The honest playbook:

Day before

  • Re-read the job description. Identify the three skills they care about most.
  • Re-read the team's LinkedIn or company blog. Pick one specific thing you can reference.
  • Know your three stories cold. STAR-format, with numbers.
  • Have three questions ready.
  • Have one specific reason you want this role beyond "the company is great."

Morning of

  • Eat something. Don't interview hungry.
  • Plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early. Earlier feels anxious; later is risky.
  • Bring 3 printed resumes (in person) or have it open in a tab (virtual).
  • Re-read your notes one more time.

During the interview

  • First impression. Firm handshake, eye contact, smile. Virtual: smile and good lighting.
  • Listen first. Don't rush to answer. A two-second pause is fine.
  • Use STAR for behavioral. Situation → Task → Action → Result. Concrete, with numbers.
  • Tie answers back to the role. "...and that's why I think I'd contribute to your team specifically because [connection]."
  • Ask your prepared questions. When they ask "any questions?", you're ready.
  • Take notes. Even one or two reference points helps.

When you don't know an answer

  • "Let me think for a second" — fine. Use it.
  • "I haven't run into that exact situation, but the closest is..." — fine.
  • "I'd want to learn more before answering with confidence" — fine for technical depth questions.

What not to do: pretend, bullshit, ramble.

After the interview

  • Thank-you email within 24 hours. Reference one specific thing from the conversation.
  • One status follow-up at 1-2 weeks if no response.

What top performers actually do

In our work with companies hiring through Sorce — placements at SpaceX, Anduril, NVIDIA, OpenAI — the candidates who ace interviews share three traits:

  1. They have specific numbers attached to their stories. "Reduced p95 latency 40%" beats "improved performance."
  2. They tie every answer back to the role. They've thought about why this specific role.
  3. They ask questions that show they've thought about how they'd contribute. Not generic; specific.

What kills interviews

  • Rambling. Long answers without structure.
  • Generic flattery. "Your culture is amazing" — they've heard it.
  • Negativity about current employer. Always lands wrong.
  • Not asking questions. "Do you have any questions?" "No, I think you covered everything." — Disastrous.
  • No specific connection to the role. "I'm passionate about X" without a reason.

Common follow-up questions

  • "Why are you leaving your current role?" Answer in terms of what you're moving toward, not what you're moving away from.
  • "What's a weakness?" Pick a real, working-on-it weakness with a concrete example. Don't say "I'm a perfectionist."
  • "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" Honest answer that's plausible from the role you're interviewing for.

The bigger pattern

Interviews are a skill. They get better with practice. Volume helps both ways: more interviews to practice on, and more chances to land an offer.

Sorce auto-applies to 5M+ open jobs — 40 free swipes a day. More interviews, more practice, more shots.

For more: how to prepare for a job interview, STAR method for interviews, how to follow up after an interview.