The moment has arrived: you've written a strong application, and the client has invited you to an interview.
Interviews are your chance to stand out, build trust, and show a client why you’re the right person for their project. Whether you love interviews or hate them, our guide will help you prepare effectively and make a confident impression.
First, our golden rules:
Leafr's golden rules for interviews
Don’t discuss your rate with the client: if they ask, please refer them back to us. You keep 100% of the rate you quote on Leafr.
Keep [email protected] CC'd in all client communications.
Clients cannot offer work to Leafr consultants outside of the platform, including any follow-on projects.
If a client contacts you outside of Leafr, please refer them back to us. We unfortunately will need to remove you from the platform if we find you have contracted projects or extensions with Leafr clients outside of the platform.
We record every interview, and we'll check in with you if we find any of the guidelines have been broken.
Now, here are our tips:
Leafr's guide to doing well in interviews
Tip 1: Prepare thoroughly – know the project and know yourself
Before your interview, revisit the Project Brief and your own profile and application (those are what the client see). Ask yourself:
What were the client’s stated goals and challenges?
What skills or experience did I highlight in my application?
How do my past projects and experiences relate to this opportunity?
Reading the brief carefully will help you avoid repeating generic points and show the client you’ve paid attention to the specific details of their project.
It's useful to make notes on which of your own experiences are most relevant to the project: prepare 2 to 3 examples of similar work you’ve done, ideally with measurable outcomes. Clients appreciate hearing about impact, especially in similar roles.
Tip 2: Be presentable (general interview hygiene)
By 'hygiene' we mean: basic rules for coming to interviews. These seem simple, but they can easily be forgotten.
There is a lot of research that suggests that simple presentation improvements make the content of your answers seem stronger, even if you're saying the exact same thing. So:
Dress appropriately, even for video calls (at least the visible part).
Be on time. Join the meeting 2 to 3 minutes early.
Sit in a quiet, well-lit space with a light source facing your face.
Make sure you have a tidy background (or use a filter).
Do not eat or multitask during the interview.
Try and look into where your camera light is, not where your or the clients' faces are on the screen.
Tip 3: Establish rapport: it helps if they like you
Research from psychology consistently shows that likability strongly influences hiring decisions. In short, clients want to work with someone who is not just capable, but also pleasant to work with. Simple ways to build rapport include:
Start with warmth. A friendly greeting and a smile go a long way, especially in video calls.
Show curiosity. Ask about their organisation, team, or motivations behind the project.
Find common ground. If you share an interest in a sustainability cause, location, or sector, bring it up naturally.
Mirror their communication style. If they’re formal, match it. If they’re more relaxed, you can be a bit more conversational too.
Be enthusiastic about their mission. Clients want to feel that you're genuinely invested in what they’re trying to achieve.
Tip 4: Understand what the client is really looking for
Clients are not just hiring skills. They are hiring someone they can trust to deliver outcomes, communicate clearly, and work independently.
Before you join the interview, consider what the client is looking for, and how you can demonstrate you have those strengths. For example:
Are they early in their sustainability journey? Position yourself as the person who can educate them and develop their thinking.
Do they need help solving a gnarly problem? Share how you’ve navigated tricky scenarios or uncertainty in past work.
Do they want to trust you to work along? Demonstrate that you don’t need constant oversight to deliver.
Will you be working with their team? Talk about how you're a team player.
Do they need good time or project management? Show how you can bring this.
Tip 5: Asking smart questions: what will you ask them?
Interviews are two-way conversations. Leave a bit of time for thoughtful questions at the end: this shows you are engaged, curious, and strategic. Try asking:
How far on your sustainability journey are you?
What’s the biggest challenge you foresee in this project?
What would make this engagement successful?
How will we communicate or check in during the project?
What other internal or external stakeholders are involved?
Is there anything you would like to clarify from my application?
Tip 6: How to use AI to help you prep for interviews
AI tools like ChatGPT can be powerful allies when preparing for interviews.
However, this should go without saying: do not use AI tools during the interview itself. Clients will expect you to be fully present, responsive, and engaged in real time.
Here are some tactical ways to use these tools to prepare effectively:
Generate mock interview questions. Paste the project brief into ChatGPT and ask, “What questions might a client ask based on this brief?”
Practice your responses. Ask ChatGPT to role-play a client and conduct a simulated interview. This can help you rehearse under pressure and identify weak spots.
Polish your examples. Share your career stories or project summaries with ChatGPT and ask for suggestions on how to make them clearer, more structured, or more compelling using frameworks like STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
Clarify sustainability terms. If the brief references a standard you're unfamiliar with, ask ChatGPT to explain it or summarise it in plain terms.
Prepare questions to ask. Ask for suggestions of thoughtful questions tailored to the industry, project type, or goals described in the brief.
A word of caution: AI can help you prepare, but it cannot replace authenticity. Trust yourself, and make sure your answers reflect your real experience and voice.
Tip 7: Use the STAR technique to structure your answers
The STAR technique is a simple and proven method to keep your answers clear and outcome-oriented. While it's widely known, it's easy to forget to use it, and we find it really helpful for keeping yourself on track.
STAR stands for:
Situation – What was the context or challenge?
Task – What was your role or responsibility?
Action – What steps did you take to address the challenge?
Result – What happened and what impact did your work have?
Instead of saying "I helped a client with a carbon reporting project", you might say:
"The client was preparing for B Corp certification (Situation), and I was brought in to lead their first carbon footprint assessment (Task). I gathered Scope 1 and 2 emissions data, ran calculations using the GHG Protocol, and created a roadmap for reductions (Action). As a result, they successfully completed their B Impact Assessment and published their first sustainability report (Result)."
Prepare a few STAR-style stories in advance that relate to the project type or skills highlighted in the brief. This makes your answers more compelling and shows you’re ready to deliver.
Further Resources and Reading
Want to improve your interview technique even more? These expert-backed guides are a great place to start:
Let us know if you have questions, and good luck.