Common interview questions, with answers that work
Most interviews come back to the same handful of questions: tell me about yourself, why this job, why you are leaving, your strengths and weaknesses, a difficult situation and salary. Answer in under two minutes, with one real example and a result. Every question below has a model answer and a note on what the interviewer is listening for.
10 questions you will hear in almost every interview
Tell me about yourself.
Sample answer
I'm a customer support lead with five years in e-commerce. For the last two I've run a team of six at an online electronics retailer, where we cut first-response time from 24 hours to 6 by reorganising how tickets are routed. I enjoy fixing processes more than firefighting, and I'm now looking for a role where I can shape the whole support operation, not just one team.
What the interviewer is checking: Whether you can summarise your career in about a minute and connect it to this job. They want the present, one proof point and where you are heading, not your life story.
Why do you want to work here?
Sample answer
I've used your app for two years and I've watched it change quickly, which tells me the team ships. Your posting says you're rebuilding the support function from scratch, and that early stage is exactly where I do my best work. The hybrid setup and the clear progression path on your careers page matter to me too.
What the interviewer is checking: That you have researched the company and the role. A generic "you're a big, stable company" signals that you are applying everywhere.
Why are you leaving your current job?
Sample answer
My current company has been good to me, but after a merger my team moved to head office and my role is now mostly reporting. I want to get back to working with customers and influencing decisions, which is what this role offers.
What the interviewer is checking: Whether you are moving towards something rather than running from something. Criticising a former manager is a red flag.
What are your greatest strengths?
Sample answer
I bring order to messy situations. When I join a team, I spend the first month mapping how work actually flows and where it gets stuck. At my last company that cut late refunds from 15% of cases to 2% within a quarter.
What the interviewer is checking: A strength that matters for this role, backed by evidence. A list of adjectives without an example tells them nothing.
What is your biggest weakness?
Sample answer
I find it hard to hand over work I know I can do myself, so with a new team I tend to take on too much. Over the past year I've tackled it with a simple rule: if someone else can do a task 80% as well, I delegate it straight away and book a short review. My team now owns two processes I used to run alone.
What the interviewer is checking: Self-awareness and proof that you are working on it. "I'm a perfectionist" is the answer they hear every day.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Sample answer
I want to grow into sales analytics. In a few years I'd like to own reporting for a whole region and help teams make decisions from data rather than gut feel. This role is a strong first step in that direction.
What the interviewer is checking: Whether your plans fit what the company can offer, and whether you are likely to leave after six months.
What are your salary expectations?
Sample answer
Based on similar roles in Berlin and my experience, I'm looking for 58,000 to 64,000 EUR a year. I'm open to discussing the full package, since things like a training budget and flexible hours matter to me as well.
What the interviewer is checking: That you know the market and give a realistic range. Asking what budget they have in mind is also acceptable.
Tell me about a time you faced a difficult situation at work.
Sample answer
Situation: a week before our biggest sale of the year, the only person who knew the campaign tool left. Task: the campaign still had to launch on time. Action: I broke the launch into steps, split them across three colleagues and ran a 15-minute check-in every morning. Result: we launched on schedule, sales were 18% higher than the year before, and the checklist we wrote is still used today.
What the interviewer is checking: A behavioural question: they expect a STAR answer and want to hear what you did, not what the team did.
Why should we hire you?
Sample answer
You need someone to roll out a new warehouse system and train the team on it. I've done exactly that over the past year: the rollout covered 40 people and picking errors fell by half. I can start on the most important part of your posting from day one.
What the interviewer is checking: Whether you can link your experience to their need from the posting in two or three sentences.
Do you have any questions for us?
Sample answer
Yes. What does success look like in this role after the first three months? And what are the next steps in the process?
What the interviewer is checking: Engagement. Having no questions looks like a lack of interest; save questions about holidays for when you have an offer.
The STAR method for behavioural questions
Any question that starts with “Tell me about a time when” or “Give me an example of” is a behavioural question. Interviewers score the answers against the same four points, so structure yours the same way and keep it to about two minutes.
- SituationSet the scene in one or two sentences: where you were and what was going on.
- TaskWhat you were responsible for, or the goal you had to reach.
- ActionWhat you did, step by step. Say "I", not "we": this is the part they score.
- ResultWhat changed, ideally with a number, and what you learned or would repeat.
Questions an interviewer should not ask
Equality laws in the UK, the EU and the US protect candidates from being judged on personal characteristics. The details vary by country, but in most places an interviewer should not ask about:
- age or date of birth
- marriage, pregnancy, children or plans to start a family
- religion, ethnicity or nationality (beyond your right to work)
- sexual orientation or gender identity
- disability or health, unless it relates to a task the job requires
If one comes up, you can politely say it does not affect your ability to do the job and steer back to your experience.
Interview questions by role
Job interview FAQ
How do I prepare for a job interview?
Reread the job posting and prepare one example from your work for each main requirement. Research the company: what it sells, who its customers are and any recent news. Practise your answers to the common questions out loud, especially tell me about yourself, why this job and salary, and prepare two or three questions to ask at the end.
What is the STAR method?
A way to answer behavioural questions such as "Tell me about a time when...": Situation, Task, Action, Result. Spend most of your answer on the action, your own part rather than the team's, and finish with a measurable result.
How long does a job interview last?
Usually 30 to 60 minutes. A first phone screen with a recruiter is often 15 to 30 minutes, while technical interviews or case studies can run 90 minutes or more. Larger employers typically have two to four rounds.
How should I answer "What are your salary expectations?"
Give a researched range for the annual gross salary, based on similar roles in the same city and your experience. Do not undersell yourself to be safe: the bottom of your range is usually what the employer offers.
What should I bring to an interview?
A printed copy of your resume, notes with your key examples, your questions for the interviewer and any documents they asked for. For a video interview, test your camera, microphone and the meeting link beforehand.
Should I send a thank-you email after the interview?
Yes, the same day or the next morning. Keep it short: thank them for their time and add one sentence about what made you more interested in the role. If they gave a decision date and it passes, a polite follow-up is fine.