Entry-level interview advice — "practice STAR answers", "research the company" — still applies at mid-career, but it's not enough. Once you have 5–10 years of experience, interviewers are testing judgment, not just competence, and most candidates under-prepare for that shift.
Prepare a "why now, why this" answer that's actually specific
Generic answers about growth and challenge sound identical across every candidate. Interviewers remember specifics: what exactly in your current role is limiting, and what specifically about this one solves it.
Bring two or three real trade-off decisions
At mid-career level, interviewers want to see how you think under ambiguity, not just what you accomplished. Prepare examples where you had to choose between two reasonable options and explain your reasoning — not just the outcome.
- A time you disagreed with a decision and how you handled it
- A project that didn't go as planned and what you'd do differently
- A time you had to make a call with incomplete information
Prepare questions that show you've thought about the role's constraints
Asking about team structure, current priorities and what success looks like in the first 90 days signals more seniority than asking about perks or process.
Working with a FOGS recruiter on an active mandate? Ask them for role-specific prep — they usually know exactly what the hiring manager is testing for.