Plan interview preparation time.
Interview preparation splits into research that serves every round — the organisation, the market, the role — and round-specific work such as technical practice or presentation preparation. Adding them and dividing by the days available produces a daily commitment that is either realistic or a signal to ask for more time. A three-round process at three hours each plus four hours of research is thirteen hours, which does not fit into two evenings.
Interview preparation schedule
Total hours = rounds x hours per round + research hours; daily hours = total / days until first round
Two to four hours per round plus three to five hours of research is a solid standard for a professional role. Technical interviews with coding or case components frequently need eight or more hours per round.
Recent results and announcements, the competitive position, the team's public work, and specific questions you want answered. Interviewers consistently distinguish candidates on the specificity of what they know.
Usually yes, and it is rarely held against you. Asking to move a first round back by a few days to prepare properly reads as seriousness, whereas arriving underprepared costs the opportunity.