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Interview Preparation: Predict the Questions From Your CV and the Job Advert

Most interview questions are predictable from two documents you already have: your CV and the job advert. A method for working out what you will be asked, preparing STAR answers, and practising efficiently.

7 min read · Updated 2026-11-08 · By the JobLens team

Interviewers are not trying to surprise you. They have a job description with requirements to assess, and a CV in front of them with claims to test. Almost every question comes from one of those two documents. That makes preparation a matter of method rather than luck.

Where the questions come from

Build your question list

Put the advert and your CV side by side. For each requirement write the competency question it implies. For each achievement bullet, write the follow-up a sceptical interviewer would ask. You will usually end up with 20–30 questions, of which about ten will come up in some form. JobLens does this step automatically: it reads your CV and the job description and produces the likely questions with strong example answers tailored to your experience, so you spend your time practising rather than guessing.

Prepare answers with STAR — and a point

For competency questions use Situation, Task, Action, Result, and keep the Situation short — a sentence or two. Spend most of your answer on what you specifically did and what happened as a result, with a number where you can. Then add one sentence on what you learned or would do differently. That final sentence is what separates a good answer from a rehearsed one.

Practise out loud, under mild pressure

Reading answers silently does not prepare you to say them. Record yourself answering your top ten questions, listen back, and cut the waffle. Then have someone ask them in a random order. For video interviews, practise with the camera on so your eye line and background are sorted before the day.

The day before

Generate your likely interview questions

JobLens predicts the questions from your CV and the job description and gives you strong tailored answers to practise.

Prepare for my interview

Frequently asked questions

How many questions should I prepare for?

Aim for 20–30 written down, with full STAR answers for the ten most likely. Six to eight good stories will cover most of them.

What if they ask something I have not prepared?

Take a breath, ask for a moment or for clarification, then pick the closest story you have. Interviewers rate how you think far more than whether you had a script.

Should I bring my CV to the interview?

Yes — a printed copy for you and one spare. It shows preparation and lets you point to specifics.

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