In this article
About you
1. "Tell me about yourself."
What they're really asking: Can you communicate clearly? What's your professional story?
How to answer: Present â Past â Future. "I'm currently a [role] at [company] where I [key achievement]. Before that I [background]. I'm now looking for [what this role offers] because [genuine reason]." Keep it to 90 seconds.
2. "Walk me through your CV."
What they're really asking: Can you tell a coherent career story? Are there gaps or inconsistencies?
How to answer: Highlight the thread connecting your roles. Every transition should sound intentional, not accidental. Briefly address gaps with honest framing.
3. "What are your greatest strengths?"
What they're really asking: Do your strengths match what we need? Can you self-assess accurately?
How to answer: Pick 2â3 strengths directly relevant to the role. Back each one with a specific example. Avoid generic answers like "hard worker" â everyone says that.
Motivation & fit
4. "Why do you want to work here?"
What they're really asking: Have you done your homework? Are you genuinely interested or just job-hunting?
How to answer: Research the company â recent news, their product, their culture, their market position. Mention something specific. "Because you have great benefits" is a red flag answer.
5. "Why are you leaving your current job?"
What they're really asking: Will you badmouth us when you leave? Is there something concerning about why you're going?
How to answer: Stay positive. Never criticise your current employer. Focus on what you're moving toward, not what you're escaping from. "I'm looking for a role with more [X]" beats "my boss is terrible."
6. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
What they're really asking: Are you ambitious? Will you stay long enough to be worth training?
How to answer: Show ambition that fits within the company's structure. You don't need a precise answer â demonstrate that you think about growth and that this role is a genuine stepping stone, not a dead end for you.
7. "What do you know about our company?"
What they're really asking: Did you prepare, or are you interviewing at 20 companies simultaneously?
How to answer: Mention their core product/service, a recent development (news, funding, launch), and why it interested you. Five minutes of LinkedIn research before the interview is enough.
Behavioural questions â use the STAR method
8. "Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult colleague."
Intent: Interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution.
Answer: Describe the situation neutrally (no blame), your approach (direct conversation, seeking to understand their perspective), and the outcome (resolved, maintained working relationship). Never make the other person the villain.
9. "Describe a project that didn't go as planned."
Intent: Can you take responsibility? Do you learn from failure?
Answer: Pick a real example (don't invent one). Own your part in it. Explain what you learned and what you'd do differently. The self-awareness matters more than the failure itself.
10. "Give me an example of when you showed initiative."
Intent: Are you self-starting or do you need constant direction?
Answer: A specific example where you identified a problem or opportunity without being told, took action, and achieved a measurable result. The more concrete and quantified, the better.
11. "Tell me about a time you had to manage competing priorities."
Intent: Time management, decision-making under pressure, communication.
Answer: Show that you assessed impact vs. urgency, communicated proactively with stakeholders, and delivered. Avoid answers where you just "worked harder" â they want to see thinking, not martyrdom.
12. "Describe your biggest professional achievement."
Intent: What do you consider success? Can you quantify your impact?
Answer: Choose something relevant to the role. Use numbers: revenue generated, time saved, users reached, cost reduced. "I improved the process" is weak. "I cut report generation time from 4 hours to 20 minutes, saving the team 16 hours a week" is strong.
Weakness & pressure questions
13. "What is your greatest weakness?"
Intent: Self-awareness, honesty, growth mindset.
How to answer: Choose a real weakness that's not critical to the role, explain what you've done to address it, and show progress. Never say "I work too hard" or "I'm a perfectionist" â interviewers have heard these 10,000 times and it's an immediate red flag.
Example: "I used to struggle with public speaking, so I joined a Toastmasters group 18 months ago. I've now presented at three company all-hands â still not my natural strength, but no longer something that holds me back."
14. "How do you handle stress and pressure?"
Intent: Resilience and coping mechanisms.
How to answer: Be honest and specific. Describe your actual approach: prioritisation, breaking problems down, asking for help when needed, maintaining routines. Give a concrete example of performing well under pressure.
15. "How do you respond to feedback and criticism?"
Intent: Coachability, ego management.
How to answer: Show that you welcome it. Give an example of feedback that stung at first but led to real improvement. The ability to receive criticism well is one of the strongest predictors of professional growth.
Closing questions
16. "What are your salary expectations?"
Intent: Are you affordable? Are you realistic about your market value?
How to answer: Research the market rate first (LinkedIn Salary, Glassdoor, industry surveys). Give a range with your target at the lower end. "Based on my research and experience, I'm looking at âŽXââŽY, though I'm open to discussing the full package." Never be the first to name a number if you can avoid it.
17. "When can you start?"
Intent: Practical logistics, notice period.
How to answer: Be honest about your notice period. If you can negotiate it, say so. Employers generally respect candidates who honour their notice period â it signals integrity.
18. "Do you have any other offers on the table?"
Intent: Are you in demand? Do they need to move fast?
How to answer: Be honest. If you have other interviews or offers, say so â it creates mild urgency and signals market value. "I'm in final stages with one other company, but this role is my first choice because..." is a strong answer.
19. "Is there anything else you'd like us to know?"
Intent: Open door for anything you haven't covered.
How to answer: Don't say "No, I think we've covered everything." Use this to reinforce your fit: mention a relevant skill or achievement that didn't come up, or reiterate your enthusiasm for the role.
20. "Why should we hire you?"
Intent: Can you sell yourself? Do you understand what we need?
How to answer: Summarise in 60â90 seconds: your relevant experience + the specific value you bring to this role + your motivation to do it well. This is your closing argument. Prepare it word-for-word.
Questions to ask the interviewer
Always have 3â5 questions ready. "No, I think we've covered everything" is a red flag â it signals low interest. Good questions to ask:
- "What does success look like in this role at 6 months and at 1 year?"
- "What are the biggest challenges someone joining this team would face?"
- "How would you describe the team culture?"
- "What's the next step in the process and timeline?"
- "What do you enjoy most about working here?" (humanises the conversation)