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Common interview questions and how to answer them

These ten questions come up in almost every interview, whatever the job.

Prepare an example for each of these. Practise saying your answers out loud and keep each one under two minutes.

  1. Tell me about yourself.

    About one minute: who you are now, one or two relevant strengths or achievements, and why you want this job. Do not read out your CV.

  2. Why do you want to work for this company?

    Show you researched the company: its products, values or recent news. Link what they do to your goals.

  3. What are your strengths?

    Pick two that fit the job and prove each with a short example.

  4. What is your biggest weakness?

    Name a real, minor weakness, then explain what you are doing to improve it. Avoid “I work too hard”.

  5. Where do you see yourself in five years?

    Show ambition that fits the company: growing skills and responsibility in this field.

  6. Tell me about a time you worked under pressure.

    Use STAR. Pick a real deadline or problem, explain what you did to stay organised and what the result was.

  7. Describe a time you disagreed with a team member.

    Show respect and problem solving. Explain how you listened, found common ground and what you learned.

  8. Why should we hire you?

    Match your skills and experience to the job requirements in two or three clear points.

  9. What salary do you expect?

    Research typical pay for the role first. Give a reasonable range, and say you are open to discuss based on the full package.

  10. Do you have any questions for us?

    Always ask something, such as how success is measured in the first six months, or what training is offered.

Use the STAR method for behaviour questions

When a question starts with “Tell me about a time…”, answer in four short parts:

  1. Situation. Set the scene in one or two sentences.
  2. Task. Say what you had to achieve.
  3. Action. Explain what you did yourself. Use “I” more than “we”.
  4. Result. Say what happened, with a number if you can, and what you learned.

Frequently asked questions

How do I answer “Tell me about yourself”?

Spend about one minute on who you are now, one or two relevant strengths, and why you want this job. Do not read out your CV.

What is the best answer to “What is your weakness?”

Name a real, minor weakness and explain what you are doing to improve it. Avoid answers like “I work too hard”.

Questions by role

Free tools you may need

Interview Practice

Common interview questions by role, with answer tips and a countdown timer to practise out loud.

CV Builder

Build a clean CV in minutes. Nigerian, international and simple templates. Download as PDF or Word.

Cover Letter Generator

Paste the job description and get a tailored cover letter draft you can edit. Download as PDF or Word.

All interview questions