Interview Tips

Be yourself

At PepsiCo, we believe what makes you unique, makes us better. You were selected to move forward for the interview because we think you have a lot to bring to the table. Share your experiences, ideas and the innovations you have brought to your organization. Showcase your personality – no one is better you than you!

Come prepared 

Success at PepsiCo centers around 5 leadership principles we call the GREAT5 – our framework for what it takes to be a great leader:

• Growth: reflects a person's curiosity and ability to learn from novel situations by constantly pushing outside their comfort zone and helping others to learn and develop.
• Relationships: involves building and maintaining trusting relationships across organizational boundaries by modeling integrity, transparency and authenticity, and being respectful and inclusive of others.
• Execution: is the energy, enthusiasm and inspiration an individual brings to take action and accomplish ambitious goals, and it is simplifying complexity to drive quality results.
• Agility: involves adapting a person's style and approach to an ever-changing business environment, managing pressure, and embracing and championing change to drive transformation.
• Thinking: reflects how an employee brings in and uses external insights (business, customer or consumer, industry, global), thinks creatively, and takes a long-term and holistic perspective to make informed decisions.

Learn about our business

Be sure to look around our Gradcracker Hub to learn more about our business, brands, mission and more!

The STAR method

The questions that will be asked during your interview will be behavioral based, so it is important to be concise with your responses and think about them using the STAR format:

• Situation: What was the situation or Task that you were asked to fulfill?
• Action: What action did YOU take? It is very important to keep the focus on you in this situation – how did you take steps to resolve the problem or improve a process?
• Result: What was accomplished? How did the situation end? Whenever possible, be sure to share your examples in a quantifiable way & how you impacted productivity or financials.

Virtual interviewing tips 

Most of your interviews will take place virtually; this is the safest, most convenient way for us to get to know you. We are excited about the sustainability benefits of virtual interviewing! Speaking of which, you’ll want to know more about our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) ambition and how we’re charting a new course to drive positive action for the planet and people. We understand that virtual interviews may still be new to some, so we recommend preparing for this in advance using the tips below.

Choose the best location

When setting up for your video interview, try to find a location with a background that is free of clutter or distractions. Virtual backgrounds are a great way to ensure a neutral, professional setting. When it comes to lighting, a natural light source is best. If you do not have access to a natural light source, a lamp with soft lighting is another option. Your light source should be in front of your face in order to minimize shadows and ensure you will be fully visible on camera.

Test your tech

The night before your interview, open the computer that you will be using to make sure no updates need to be done. Double check that you are able to open your video link/app, and familiarize yourself with the interface. Right before your interview, close out your email to limit pop ups & distractions. Plug in your computer so it remains charged throughout the interview. Make sure you have a stable internet connection – lags and breaks in communication make it difficult to relay all of your accomplishments to the hiring team!

Engage with the camera

During your interview, your face should be fully visible on screen. Your camera should be positioned where you are in the center and at eye level. When answering the interview questions, look at the camera instead of yourself on the screen. It might feel silly, but putting a picture of a loved one or a post-it reminder by your camera is a good way to remind yourself where to look while speaking. When your interviewer is speaking, it is important to look at their live video to pick up on body language and reactions.