If you have made it past the CV screening and ATS filters, congratulations. You have cleared the first hurdle. Now comes the second one: the interview.
For years, interview preparation meant one thing: find a coach, pay hundreds of pounds, practise telling your STAR stories. That still works, but it is not the only path anymore. ChatGPT and other AI tools have changed what is possible. You can now build a mock interview opponent, research companies at depth, and practise answers until they feel natural, all without leaving your bedroom.
But ChatGPT interview prep and human coaching are not the same thing. They solve different problems, and the best candidates often use both. Here is what you need to know.
ChatGPT Interview Prep: What It Does Well
ChatGPT is excellent at generating interview questions, researching companies, and helping you structure answers. If you ask it "I have a behavioural interview coming up. Help me prepare STAR stories around leadership, conflict resolution, and technical problem-solving," it will generate realistic scenarios and help you articulate answers.
The tool is also patient. You can practise the same answer 20 times and get different feedback each time. It will not judge you or rush you. For students on a budget, this is invaluable.
ChatGPT is also good at research. Ask it "What does Unilever value in their marketing graduates?" and it will give you a briefing in seconds. Ask it to predict likely questions for a specific role and it will usually be right.
The cost is essentially free if you have a ChatGPT subscription (£14/month or free with the base version).
Where ChatGPT Interview Prep Falls Short
The biggest limitation is that ChatGPT is not a recruiter. It does not know what your particular interviewer cares about. It does not pick up on your nervous habits, your pacing, your tendency to over-explain. It cannot tell when you are being inauthentic or when you are genuinely connecting.
ChatGPT also cannot coach you. Coaching is not feedback. Coaching is asking you the right questions so you discover your own answers. It is helping you find the authentic story underneath the practised answer. ChatGPT generates answers, but it does not help you find your voice.
There is also a risk of over-preparation. If you practise the same structured answer too many times with ChatGPT, you can end up sounding rehearsed. Human interviewers notice this immediately. They want to see your thinking, not a script.
Interview Coaching: What It Does Well
A good interview coach watches you interview. They see your body language, your energy, where you lose the interviewer. They ask you questions that make you think differently about your story. They push back when your answer is not authentic enough. They help you find the version of your experience that is both true and compelling.
A coach also knows what different types of interviewers care about. A startup founder cares about different things than a corporate HR manager. A technical interviewer wants to see your thinking. A values-focused company wants to see your alignment. A good coach knows these nuances.
Coaching also addresses the meta-skills: how to show up, how to manage nerves, how to pace yourself, how to listen, how to ask thoughtful questions back. These skills are not in ChatGPT.
The cost is usually £50 to £300 per session, depending on the coach.
Why Most Candidates Should Use Both
The best interview preparation uses ChatGPT for the research and ideation phase, and a coach for the refinement and confidence phase.
Here is how it works:
Phase 1: Ideation (ChatGPT)
Research the company, the role, the likely questions. Generate 10 STAR stories from your experience. Create a briefing document on the company culture. Run through basic answers to common questions. This takes 2-3 hours and costs nothing.
Phase 2: Refinement (Interview Coach)
Sit down with a coach or mentor for 1-2 sessions (1-2 hours total). Practise your best answers. Get feedback on what is landing and what is not. Refine your approach. Build confidence. This is not about more practise, it is about quality feedback.
Phase 3: Integration (Self)
Go back to ChatGPT or a friend and do a final mock interview. This time, you are not learning new content, you are integrating what the coach taught you. You are finding your natural voice within the framework they helped you build.
The result is answers that are both authentic and well-structured. You sound like yourself, not a script. And you actually understand what you are saying and why it matters.
When You Should Use ChatGPT Alone (Budget Is Tight)
If you have no budget for coaching, ChatGPT is still enormously valuable. Focus on asking it the right questions.
Instead of "give me interview tips," ask it "I had a project that failed. Help me turn that into a STAR story about resilience and learning." Instead of generic practice, use it to understand your own experience more deeply.
Find one trusted friend and do mock interviews with them using questions ChatGPT generated. A friend cannot replace a coach, but feedback from someone who knows you is infinitely more valuable than feedback from ChatGPT.
When You Should Prioritise a Coach (Budget Available)
If you are interviewing for a role that is a stretch for you, or if you are interviewing with a type of company or role you have never done before, a coach is worth the investment. The feedback you get in 1-2 hours will prevent mistakes that could cost you thousands of pounds in salary.
You should also prioritise a coach if you have interview feedback patterns. For example, if every interviewer says "you seemed nervous" or "you over-explained," a coach can help you identify and fix the real issue in real time.
The Interview Coaching Session That Covers This
If you want to prepare for interviews within the context of your overall job search strategy, there is a live career coaching session that includes a full interview preparation module. Careers in the Age of AI: Getting into the Yes Pile covers how to get past ATS, how to optimise LinkedIn, how to rebuild your CV, and how to prepare for interviews in a way that actually gets offers.
The session includes personal coaching on your own interview scenarios and follow-up support. Details at alessandradilorenzo.com/career-coaching
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ChatGPT replace interview coaching?
For research and practise, yes. For feedback and refinement, no. ChatGPT can help you prepare, but it cannot tell you what your interviewer actually cares about or help you find your authentic voice.
How long should I spend prepping for an interview with ChatGPT?
2-3 hours before the interview. Use it for company research, question generation, and STAR story building. After that, over-practising leads to sounding rehearsed.
What should I ask ChatGPT before an interview?
Ask it to research the company, generate likely interview questions, help you build STAR stories, research the interviewer if you have a name, and predict what values the company will test.
Is it obvious when someone has prepped with ChatGPT?
Only if they have over-prepared. A well-coached answer sounds natural. A ChatGPT-and-nothing-else answer sounds rehearsed. The best approach combines ChatGPT prep with coaching or mentor feedback.
