An AI interview prep checklist splits your preparation into four windows. Seven days before, use AI to research the company, predict questions from the job description and start spoken mock interviews. Forty-eight hours before, fix your weakest answers and prepare questions to ask. One hour before, test your call setup and read a one-page brief. Within 24 hours after, send a short follow-up email.
Each window below is a list you can tick off, with copy-paste prompts and a "done when" line so you know when to move on. The prompts are examples we wrote; they work in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. One rule runs through all of it: the AI drafts, quizzes and summarizes, and you do the thinking, the speaking and the fact-checking.
The checklist at a glance
Time budgets are suggestions for a typical first or second round. Give a final round more of everything.
| When | Suggested time | What AI does | What you do | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days before | 3–4 hours across the week | Summarizes the company, predicts questions, runs mock interviews | Verify facts, pick your stories, answer out loud | Two or more scored mock rounds are done |
| 48 hours before | 60–90 minutes | Finds gaps in your answers and asks follow-ups | Rework weak answers, prepare questions and a salary range | Your two weakest answers score higher on a rerun |
| 1 hour before | 20–30 minutes | Condenses your notes into one page | Test audio, video and connection; clear distractions | The call app's own test passes |
| Within 24 hours after | 20 minutes | Drafts the thank-you email | Add one specific detail, then send it | Email sent and notes saved |
7 days before: research, predict and start practicing
A week gives you time to find weak spots and fix them. Spread this window across several short sessions rather than one long one.
Research the company (about 30 minutes)
- Ask an AI search tool what the company sells, who its customers are, what happened in the last six months and what the team you'd join works on.
- Open the sources it cites and confirm each fact on the company's own website, newsroom or investor pages. AI answers can be out of date or wrong, so nothing goes into your notes until you've seen it on a primary source.
- Save three facts that connect to the role. You'll use them in your answer to "Why this company?" and in your questions.
Example prompt: I have an interview for [role] at [company] ([company website]) on [date]. Using sources from the last 12 months, summarize what the company sells, who its customers are, its main competitors and any major news. Cite a source for every claim and flag any source older than 12 months. Our guide to researching a company before an interview with AI has more prompts and a 30-minute plan.
Predict the questions from the job description
- Paste the job description and your résumé into a chatbot and ask for likely questions, grouped by type.
- Mark each question green (ready), yellow (you have a story but need practice) or red (no answer yet). Spend the week on yellow and red.
- For a quick list without writing a prompt, use our free interview questions from a job description tool.
Example prompt: Here is a job description and my résumé. List the 15 questions I'm most likely to be asked: 6 behavioral, 6 technical or role-specific, and 3 about my background. For each one, name the line in the job description or résumé that makes it likely.
Build a story bank
- Write six to eight short stories from your own work: a conflict, a failure, a tight deadline, a decision made with incomplete data, leading without authority, and a result you're proud of.
- Structure each one with the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). The free STAR story builder gives you a template.
- Ask AI to stress-test each story, not to write it:
Here is a story I'll tell in an interview. Ask me the five follow-up questions a skeptical interviewer would ask, one at a time. Do not rewrite the story.
Never let AI invent experiences or metrics. Interviewers probe, and a story you didn't live falls apart on the second follow-up.
Start spoken mock interviews
- Practice out loud. Typing a good answer and saying one under time pressure are different skills, and only spoken practice builds the second.
- Run at least two scored rounds this week. In CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview mode, you add your résumé and the job description, then choose the level, the number of questions (3, 5 or 8) and the mix of behavioral, technical, system design and coding questions. It reads each question aloud, scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer, and ends with a report card. Our mock interview from a job description walkthrough covers the settings.
- With nothing to install, the browser AI mock interview has 113 real questions across 9 tracks, from behavioral and system design to SQL and security.
- Prefer a general chatbot? See our guides to voice practice with ChatGPT voice mode and Gemini Live.
If the company sends an online assessment this week, treat it as its own task. Take the assessment yourself and follow the employer's rules — use CoPilot Interview to practice beforehand.
Done when: your research notes cite primary sources, every likely question is green or yellow, you have at least six stories, and you've finished two or more scored mock rounds.
48 hours before: tighten your answers
Two days out, stop collecting and start polishing. Work from your mock interview scores, not from a feeling about what went well.
- Rerun your weakest area. Take the two lowest-scoring answers from your report cards, rework them, and answer the same questions again out loud. Check that the score moves.
- Script your opening. Draft a 60–90 second answer to "Tell me about yourself" with the free tell me about yourself builder, then say it until it sounds like you rather than a script.
- Set your salary range. If pay may come up, decide your range now. The salary negotiation calculator helps you set a target and a walk-away number.
- Write questions to ask. Prepare five and expect to ask two or three. Tie at least one to your research. Our list of questions to ask the interviewer is a good starting point.
- Confirm logistics. Time zone, meeting link, call app, the names and roles of your interviewers, and a phone number to use if the call drops.
- Quiz yourself on the job description. Example prompt:
Quiz me one question at a time on the skills in this job description. Wait for my answer, then tell me what a strong answer would add. Don't show an answer before I give mine.
Done when: your two weakest answers score higher on a rerun, your opening runs under 90 seconds, and your questions, salary range and logistics are written down.
1 hour before: tech check and a one-page brief
Run the call app's built-in test
Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams each have a built-in check. Use the one for the app in your invite, on the same computer, headset and network you'll use for the interview.
| Call app | Built-in check (as of October 2026) | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom | Join a test meeting, as described in Zoom's test meeting guide | Lets you check your internet connection and adjust your audio and video; on-screen prompts test your video, speaker and microphone |
| Google Meet | Before you click Join now, use the controls on the preview tile, per Google Meet Help | The mic bar moves when you speak, you hear a test sound from your speaker, and your video shows in the preview tile |
| Microsoft Teams | Settings and more, then Settings, then Devices, then Make a test call, per Microsoft Support | A test bot records a short message and plays it back, then shows how your mic, speaker and camera are working. Only in the Teams desktop app for Windows and Mac |
Then clear the room and the computer:
- Plug in your laptop and close apps you don't need, especially ones that sync large files or show pop-ups.
- Turn on Do Not Disturb on your computer and silence your phone.
- Use a wired or USB headset if you have one, and select it as the microphone and speaker inside the call app.
- Put the camera at eye level, face a window or a lamp, and check what's visible behind you.
- Keep water, a pen and paper, your résumé and the job description within reach.
- Have a plan B: the recruiter's email address and a phone hotspot in case your connection drops.
Read a one-page brief
Don't learn anything new in the last hour. Ask AI to compress what you already have: Turn these notes into a one-page brief: three facts about the company, my three strongest stories as one line each, my two-sentence answer to "Why this role?", and my three questions to ask. Use only what's in my notes. Read it once, then put it away.
Done when: the call app's test passes, notifications are off, and you've read your brief.
Within 24 hours after: debrief and follow up
- Write down every question you were asked within an hour, while you still remember the wording. Note where you hesitated.
- Draft the thank-you email with AI, then make it yours. Example prompt:
Draft a thank-you email under 150 words to [name], who interviewed me for [role]. Mention this point from our conversation: [detail]. Plain, warm and professional, with no flattery.Our thank-you email guide has templates and timing. - Send it the same day if you can, to each interviewer whose email you have and to the recruiter.
- Practice the questions that tripped you up. Similar questions can come back in later rounds, so add them as the focus of your next mock interview.
- Update your tracker with the date, the people you met and the next step. Our list of the best AI tools for job seekers includes free job trackers.
Done when: the email is sent, your notes are saved, and the next round's weak spots are on your practice list.
What AI should and shouldn't do in your prep
- Good uses: summarizing sources, predicting questions, asking follow-ups, scoring spoken practice, and drafting emails you then edit.
- Bad uses: inventing stories or numbers, writing answers you memorize word for word, and stating company facts you haven't checked.
- Check dates. Ask for the publication date of every source. A reorganization or product launch from two years ago can make you sound out of touch.
- Keep personal data out. Remove your phone number and home address from the résumé you paste into a chatbot.
Using an AI assistant on the call itself is a separate job with its own setup, covered in our real-time interview assistant setup checklist. Follow the rules of the employer or assessment you're in — many people use it only to practice, which works on the free plan. For the thinking behind this checklist, see how to use AI for interview prep.
Get scored before the real interview
CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview mode builds questions from your résumé and the job description, scores each spoken answer out of 10 and ends with a report card. The free plan includes 15 minutes every day, with no signup and no credit card.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
How far in advance should I start preparing for an interview with AI?
A week is enough for most interviews. It leaves time for research, at least two scored mock rounds and a rerun of your weakest answers. If you only have 48 hours, skip broad research, predict questions from the job description and spend most of your time practicing out loud.
What should I do one hour before a video interview?
Run the call app's built-in test on the same computer, headset and network you'll use, plug in your laptop, turn off notifications and read a one-page brief of your notes. Don't try to learn anything new in the last hour.
Can AI predict the exact questions I will be asked?
No. It can suggest likely questions from the job description, your résumé and the level of the role, but interviewers ask follow-ups based on what you say. Practice the kinds of questions you're likely to get rather than memorizing a script.
Is it OK to use ChatGPT to write my interview answers?
Use it to structure, critique and quiz you on answers built from your own experience. Don't let it invent stories or numbers, and don't memorize its wording: scripted answers tend to sound flat, and made-up details fall apart under follow-up questions.
When should I send a thank-you email after an interview?
Within 24 hours, ideally the same day. Keep it under about 150 words, send it to each interviewer whose email you have and to the recruiter, and mention one specific point from the conversation.
Is CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview free?
Yes. The free plan includes all four modes, including Mock Interview, with 15 free minutes every day in sessions up to 15 minutes, and no signup or credit card. CoPilot Interview is a desktop app for Windows 10+ and macOS 12+ and is not affiliated with Microsoft Copilot.