Interview Prep
Interview Preparation Checklist for IT Jobs in India
Interview prep works best when you treat it like a repeatable system. Recruiters, hiring managers, and technical interviewers usually ask a small set of questions in different ways. If you prepare the right stories and the right project details, you stop improvising under pressure.
A 7-Day Prep Plan
Understand the role
Read the job description, mark the tools and outcomes, and compare them to your resume. Pick three wins from your resume that map directly to the role.
Prepare your stories
Write five STAR stories covering impact, conflict, failure, leadership, and teamwork. Keep each answer under two minutes and use numbers whenever possible.
Revise the technical basics
Review the language, frameworks, data structures, or process flows that are most likely to be tested. Practise explaining one project end to end.
Behavioral Round Basics
Behavioral interviews are proof-of-work interviews. Interviewers want to know how you handle ambiguity, conflict, deadlines, and ownership.
- Use the STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result.
- Keep the focus on what you did, not just what the team did.
- End with the outcome and what you learned.
Technical Round Checklist
- Revise one project from architecture to deployment.
- Be ready to explain tradeoffs, not just final features.
- Ask clarifying questions before you answer a system design prompt.
Company Research and Questions
Before the interview, learn what the company builds, who its customers are, and why the team might be hiring now. That context helps you ask stronger questions.
- What problem does the company solve?
- What would success in this role look like after 90 days?
- What tools or workflows would I work with?
Frequently Asked Questions
How many STAR stories should I prepare?
Five is a strong minimum: one for impact, one for conflict, one for failure, one for leadership, and one for teamwork.
What should I revise before a technical interview?
Revisit the job description, your main project deep dive, the core tools in the role, and common DSA, SQL, API, or system design questions.
What questions should I ask the interviewer?
Ask about the role's success criteria, the team's priorities, the tools and workflow, and what the onboarding process looks like.
How do I answer salary expectation questions?
Share a researched range, stay calm, and let the employer give the first number whenever possible so you have room to negotiate.
Use Shashiworks to track applications, write notes, and keep your interview prep attached to the role you are pursuing. Keep the role aligned with the Application Tracker, the salary negotiation guide, and the Resume Analyzer.
Open Application TrackerRelated guides: Software Engineer Resume India • Salary Negotiation Tips • Campus Placement Guide