How to prepare for an AI interview

Know which kind of AI interview it is

An AI interview is a job interview run by software. Some ask you to type answers, some ask you to record video answers to a camera, and some, like Octrahire's, hold a live conversation by voice and video where the interviewer asks one question at a time and follows up on what you say.

Read the invitation carefully. It should tell you the format, roughly how long it takes, which rounds to expect and the deadline. A well-run AI interview also tells you at the start that the interviewer is AI. If anything is unclear, ask the employer before you begin.

Use a laptop, desktop or tablet, not a phone

A phone screen is too small for a fair interview, and it is hard to write code on one. Octrahire asks candidates who join on a phone to switch to a laptop, desktop or tablet, and many other tools work best that way too.

• Charge the device or plug it in, and restart it if it has been on for days
• Update your browser and close other tabs and apps
• Turn off notifications so nothing pops up mid-answer
• Open the interview link a few minutes early to check that it loads

A quiet room, a working microphone and camera

• Choose a quiet room and close the door. Background voices can be picked up as part of your answer
• Wired or wireless earphones with a microphone reduce echo
• When the browser asks for microphone and camera access, allow it, and check the preview shows you clearly
• Sit facing a window or lamp rather than with the light behind you
• Put the camera at roughly eye level and sit where your face is fully in the frame
• If your internet is unreliable, sit close to the router or use a wired connection

Talk to it as you would to a person

Speak clearly at your normal pace. Let the interviewer finish its question before you start, and pause briefly when you have finished, so it is clear you are done.

It is fine to take a moment to think, to ask for a question to be repeated, or to say you are not sure and explain how you would find out. Those are normal parts of an interview, with a person or with AI.

Answer with real examples

Most interviews include behavioural questions such as “tell me about a time you worked under pressure.” Answer with a real example: the situation, what you were asked to do, what you did and how it turned out. This is the STAR method, and our guide to it has worked examples.

A live AI interviewer follows up on your answers, so a real example holds up much better than a polished general one. Be specific about your own part, and do not invent details you cannot explain.

Coding rounds: explain and defend your solution

In an Octrahire coding round you write code, then explain and defend it by speaking or typing. Getting to a working answer matters, but so does showing how you think.

• Before writing code, say how you plan to solve it and why
• Start with a simple solution that works, then improve it if there is time
• Walk through your code with a small example, including an edge case such as an empty input
• Be ready to explain the time and memory cost, and what you would change for much larger inputs
• If you notice a bug, say so and fix it. That counts in your favour
• Write the code yourself. Octrahire records events such as pasting and switching tabs, and shows them to the reviewer as advisory notes

Aptitude rounds

Aptitude rounds are timed multiple-choice questions, scored automatically. Note the time limit before you start, do not spend too long on any one question, and come back to the hard ones if the format allows it.

What happens to your data

Before an AI interview starts, you should be told what will be recorded and asked to agree. If you are not, ask the employer for their privacy notice and check what is recorded, who sees it and how long it is kept.

In Octrahire, video is never stored, and audio is stored only if you choose. Interview sessions are deleted after 90 days, data is hosted on AWS in Mumbai, India, and you can download or delete your data from your profile at any time.

Who decides, and asking for a human review

Ask who makes the decision. In Octrahire, the AI never hires or rejects anyone: a person at the employer makes every decision and must record a reason. You can ask for a person to review your interview, or object to automated processing, from your application page, and the employer must respond within 2 working days.

With other tools, ask the employer how decisions are made and how to request a human review. In the UAE and elsewhere, data protection law may give you rights over decisions based on automated processing; our guide to AI interviews and UAE law explains the basics.

Practise first

The best preparation is a practice run in the same format. Students can practise interviews free on Octrahire with an AI interviewer, by voice, in English or Arabic, including HR, technical, coding and aptitude rounds. Each practice ends with a report on what went well and what to work on, and employers do not see your practice.

If something goes wrong

If the connection drops or the interview fails to load, do not panic. Note the time, take a screenshot of any error and contact the employer through the details in your invitation as soon as you can. Technical problems happen, and a quick, calm message is the best way to get another attempt.