Learning and Leadership › Women’s Academy › Professional Skills and Career Development › Job Interview Preparation › Course Materials
An interview is a conversation you can prepare for. In this course you will learn, through practical exercises, the most common questions, the STAR method for answering with examples, etiquette for in-person and online interviews, and how to follow up afterwards.
Course page in the learning system
Course details
| Level | Beginner to intermediate |
| Estimated duration | 7 hours of study and practice |
| Prerequisite | Preferably the ‘Professional Resume Writing’ course |
| Language of instruction | Farsi-e-Dari (with key English terms) |
| Cost | Free |
| Assessment | A test after each section and a final exam; pass mark 70%; certificate after Academy approval |
After this course you will be able to
- Recognise the types of interview (telephone, online, in person, group) and prepare for each
- Answer common questions with structured responses
- Use the STAR method to tell clear stories about your experiences and challenges
- Ask thoughtful questions at the end of the interview
- Send a professional thank-you and follow-up email after the interview
Course outline
- Researching the organisation
- Matching your CV to the job
- Mental preparation
- ‘Tell us about yourself’
- Strengths and weaknesses
- ‘Why this organisation?’
- Situation, task, action, result
- Preparing 5 ready stories
- Practising out loud
- Technology and setting
- Body language and clothing
- Interviews in English
- Asking the interviewer questions
- Thank-you email
- Handling rejection and learning from it
Week-by-week learning path
With about 30 to 45 minutes of study and practice a day, you will finish this course in 6 weeks:
| Week | Topic | Weekly output |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Preparation | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 2 | Common questions | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 3 | The STAR method | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 4 | Online and in-person interviews | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 5 | Closing and follow-up | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 6 | Final project and final exam | Completed project and a score of 70% or more |
Final project
A 20-minute practice interview (with a friend or mentor) for a real job advert: research on the organisation, five STAR stories, two questions for the interviewer, an audio or video recording, and a written reflection on strengths and areas to improve.
Project assessment criteria:
- Quality of the research on the organisation
- STAR structure and a clear result
- Body language and voice
- Honest reflection and an improvement plan
Key course terms
Interview
STAR method
Situation, Task, Action, Result
Body language
Behavioral interview
Thank-you email
Salary expectation
Feedback
Assessment and certificate
- After each section: a short test (70% recommended before continuing)
- Practical exercises in each lesson are for learning; send your questions via Questions the link provided.
- End of course: final exam (pass mark 70%) and submission of the final project
- Digital certificate after review and approval by the Academy: Request a certificate
Teaching approach
Each lesson includes learning objectives, explanations with real examples and images, key terms in Farsi-e-Dari and English, common mistakes, a practical exercise, a self-test and a summary. In every lesson you can put your questions to the teacher using the Questions button. The courses are impartial, free and open to all young people.
Get ready now
- Watch the Academy’s ‘5 interview questions’ video on our official pages
- Write a 60-second answer to ‘Tell us about yourself’ and practise it out loud
- Review lesson 6.3 ‘Video calls’ in the Basics course
Free and reliable resources
These resources were selected by the Academy team. Most are in English; Chrome’s Translate feature can help if needed. Large files (books, exercise files, videos) will be placed in the Academy’s official Google Drive folder when the course opens and linked from this page.
- GCFGlobal, free illustrated tutorials on work, computer and life skills
- Grow with Google, free digital and work skills training from Google
- OpenLearn – The Open University, hundreds of free short courses with a certificate of participation
- British Council – LearnEnglish, free English practice at all levels
Help and questions
Questions about this course: [email protected] · All courses: Online Learning Centre · Active course: Computer and Internet Basics
Women’s Academy, Afghanistan Youth Parliament · Free and open to all young people