected of you
Action
What YOU specifically did
Result
Measurable outcome
Section 4 — Questions to Ask

Ask about the team, the challenges, and how success is measured - not benefits or PTO.

1
2
3
4
3

Tough Questions Prep

For each question: write an honest answer, then identify how to frame it constructively. Don't write what you wish were true - write what's actually true.

"Tell me about a failure."
Honest Answer
How to Frame It Constructively
"Why are you leaving your current role?"
Honest Answer
How to Frame It Constructively
"What's your biggest weakness?"
Honest Answer
How to Frame It Constructively
"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

Tie your answer to this role and company, not just personal ambition.

4

Tandem Coaching Partners

Credentialed coaches with real-world leadership experience,
partnering with executives and organizations
to unlock sustainable growth.

Consultation

tandemcoach.co/
contact-us

Email

info@tandemcoach.co

Phone

855 51 COACH

Challenge your thinking.
Discover your capabilities.
Act on them.

Dallas, TX  |  Houston, TX  |  Worldwide Virtual