Most hiring managers we work with say the candidate they offer is rarely the one with the strongest CV — it's the one who reads the room, asks better questions, and gives them confidence they'll be a low-risk hire. These ten habits are what separate good interviewees from great ones.
The ten points
- Research the company like you already work there Read their last two years of news, annual reports if listed, and at least three pieces of leadership content. Walk in knowing their priorities — not just their products.
- Know your own CV cold If a line is on your CV, you should be able to talk about it for two minutes without thinking. Anything you can't defend, take off.
- Have a story for every claim "Strong communicator" means nothing on its own. Have a 90-second example for every adjective on your CV — situation, what you did, what changed.
- Match your answers to the role's actual problems Every role exists because something needs to get done or fixed. Identify it, and frame your experience as evidence you can solve it.
- Ask questions that show you understand the tradeoffs "What's the team's biggest constraint right now?" lands far better than "What's the culture like?" The first shows you think operationally; the second sounds like a tour.
- Quantify impact — but stay specific "Grew revenue 30%" is forgettable. "Grew the SME segment from $2M to $2.6M ARR over four quarters by repositioning the mid-tier package" is memorable.
- Be candid about what you don't know Faking competence reads in the room. "I haven't done that, but here's how I'd approach learning it" is a stronger answer than a confident bluff.
- Mind the basics Arrive ten minutes early, dress half a step above the team's daily norm, bring a printed CV. None of this wins the role on its own — but the absence of any of it can lose it.
- Close the interview deliberately End by restating your interest, naming one specific reason, and asking about next steps. Most candidates trail off; the ones who close confidently get remembered.
- Follow up — once, well, and on time A short, specific thank-you within 24 hours referencing one part of the conversation. Not three follow-ups across two weeks.
One final note
There is no trick to interviewing well. It is preparation, presence, and respect for the other side's time. Candidates who treat the interview as a two-way conversation — not a test to pass — almost always come across as the senior hire, regardless of the level of the role.
