Company Interview Guides
Every top employer has an interview process with its own quirks, scoring rubric, and unwritten rules. Prepping generically and hoping for the best is a losing strategy — the candidates who consistently convert final rounds are the ones who show up knowing exactly what format they will face, which attributes the hiring committee is scoring, and what the "good answer" shape looks like for that specific company. This hub collects our deep-dive guides for the 12 employers that collectively hire the largest share of our users. Each guide is written for candidates preparing over 2 to 8 weeks and includes the full hiring loop, the scoring attributes, and a focused prep plan.
Tech: Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix
The six largest tech employers all run structured behavioral loops, but they optimize for very different things. Google scores against "Googleyness" and four general-cognitive-ability attributes. Amazon scores against 16 Leadership Principles with an external Bar Raiser in the loop. Meta weights impact and speed. Apple guards its process but rewards craft and product passion. Microsoft centers growth mindset. Netflix interviews against "Freedom and Responsibility" with an unusually high bar for independent judgment. Using the wrong framework for the wrong company is the most common avoidable mistake.
Fintech & Developer Platforms: Stripe and Salesforce
Stripe and Salesforce both run behavioral loops, but their cultures reward different signals. Stripe looks for craft, systems thinking, and clear written communication — many rounds include a writing exercise or a question about trade-off analysis. Salesforce centers the "Ohana" culture and evaluates trust, customer success orientation, and values-driven leadership. For either company, generic STAR stories fall flat; you need stories that explicitly surface the attribute they care about.
Consulting & Finance: McKinsey, BCG, Goldman, JPMorgan
Consulting and finance interviews are a different animal from tech interviews. McKinsey and BCG run case interviews with hypothesis-driven structure, the McKinsey Solve game, and a Personal Experience Interview (PEI) scored against three distinct dimensions. Goldman Sachs runs a Super Day with back-to-back rounds covering technical finance, market awareness, and behavioral preparation. JPMorgan emphasizes risk awareness, analytical rigor, and client relationship skills. Each of these guides walks you through the format, the scoring lens, and a 4 to 6 week prep plan.
Guides in This Hub
How to Interview at Google: The Complete 2026 Guide
Full hiring loop, the four scoring attributes, "Googleyness" decoded, and a 4-week prep plan.
Amazon Leadership Principles: The Complete Interview Guide (2026)
The 16 Leadership Principles in plain English, the Bar Raiser explained, and a story-mapping system for the 30+ STAR stories Amazon expects.
How to Interview at Meta — Complete Guide 2026
Impact, speed, and moving fast — how Meta scores behavioral rounds and what the technical loop looks like.
How to Interview at Apple — Complete Guide 2026
Navigate Apple's secretive process with tips on craft, product passion, and attention to detail.
How to Interview at Microsoft — Growth Mindset Guide 2026
Growth mindset, inclusive leadership, and customer empathy — the three pillars of the Microsoft rubric.
How to Interview at Netflix — Freedom & Responsibility Guide 2026
Freedom and Responsibility explained: how Netflix tests independent judgment, candor, and high-performance standards.
How to Interview at Stripe — Craft & Systems Thinking Guide 2026
Craft, systems thinking, and clear written communication — the three Stripe-specific signals to surface.
How to Interview at Salesforce — Ohana Culture Guide 2026
Trust, customer success, and the Ohana culture — how Salesforce scores values-driven leadership.
McKinsey Interview Guide: Case Interview and PEI Mastery (2026)
Case interview, PEI, McKinsey Solve game, and a focused 6-week prep plan.
BCG Interview Guide — Creative Problem-Solving 2026
Creative case approaches, hypothesis-driven thinking, and BCG-specific behavioral questions.
Goldman Sachs Interview Guide — Super Day Preparation 2026
Super Day format, technical finance questions, market awareness, and behavioral prep.
JPMorgan Interview Guide — Risk & Analytics Focus 2026
Risk awareness, analytical rigor, and client relationship skills across investment banking, asset management, and technology divisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I start prepping for a specific company?
Plan for 4 weeks at a minimum for tech companies and 6 to 8 weeks for consulting firms. If you are already strong on behavioral and technical fundamentals, 2 weeks of company-specific prep is enough.
Do I need different stories for different companies?
You do not need different stories, but you do need to reframe the same stories to surface different attributes. An Amazon answer and a Google answer to the same question should emphasize different actions even if the underlying project is the same.
What if the company I am interviewing at is not in this list?
Start with the closest cultural match — most tech companies run loops that look like one of the big six, and most finance and consulting firms run variants of the McKinsey or Goldman format. Apply the relevant rubric as a starting point.
Put This Into Practice
Practice with our AI interviewer and get instant scored feedback on your answers.