The best AI prompts for interview preparation turn the assistant into three things you rarely have: a question-predictor that has read the job description, a patient interviewer who will ask the same question ten times, and a critic who will score your answer honestly. Here are the prompts for each, ready to copy.
They work in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot. Most work best in a single conversation per interview, so the assistant keeps the job description and your resume in view throughout.
Start by giving it the context
Every prompt below gets sharper if you open the conversation like this:
I have an interview for [job title] at [company]. Below are the job description and my resume. Keep both in mind for the rest of this conversation. Do not invent anything about my experience; if you need a detail, ask me. [Job description] [Resume]
The last instruction matters as much here as on a resume. An AI that "helpfully" fills gaps in your story will prepare you to say things you cannot back up.
Prompts to predict the questions
1. The likely question list
Based on the job description and my resume, list the 15 questions I am most likely to be asked, grouped as: about the role, about my experience, behavioural ("tell me about a time"), and about gaps or weaknesses an interviewer might probe. For each, add one line on what the interviewer is really trying to find out.
That last line — the question behind the question — is often more useful than the question itself.
2. The awkward questions
Looking at my resume against this job, what are the three things an interviewer is most likely to be sceptical about? For each, give me the question they might ask and the honest point I should make in reply.
3. Role-specific depth
What technical or role-specific questions would a hiring manager for [job title] ask to check real competence rather than general enthusiasm? Give me eight, from basic to hard.
Prompts to practise
4. Drill mode: one question, repeated
Ask me "[question]". After my answer, tell me in three bullet points what worked and what to change, then ask it again. Repeat until I say stop. Keep feedback short.
Drilling one difficult question five times does more than answering twenty once.
5. Full mock interview
Run a realistic 30-minute interview for this role. Ask one question at a time and wait for my answer. Ask natural follow-up questions when my answer is vague, as a real interviewer would. Do not give feedback until I type "end interview"; then give me an overall assessment and the three answers that most need work.
Our step-by-step guide to practising interviews with ChatGPT covers how to run this by voice, which is much closer to the real thing.
6. Pressure mode
Now play a sceptical, slightly impatient interviewer. Interrupt when I ramble, challenge any claim that sounds vague, and ask "what exactly did you do?" whenever I say "we". Stay professional, not rude.
Use this once you are comfortable. It prepares you for the interviewer who does not smile.
Prompts for behavioural questions
7. Build a STAR story
Help me turn this experience into a STAR answer (Situation, Task, Action, Result): [describe what happened]. Ask me questions to fill in anything missing — especially what I personally did and what the measurable result was. Keep the final answer under two minutes spoken. Do not add details I have not given you.
8. Match stories to questions
Here are summaries of my six best work stories: [list]. For each of the behavioural questions you predicted earlier, tell me which story fits best and which part of it to emphasise.
Behavioural questions deserve their own preparation; see how to prepare for behavioural interviews with AI and our STAR method guide with AI examples.
Prompts to score your answers
9. The scoring rubric
Score my answer below from 1 to 5 on each of: directly answers the question; specific rather than general; shows what I personally did; includes a result; right length. Explain each score in one line and give me one change that would raise the lowest score. Question: [question]. My answer: [answer]
A rubric stops the feedback from drifting into general encouragement, which is what assistants default to.
10. The filler check
Here is a transcript of my spoken answer: [paste]. Count filler words and phrases, point out where I wandered off the question, and show me the same answer at two-thirds the length.
Prompts for research and your own questions
11. Company briefing
I will paste text from [company]'s website, recent news and the job posting. Summarise what they do, what seems to matter to them right now, and three ways my experience connects to that. Only use what I paste; tell me what you would need to verify.
Pasting the sources yourself avoids the assistant confidently describing a company from out-of-date or invented information.
12. Questions to ask them
Suggest eight thoughtful questions I could ask at the end of this interview that show I have understood the role, avoiding anything answered in the job description. Include two about how success is measured in the first 90 days.
What AI practice cannot do
- It cannot judge your delivery from typed answers — pace, eye contact, energy. Practise out loud, and record yourself at least once.
- It is kinder than real interviewers by default. Ask for pressure mode and honest scores.
- It must not be in the room. Using AI to prepare is preparation. Having it feed you answers during a live interview is misrepresentation — and a delayed, oddly polished answer is exactly what interviewers learn to notice.
A simple preparation plan
- Three days before: prompts 1–3, then write or refresh six STAR stories (prompt 7).
- Two days before: drill your three hardest questions (prompt 4), scoring each attempt (prompt 9).
- The day before: one full mock interview (prompt 5), then prompts 11–12.
- The morning of: no AI. Reread your stories and your questions, and stop.
Interview preparation takes up five chapters of Use AI to Get Hired: predicting questions and the three practice modes, building a STAR story bank, the common questions, technical and role-specific interviews, and video and AI-assisted interviews — including exactly where the ethical line sits. The book's free toolkit includes a full mock-interview prompt; you can get it on the Use AI to Get Hired page.
And if your resume still needs work before you get to this stage, start with our AI prompts for resume writing.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI is best for interview practice?
Any capable assistant works for typed practice. For spoken practice, choose one with a good voice mode, because answering out loud is the skill you are building.
How many mock interviews should I do?
One or two full mocks per interview is usually enough. Most of the gain comes from drilling your hardest few questions repeatedly.
Can AI predict the exact questions I will be asked?
No, but it can predict the categories reliably from the job description, and most real questions fall into them.