A Telstra interview follows five steps that Telstra publishes on its "How we hire" page: a brief phone screen with a recruiter, an in-depth interview with the hiring manager, a possible job-specific assessment such as a business case study or coding test, references plus security and background checks, and then a verbal offer and contract. For experienced professionals, the main interview is behavioural, with the recruiter and hiring manager; graduates complete a video interview and online assessment, then a three-part virtual final interview that includes a short case study pitch.
This guide walks through each stage using Telstra's own pages as of October 2026, explains the behaviours Telstra says shape its culture, and gives practice questions we wrote. For the wider local picture, see our job interview tips for Australia.
The Telstra interview process at a glance
| Step | What Telstra says happens | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Phone screen | A recruiter reviews your application and, if you're suitable, holds a brief phone interview about you and your background. You can ask questions too. | A two-minute summary of your background and a clear reason for applying |
| 2. Hiring manager interview | A more in-depth discussion of your skills, experience and motivations | Behavioural stories mapped to the role description |
| 3. Job-specific assessment | Possibly a business case study or a coding test, depending on the role; assessments may differ at each stage | Ask your recruiter what format to expect and practise it under time pressure |
| 4. Checks | References, security and background checks; for some roles or locations, a medical assessment | Line up referees early and tell them to expect a call |
| 5. Offer | A verbal offer, then a contract | Know your salary range and start date before this point |
Source: Telstra's How we hire page, as of October 2026. Telstra also says it will work with you on adjustments or accessibility support at any stage, and the page lists a contact for requesting them.
Experienced roles: what to expect
Telstra's tips for professionals add some detail to the five steps:
- Customer-facing roles start with an assessment. If the role involves interacting with customers, you'll complete an assessment of your customer service skills after you apply. For other roles, Telstra says it will tell you if an assessment is needed.
- The recruiter call is about motivation and fit. If your application is successful, a recruiter calls to find out about your motivations and whether you're a good fit for the role.
- The main interview is behavioural. Telstra describes a behavioural interview with the recruiter and hiring manager, where you show your skills, personality and work experience.
- Background checks come before the final offer.
For any customer service assessment, coding test or case study: take the assessment yourself and follow the employer's rules — use CoPilot Interview to practice beforehand.
Telstra's interview tips for professionals are practical: research the company and the business unit you're applying to, read about recent developments and any awards your area has won, learn a little about your interviewers (your recruiter will tell you who they are), dress appropriately for face-to-face or video interviews, and prepare questions to ask. Our list of questions to ask the interviewer is a good starting point.
How does the Telstra graduate interview work?
For the Telstra Graduate and Summer Internship programs, Telstra publishes this sequence (as of October 2026):
- Online application. A short form to check eligibility, plus your resume and most recent academic transcript.
- Video interview and online assessment. Run on a third-party video interviewing platform. Take the assessment yourself and follow the employer's rules — use CoPilot Interview to practice beforehand.
- Final virtual interview in three parts: a Q&A session with current graduates; a case study, where you receive a topical issue before the interview and prepare a three-to-five-minute pitch; and a behavioural interview with motivational and behavioural questions.
- Checks, such as a security or background check.
- Offer. Telstra says candidates who just miss out may be kept in its talent pool for roles later in the year.
Telstra's video interview tips
Telstra says you can listen to each question before you record, you get three attempts per question, and you're welcome to refer to notes. It also suggests a quiet space, a reliable connection, no strong light behind you and a quick check of what's in the frame. Our guide to one-way video interviews explains the format, and how to practise for a video interview covers rehearsal.
Preparing the three-to-five-minute case pitch
A short pitch rewards structure more than detail. A simple outline we suggest:
- The issue in one sentence and who it affects.
- Why it matters to Telstra: customers, the network, the community or the business.
- Your recommendation, with two or three reasons.
- Risks and trade-offs, and how you'd manage them.
- A first step and how you'd measure success.
Time yourself. Four minutes spoken aloud is roughly 500 to 600 words, so a full script is usually too long; work from five headings instead. Our guide to graduate program interviews in Australia covers case exercises across employers.
What behaviours does Telstra look for?
Telstra's graduate tips suggest reading about its strategy, purpose and values before the interview. As of October 2026, Telstra states its purpose as "to build a connected future so everyone can thrive", its current corporate strategy is called Connected Future 30, and in FY24 it launched the "Big Three" behaviours and habits that it says will shape its culture (Telstra's behaviours and habits). Older Telstra pages still mention its earlier T25 strategy and four values, so use the current pages when you prepare.
| Behaviour | Habits Telstra lists | Practice question (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Look Beyond | See the big picture; strive for customers; learn and adapt | "Tell me about a time you changed your approach after learning what a customer actually needed." |
| Work as One | Listen first; speak up; align and commit | "Describe a time you disagreed with a team decision. What did you do once it was made?" |
| Make a Difference | Do what matters; own it; act with care | "Tell me about something that went wrong on your watch and how you handled it." |
These are practice questions we wrote, not questions Telstra has published. Telstra doesn't publish its interview question bank or scoring method.
Example answer we wrote: Work as One ("align and commit")
An example for illustration, not a real candidate's answer.
- Situation: "Our project team chose to launch a new self-service feature in one state first. I'd argued for a national launch."
- Task: "Once the decision was made, my job was to make the pilot succeed, not to relitigate it."
- Action: "I said my piece in the planning meeting with data, then agreed on the success measures with the team. I built the dashboard for the pilot and shared weekly results with everyone, including the risks I'd been worried about."
- Result: "The pilot found two problems with how customers in regional areas used the feature, which we fixed before the national rollout. I learned that a staged launch was the better call."
Our free STAR story builder helps you shape your own, and our guide to behavioural interview questions in Australia covers the wider format.
How to prepare for a Telstra interview
- Read the current strategy pages. Know the purpose, the Big Three and one recent development in the business unit you're applying to.
- Prepare six to eight stories. Cover customer focus, teamwork, a disagreement, a mistake you owned, learning something fast, and a result you're proud of.
- Know your numbers. Our guide to answering salary expectations in Australia covers how to give a range.
- Practise out loud. CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud, scores each spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer, and ends with a report card. The free plan gives you 15 minutes a day with no account, and the browser AI mock interview needs nothing installed. AI feedback can be wrong, so keep your answers in your own words.
Rehearse your Telstra answers before the real thing
Practise behavioural questions and timed answers out loud, get each one scored out of 10 and see what to fix. Free for 15 minutes a day, no account needed.
Try a free AI mock interviewFAQ
What are the stages of a Telstra interview?
Telstra publishes five steps: a brief recruiter phone screen, a hiring manager interview, a possible job-specific assessment such as a business case study or coding test, references plus security and background checks, and a verbal offer followed by a contract.
Is the Telstra interview behavioural?
Yes. For professionals, Telstra describes a behavioural interview with the recruiter and hiring manager. The graduate final interview also includes a behavioural interview with motivational and behavioural questions.
What is the Telstra graduate case study?
Before the final virtual interview, you receive a topical issue and prepare a three-to-five-minute pitch. It sits alongside a Q&A with current graduates and a behavioural interview.
How many attempts do you get in the Telstra video interview?
Telstra's tips say you get three attempts per question, you can listen to each question before recording, and you may refer to notes.
What values does Telstra look for?
As of October 2026, Telstra's purpose is to build a connected future so everyone can thrive, and its Big Three behaviours are Look Beyond, Work as One and Make a Difference. Prepare stories that show these in action.
Does Telstra do background checks?
Yes. Telstra lists references, security and background checks before an offer, and says some roles or locations may also need a medical assessment.