An AI interview isn’t a test designed to “catch the candidate off guard.” It’s a new form of recruitment conversation—faster, more standardized, and, when done right, fairer. “Fairer?” you might ask.

Yes, here at Solu, we believe that being judged based on a few keywords and filtered by an automated system isn’t fair. Not even the best and most capable candidates can have a perfect resume. So we believe that talking to the AI—having a real conversation—is the best way to get past the AI systems used to filter keywords from resumes.

To return to the original point, for the candidate, the best preparation isn’t trying to “trick the system,” but learning to respond clearly, objectively, and with concrete examples. In practice, those who prepare well for an AI interview tend to stand out for three reasons: they respond in a more structured way, convey greater confidence, and make better use of the conversation time. This is especially true in processes like ours, where AI conducts the first interview with all candidates and helps compare profiles based on actual responses.

What Changes in an Interview with AI

The main difference is that you’re not talking to a person, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t being properly evaluated. AI has a huge advantage in this first interview: it doesn’t depend on the day, the time, the schedule, or the mood, and it doesn’t have a follow-up meeting. There are no off-the-cuff questions, nor does it vary in its focus on the candidate, whether it’s Monday morning or Friday at 6 p.m. And in the case of AI, interviews even take place on Saturdays and Sundays.

AI typically follows a more structured process, focusing on the skills most important for the position and on understanding your career path and experience across various professional opportunities. This means your answers need to be direct, organized, and—just as in an interview with any person—honest.

Many people make the mistake of trying to “sound perfect” instead of being clear. In an AI interview, vague, overly long, or overly general answers tend to perform worse than simple, well-articulated examples. The system needs useful information to compare candidates, and that information comes from the quality of what you say.

The better the input (the information coming in), the better the output (the information going out).

How to prepare beforehand

Before the interview, it’s a good idea to carefully review the job posting and identify three things:

1. which experiences are essential,
2. which behavioral competencies matter most, and,
3. what results the company is likely hoping to achieve with this hire.

It’s also important to highlight specific examples from your career. Think of real-life situations where you solved a problem, worked under pressure, learned something quickly, or handled a conflict. Instead of memorizing stock phrases, build a small collection of short stories that can address different types of questions.

The same golden rules apply to any remote interview:

1. Make sure you're in a quiet place with a good internet connection.
2. Set aside that time exclusively for conversation, and don’t rush your answers.
3. Stay calm, make sure you understand the questions, and ask for clarification if you need it. There’s nothing wrong with that.

The big advantage is that you can have your interview with our virtual recruiter, Sol, on Saturdays and Sundays, without the pressure of your work schedule during the week.

To copy and paste or not to copy and paste; that is the question

Yes, people use AI to conduct interviews with AI. And yes, AI can detect signs of AI use. That’s a bit of a mouthful, but you get the idea. At Solu, when AI is used, recruiters receive a brief alert at the start of the application review and also at points where the signs are most evident.

Our advice to all applicants is this: anything that’s about you and repetitive—such as your career path, your background, your education, etc.—should be copied and pasted. This information cannot be generated by AI (yes, it can be refined by AI, we know).

Now, when asked directly about a specific part of your experience, type it out or send an audio recording, but don’t copy and paste, because the AI will detect that. There are several ways the AI can detect this.

Here’s a great tip: talk about your superpower—even if it’s not directly related to the job opening—but something you feel sets you apart and makes you stand out as a professional.

Do you think you have a unique talent for negotiation, and have you ever turned a Christmas argument into a heartwarming family bonding experience? We’d love to hear about it.

Have you ever had to handle a last-minute request that you knew nothing about and quickly came up with a mental process that helped you get the job done? That’s really cool—tell us more!

We view this type of self-awareness or self-assessment as an important factor in building the candidate profile that will be presented to the recruiter. This is part of one of the three core analyses we use to distinguish between candidates and recommend profiles for specific positions, thereby increasing the likelihood that the best candidate will be evaluated and considered.

In the chart above, you can see that there are specific requirements for certain points (each position requires different points, tailored to the needs of the role and the culture of the company and team to which that position belongs).

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How to respond more effectively

A good interview favors those who answer in a structured way. A simple approach is to use the logic of context, action, and result.

1. First, you set the scene.
2. Then explain what you did.
3. Finally, explain what happened as a result.

For example, instead of simply saying that you “handle pressure well,” it’s better to describe when the pressure arose, what you prioritized, and what the outcome was. This type of response gives the AI concrete information to assess your experience, your thought process, and your consistency.

What to avoid

Avoid overly generic answers, such as “I’m very proactive” or “I like challenges,” without giving any specific examples. Also, don’t try to exaggerate your experience, because AI interviews tend to dig deeper into your answers, and inconsistencies will quickly become apparent.

Another common mistake is to speak as if you were writing a résumé. An interview is a conversation, not a list of qualifications. If you only mention job titles, tools, and buzzwords—without any context or background—the assessment loses its impact.

The right mindset

Those who do best in AI interviews understand that this stage is meant to reveal potential, not to humiliate anyone. At Solu, Sol was designed to listen to more people, with less bias and fewer hasty judgments.

So, instead of trying to “outsmart” the AI, use the interview as an opportunity to showcase what your resume alone can’t convey. If you know how to do the job, you can explain how you did it, the context in which you did it, and the impact it had. That’s what Solu wants to hear—and that’s what helps you move forward fairly in the process.