Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog

Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog

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Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog
Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog
5 ways to prepare for interviews

5 ways to prepare for interviews

Have your elevator pitch down pat and come prepared with questions

Mandy Hofmockel's avatar
Mandy Hofmockel
Jun 26, 2025
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Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog
Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog
5 ways to prepare for interviews
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Editor’s note: This week I’m resharing a rundown on interview prep from my archives. Paid subscribers have access to all my archives. Check them out or subscribe today for more.


Interviewing can be nerve-wracking, especially if you haven’t done it in a while.

Here’s five ways to prepare and practice so you can feel a little more confident and comfortable going into an interview:

Have your elevator pitch down pat

You’re highly likely to be asked about your experience right at the start. Think about what you’ve worked on, how it relates to the role you’re applying to and how you can organize that easily for the interviewer so you stand out.

If you work on multiple projects simultaneously, you might group them into buckets.

For example, in a previous role I primarily focused on four distinct areas: the digital presentation of planned and breaking news events, audience growth and development, product improvements across platforms and managing a team. I could describe my work in these four sections in just a few minutes.

Alternatively you might go in reverse chronological order, allocating a little more time to recent jobs or responsibilities that directly relate to the role you’re applying for. You don’t need to include everything, but make sure to share some detail on the most important elements. Also come ready to talk about examples when asked.

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