Preparing For Your BruntWork Client Interview
Congratulations on being selected to interview with a client at BruntWork.
This is your time to shine and an opportunity for you to decide if this role is right for you.
While every client is different, we’ve put together these best practice tips guaranteed to put your best foot forward.
What to expect
The interview will be over a Google Meet or Zoom video call, hosted by a BruntWork representative and joined by the client.
At the start of the interview we’ll introduce you and ask you why you think you’re a good fit for the role.
Have your response ready, don’t make it too long (just a couple of sentences highlighting your most relevant experiences and skillsets).
From there, we’ll prompt the client to ask you their questions. You should have at least 1 or 2 questions for them by the end of the interview. The interview should take approximately 20-30 minutes.
Professional appearance
These small presentation details make a big difference.

- Have your camera turned on. Check your webcam is working properly beforehand and you know how to switch the camera settings in the video call app in case you run into technical issues on the call.
- Use the Virtual Background Image our recruitment team provides you before the call.
- Ensure you are wearing neat and professional clothing. There’s no need to be overly formal (no ties, or suits needed). But ensure you are appropriately dressed. A business or other collared shirt (eg Polo shirt) is highly recommended for men.
- Position yourself in the camera frame. Your entire face should be roughly centered and the camera positioned to show up to your shoulders and chest.
- Use a laptop/computer, do not use your mobile phone for the video call, unless you experience a technical issue and this is the only option to connect. If this happens, acknowledge the technical issue you have when on the interview, and let them know it’s only temporary.
Clear audio quality
- Attend the interview in an environment with no or minimal background noise. You should ideally be in a room alone to avoid distractions.
- Check your audio quality. Use the sound recorder app on your computer to check if your audio is clear and understandable.
- Use a headset if you have one available.
Research the client’s business beforehand and ask questions
Where possible, we will provide you with the client’s website prior to the interview, so you can understand what they do. You don’t need to know everything about them, but having a basic understanding of their business beforehand will demonstrate your interest in the role.
If the website link doesn’t work, or you can’t find any information about them, please contact your BruntWork Recruiter so they can provide you the details before the interview.
During the interview, make sure you have at least 1 or 2 questions ready to ask the client further about their company or the role. It’s as much of a chance for you to interview the client, as it is for them to interview you. Ask any questions you feel you need to understand the role better to confirm you’ll be a good fit for the role and will succeed with the client.
Be specific and use examples in your answers
Example question: “What is your experience with bookkeeping tasks?”
- Generic Answer: I managed the financial recordings for one of my clients so I have experience with bookkeeping
- Specific Answer: In a previous role for a Canadian e-commerce company I was a bookkeeper for about a year. My main responsibility was accurately reconciling expense transactions and helping to create invoices using Quickbooks.
Use the STAR method to answer behavioral and example questions:
- Situation: Set the scene and give the necessary details of your example.
- Task: Describe what your responsibility was in that situation.
- Action: Explain exactly what steps you took to address it.
- Result: Share what outcomes your actions achieved.
Example Interview Question: “Can you share an example of how you handled a dissatisfied customer?”
Example STAR Response: “In my customer support role, I dealt with a customer upset about a delayed product delivery (Situation). It was my responsibility to address their concerns and find a solution (Task). I apologized for the inconvenience, and in our ordering system could see the reason for the delay which I explained to the customer. We also had a policy to provide a discount code for their next order if necessary, which I did (Action). The customer was still unhappy about the delay but provided positive feedback we were able to respond to them quickly and appreciated the next order discount. This also resulted in a further order from them, ensuring their would be a repeat customer with us. (Result).”
Be honest
Sell yourself, but don’t oversell yourself.
If you don’t have a specific skill or experience the client is asking about, we want you to provide real and honest answers. However depending on the role, you may also want to draw upon similar or related experience you do have, and raise the possibility that you would be able to pick up the learnings very quickly.
Question: “Do you have any sales experience?”
Answer: I haven’t been in any specific sales focused roles previously, but I’ve been in client account management for the last 4 years. For example in my last role at a Australian building supplies company I managed 40 customer accounts where I directly communicated with clients to assist the enquiries – building an ongoing relationship with them and assisting with their orders. I worked closely with our sales team to understand our products and customer’s needs so I believe I would be able to pick up the sales process quickly and would like the opportunity to expand from account management to new client sales.
Relax and be confident
Job interviews can be stressful but you’ll make a better impression if you come across as confident and relaxed. The above tips can be a lot to take in, so feel free to practice expected questions (don’t read off a script during the interview though, its really easy to tell) and have your talking points ready so you’re less likely to be caught off guard.