You’ve secured the interview. Now the real work begins.
At senior level, preparation is not about memorising answers to common questions. It’s about walking into the room knowing more about the company’s challenges than most of their own people — and being able to show, with evidence, that you’re the person who solves them.
Use this checklist in the week before your interview. Work through it in order.
7 Days Before
- Confirm the logistics. Date, time, format (in-person or virtual), location, and names and titles of all interviewers.
- Research each interviewer on LinkedIn. Note their background, how long they’ve been at the company, and anything they’ve posted publicly about their priorities.
- Map the business challenge behind the role. Read the job description once — then put it away and think: What problem is this company trying to solve by making this hire?
- Read the last 12 months of company news. Acquisitions, leadership changes, product launches, financial results, industry press. Know the context.
- Check their financials (if public). Revenue trajectory, margin pressure, recent restructures. Know what they need to fix at the business level.
- Read Glassdoor reviews critically. Look for patterns — not individual complaints. What do people consistently say about leadership, culture, and pace?
3–4 Days Before
- Build your evidence bank. For each of your key strengths, prepare one tight SDRA story: Situation, Decision, Action, Result — with a number attached to the result wherever possible.
- Prepare 6–8 stories minimum. Most executive interview questions, no matter how they’re phrased, are asking for one of these.
- Craft your “tell me about yourself” answer. 60–90 seconds: your current positioning, the specific value you create, and why this role makes sense now. See the full guide: How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” as a Senior Executive.
- Prepare your 3–4 strategic questions. These should demonstrate you’ve thought at the leadership level — not just the job description level. Good examples: “What does success look like at 6 and 12 months?”, “What would make you look back and say this hire was a mistake?”
- Prepare for the hardest questions. “Tell me about a decision that didn’t work out.” “What would your last team say is your biggest weakness?” Prepare honest, mature, direct answers — not deflections.
- Know your numbers cold. Revenue you’ve managed, teams you’ve led, cost savings delivered, growth percentages. If you pause to recall a figure in the room, it undermines credibility.
The Day Before
- Confirm the interview details again. Send a brief, professional note to confirm the time and who you’ll be meeting. This is a confident move, not an anxious one.
- Lay out your outfit. Don’t make that decision on the morning. See: What to Wear to an Executive Interview.
- For virtual interviews: Test your camera, microphone, lighting, and background. Close unnecessary tabs. Charge your device. Know your login link.
- Print two copies of your CV. Bring a notepad and pen. Have a portfolio or supporting materials ready if relevant to the role.
- Do a single, clean run-through of your key stories. Not a full drill — just enough to feel sharp. Over-rehearsing makes you sound scripted.
- Get a full night’s sleep. Non-negotiable.
The Day Of
- Arrive or log in 10 minutes early. Not 30 — that creates pressure for the interviewer. 10 minutes is professional.
- Leave your phone on silent and out of sight.
- Listen more than you talk. Senior interviewers notice when a candidate is waiting to speak rather than actually listening.
- Take notes. Bring a notepad. Write down what matters. It signals engagement and gives you material for your follow-up.
- Slow down. When nervous, people speed up. Pause before answering. It signals confidence, not uncertainty.
After the Interview
- Send a follow-up note within 24 hours. Not a generic “thank you for your time.” Reference one specific thing from the conversation. One paragraph is enough.
- Note the questions that caught you off guard. These are your preparation gaps for the next round or the next interview.
- Debrief honestly. Where were you strong? Where did you feel uncertain? Fix those gaps before round two.
One Thing This Checklist Can’t Fix
Thorough interview preparation assumes you’re getting into rooms with the right people in the first place.
If your pipeline is thin — if you’re waiting for recruiters to call or applying online and hearing nothing — the problem is upstream of your interview skills. Most senior professionals lose weeks or months to a job search strategy that simply doesn’t work at their level.
Find out exactly where your strategy stands. Take the free diagnostic at talentfb.net/score — it gives you a real assessment of what’s working in your job search and what’s costing you opportunities right now.
