Have you ever wished you had a list of interview questions you could practice with before an upcoming job interview? Something a little more specific and useful than the generic lists of commonly asked questions you can find online?
Good news – while you may not be able to generate an exact list of the questions your interviewer will ask, AI-based Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT or Microsoft CoPilot can help you get pretty close; they can even conduct a mock interview for you! Here are some tips and sample prompts to help you get started.
An important note: Remember that LLMs should be used as research tools and thinking partners, nothing more. ChatGPT has been known to provide false or biased information; you should not rely on it to create entire interview answers for you. In addition, default settings allow everything you provide to ChatGPT to be used in training the model. To ensure your confidentiality, do not upload any personal information. Consider disabling the “Chat History” feature.
Give the AI tool context about your interview.
Tools like ChatGPT are most effective when you give them specific information to work with! Try the following prompts:
I am applying for the following job [copy and paste job description here]. Based on this job description, what are 10 questions I am likely to be asked in an interview?
Please analyze the following job description [copy and paste job description here]. What are the skills & experiences that are most important for this position, and what questions are likely to come up in a job interview?
A note: If you didn’t save the job description and the posting is no longer live, try using a combination of the specific role, company name, or industry.
I am applying for a [job title here] role at [company name or name of industry]. What are the questions I am most likely to be asked in a job interview?
Ask the AI tool to give you a variety of question types.
Most interviews will include a mix of questions about your technical skills (what you know how to do) and your “soft skills” – delving into things like teamwork, communication, or critical thinking. These are usually called technical questions and behavioral questions. Some sample prompts:
I’m applying for a [title here] internship in the [specific department] at [name of company]. Please give me some examples of technical questions and behavioral questions that will come up in the interview.
If you have the job description available, ask the AI tool to analyze it for you and tell you what technical skills and soft skills you should come prepared to talk about.
I’m applying for this job [copy and paste job description]. Please analyze it and tell me which technical skills and personal skills are most important, then provide me with some technical and behavioral interview questions.
Ask the AI tool for feedback.
Once the tool has given you some possible questions, you can brainstorm answers. Then, continue the conversation by asking for feedback on what you have planned.
Here is my answer to the following question [question here]. [write in your answer]. Assume you are the hiring manager for this role and give me some feedback on my answer. What stood out to you? What could I have done better?
Ask the AI tool to conduct an interview with you.
Use your OSU ID to log in to LinkedIn Learning and then watch this video that will show you sample prompts for using ChatGPT as a career coach to conduct a mock interview for you!
More interview prep resources
Need more help getting ready for your interview? Take advantage of these resources at Oregon State University.