A mock interview prompt is the cheapest rehearsal you can do before a real interview: fill in the job description and a resume summary, and the AI turns into a no-nonsense interviewer that asks questions round by round, digs deeper with follow-ups, and scores each round. In real interviews, people rarely get rejected on the first question — it is the chain of follow-ups that exposes weak spots, and that is exactly what this prompt trains.
Who this prompt is for
- Anyone with a target role, the JD in hand, and a mostly finished resume, interviewing in the next week or two: new grads, experienced hires, and career switchers alike.
- Not for people who have not written a resume or decided what to apply for: this prompt depends on the JD and your background, and without both, the simulation stays shallow.
- Resume not ready yet? Read the resume teardown prompt that has AI play a veteran HR and critique it section by section first, fix the resume, then come back for the mock interview — the combination works far better.
The prompt (copy and use as-is)
You are now a senior interviewer for the {{Job Title}} role, with 10+ years of frontline hiring experience. You know what this role really tests, and you do not do small talk.
[Job posting]
{{Full JD}}
[My background]
{{Resume Summary}}
[Simulation rules]
1. Ask one question at a time, then stop and wait for my answer. Never fire off multiple questions in a row.
2. Start with a 1-minute self-introduction, then move through: project deep-dive → technical details → behavioral questions → candidate questions.
3. Dig deeper with follow-ups: after each of my answers, pick the most diggable point and drill one layer down, until you hit the edge of my knowledge.
4. After each round, give feedback: what was strong, what to improve, and a suggested answer structure (e.g. STAR).
5. At the end, output a full debrief: overall score, biggest weakness, and the 3 knowledge areas to patch next.
6. Set difficulty to {{Difficulty}}: Easy / Medium / Hell. Default is Medium.
Confirm you understand the job requirements and my background, then throw the first question.How to fill in the variables
| Variable | What to put | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| {{Job Title}} | The exact title from the posting | e.g. "Backend Engineer", "Product Manager", "Data Analyst" |
| {{Full JD}} | The job posting, pasted as-is | Keep "Responsibilities" and "Requirements"; trim the rest |
| {{Resume Summary}} | 3-5 sentences of real background | Years, key projects, skill stack — write the truth, do not invent projects |
| {{Difficulty}} | Easy / Medium / Hell | Use "Medium" first; switch to "Hell" for second/final-round prep |
Get more out of it
- One role per session. Do not mix three JDs into one prompt — the interviewer will cross-contaminate questions and the session is wasted.
- Do not ask for "model answers" up front. Answer a full round yourself first, then compare against the feedback — copying answers from the start makes the drill pointless.
- Treat the follow-ups as the main event. In real interviews, the first question rarely kills you; the chain of follow-ups does. Rule 3 exists for exactly this — the AI keeps digging until you are stuck.
- Save the debrief. Copy the "full debrief" into a list of knowledge gaps, then rerun at "Hell" difficulty the next day — that is the fastest way to patch weak spots.
