If you are a new graduate with little or no work experience, the way to prepare for an interview is to turn what you already have, such as coursework, projects, part-time jobs, volunteering and clubs, into short stories that show how you work. Employers who hire new grads do not expect a long career, and most interviewers will ask about school and project examples. What they want to see is how you think, how you learn and how you work with other people. This guide gives you a plan, sample answers and a one-week schedule.
Disclosure: this page is published by yestotheoffer, which makes a desktop app for online interviews. The advice here applies whatever tools you use, and a short note about tools is at the end.
What interviewers look for in a new grad
Employers differ, but entry-level interviews tend to test the same things.
- Basic skills for the role, shown through coursework, projects or internships.
- Learning speed: how you pick up something new.
- Teamwork: how you worked in a group project or club.
- Communication: whether you answer clearly and listen to the question.
- Motivation: why this job and this company.
You do not need a perfect answer to each. You need an example you can explain calmly.
Step 1: Build a story bank from what you have
Write down six to eight experiences. They do not need to be jobs.
| Source | What to pull out |
|---|---|
| Group project | Your role, a disagreement or setback, how the team resolved it |
| Capstone or thesis | The problem, what you built or found, one number or result |
| Internship or part-time job | A task you owned, a mistake you fixed, feedback you used |
| Volunteering or a club | A time you organized something or led others |
| Personal or open-source project | What you chose to learn and why, what you shipped |
| Difficult class | How you handled a topic you struggled with |
For each, write three lines: the situation, what you did, and the result. A structure like STAR works, and the guide on behavioral interview questions shows how to use it.
Keep results concrete. "The team shipped on time" is fine. A number, such as "we cut load time from six seconds to two", is better, if it is true.
Step 2: Prepare your introduction
Almost every interview starts with some version of "tell me about yourself". Keep it under a minute with three parts: who you are now, one or two relevant experiences, and why this role.
A sample for a new grad applying for a marketing assistant role:
I just finished my degree in communications with a focus on digital media. During my final year I ran the social media account for the student film society and grew its following by about 40 percent over two semesters, mostly by testing posting times and short videos. I also interned at a small events company, where I helped write email campaigns. I am applying here because I enjoy turning data about what people click on into better content, and your team's work on short video fits that.
Change the details, keep the shape, and make sure every number is one you can explain. For a version aimed at people with more experience, see tell me about yourself for experienced candidates.
Step 3: Prepare for the questions that almost always come
Why should we hire you?
Link two or three things you can do to what the job needs. See why should we hire you for sample answers.
Why do you want to work here?
Show that you looked. Name something specific about the product, team or mission, and say how it connects to what you want to learn. Why do you want to work here goes through it.
What is your biggest weakness?
Pick a real weakness that is not central to the job, and say what you are doing about it. For example, a new grad might say they tend to take on too much in group projects and now agree on a split of tasks at the start. See what is your greatest weakness.
Tell me about a time you worked in a team
Use a group project. Be honest about the hard part, and say what you did to make it work.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Say what you want to learn and the kind of work you want to be doing, without naming a specific title. See where do you see yourself in 5 years.
Do you have any questions for us?
Always have two or three. See questions to ask at the end of an interview.
A sample behavioral answer from a group project
Situation: In my software engineering course, our team of four had to build a booking app in ten weeks, and in week four two teammates disagreed on the database design and stopped talking about it. Task: I was the person keeping track of the schedule, so I wanted to get us unstuck without taking sides. Action: I suggested we each write down the three things we needed from the database, and I compared the lists in a short meeting. We found that the two designs only differed on one table, and we tested both with sample data. Result: We chose one design in a single meeting, finished on time, and the project got the top grade in the class.
The answer is short, it shows what you did instead of what the team did, and it ends with a result. The same shape works for school, clubs and volunteering.
Questions to ask as a new grad
Good questions show that you are thinking about learning and the team.
- What does a successful first six months look like in this role?
- How do new hires get feedback and mentoring?
- What kinds of projects would I work on first?
- How does the team work together day to day?
- What are the next steps in the process?
Avoid asking about pay, vacation or benefits in a first screen, unless the interviewer brings them up.
If you are asked about salary
New grads are often asked for an expected salary. Research ranges for the role and location before the call. Say that you have looked at ranges for similar roles, give a range, and add that you are open to discussing the whole package. If you are unsure, ask what range the company has planned for the position.
Step 4: If the role is technical
For software, data and similar roles, expect a screen or a coding exercise.
- Practice a small set of problems well instead of many badly. Explain your thinking out loud as you solve each one.
- Know the basics of your main language and the data structures you use most.
- Be ready to talk about a project from start to finish: what you chose, what went wrong and what you would change.
- For a first coding round, say what you are trying before you type.
The guides on software engineer interview questions and LeetCode Blind 75 give you a place to start.
Step 5: A one-week plan
| Day | Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Read the job description. Underline the three skills it asks for most |
| 2 | Write the story bank. Match each story to a skill |
| 3 | Write your introduction and say it out loud three times |
| 4 | Practice five common questions out loud, and record one answer |
| 5 | Research the company, its product and the interviewer if you know the name |
| 6 | Run a full mock with a friend or a mentor, with the same setup you will use |
| 7 | Rest, check logistics, and prepare your questions and your outfit |
What to do when you have no experience at all
If you have almost nothing to point to, be honest, and show that you can learn.
- Say what you have done outside work: a project, a course, something you built or organized.
- Describe a time you learned something quickly, and how.
- Show interest in the role by naming what you have already read or tried.
- Do not pretend to have done things you have not. Interviewers follow up with details.
Mistakes new grads make
- Answers that are too short ("yes, I did a project") without detail.
- Answers that list duties but not results.
- Not knowing the company's product.
- Complaining about a past professor, boss or teammate.
- Skipping the thank-you email. A short note within a day helps. See thank you email after an interview.
A note about tools
Practice is the most reliable way to improve, and a transcript of your own practice answers can show where you ramble. Some candidates ask about AI interview assistants during the live interview. Many employers ban outside help in interviews, and breaking that rule can cost you the offer, so read the instructions and ask the recruiter if you are unsure. yestotheoffer is a desktop app for macOS and Windows with real-time transcription, coding help and resume-based suggestions, and new accounts start with 30 free minutes. It does not have a mock-interview mode.
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YesToTheOffer is a desktop app for macOS and Windows with real-time transcription, coding help and resume-based suggestions. New accounts start with 30 free minutes.
