Wouldn’t it be helpful if you had a list of all the questions an interviewer is going to ask you before you attend the interview itself? That way, you can have all of your fantastic answers prepared and will be able to go in feeling confident and ready to knock their socks off.
Unfortunately, you can never fully predict what your interviewer will ask. However, there are a number of common interview questions that it is well worth preparing for!
Of course, your answers will depend on you, the role you are interviewing for and the company. But we can give you some pointers on the best ways to approach the most common interview questions and what interviewers are usually looking for when they ask them.
So, let’s get started!
This is one of the most common interview openers, designed to help you ease into the conversation. Use it as an opportunity to give a brief, engaging overview of who you are. Talk about what you enjoy doing, your key strengths, and highlight any work experience that truly motivated or inspired you—explain why it had that impact. Finish by sharing a few accomplishments you’re particularly proud of, especially those that reflect your skills and potential.
If this job interview question pops up, it’s the perfect time to explain why the job is perfect for you. Think about it from two angles:
When answering this question, you should start off by showing your enthusiasm for the company, then move on to why you are right for the role and finally round off by talking about your career goals.
This simple, yet vital, interview question leaves many job hunters unravelled. This question is an opportunity for the interviewer to find out:
Try to think of the boxes you tick and the relevant skills and experience you possess that are in line with the role’s criteria. It’s best to compile a few main points you’d like to discuss in response to this question and talk through them conversationally at the interview.
It’s essential to tailor your answer to the specific role and company. Start by researching the organisation and reviewing the job description carefully. Then, identify your strengths that align most closely with what the employer is looking for. These are the qualities you’ll want to highlight in your answer, ideally with examples, to show you’re a strong fit for the role.
Interviewers love the weaknesses question – but rest assured, they’re not trying to catch you out. Interviewers, instead, want to get a feel for your self-awareness, how honest and humble you are and finally how you overcome your weaknesses.
To answer this question, you should be honest with yourself and identify your weaknesses. These weaknesses, however, shouldn’t question your ability to do the job requirements. Once you’ve identified your weaknesses, you need to define how you’re correcting these pitfalls.
This question is designed to gauge your long-term ambition, motivation, and whether your goals align with the company’s direction. To prepare, think about how the role you’re applying for fits into your broader career path. A strong answer should show that you’re thinking ahead, eager to grow, and committed to developing within the company.
Focus on being honest but strategic. Avoid vague or overly ambitious goals that feel disconnected from the position. Instead, demonstrate that you’ve thought about how you could progress in the role—whether that’s building your expertise, stepping into leadership, or contributing to long-term projects. Think about what the interviewer wants to hear: someone who’s invested, forward-thinking, and likely to stick around.
If you prepare yourself well, be honest and stay positive, you’ll be unshakeable when answering this somewhat awkward interview question.
Stay with the positive vibes when answering this interview question and avoid negativity at all costs. Your interviewer doesn’t want to hear about what a tyrant your manager is in your current job or how much you hated your last job.
Preparing for the common interview questions above will help you to give seamless answers and impress your interviewer. You don’t need to rehearse these answers and end up sounding like a robot, but you should have a few points in mind so that you can confidently go into your interview. Good luck!
