The most common job interview questions in English, and how to answer them

The rule: prepare facts, not memorised sentences

A recited answer is spotted immediately, and it falls apart at the first follow-up question. What holds up is facts you know by heart: a project, a figure, a decision you made. The sentence around it can change; the fact stays.

For each question below, prepare one or two ideas and a concrete example from your own experience. The STAR structure helps you cover everything: Situation, Task, Action (what you did), Result (with a figure if possible).

“Tell me about yourself”

This is not a request for your life story. The recruiter wants to know, in about a minute, who you are professionally and why you are here. Three steps are enough: what you do today, one achievement that proves it, and what brings you to this role.

Example opening: “I’m a project manager with five years of experience in e-commerce. Most recently, I led…” We cover this question in detail in a separate guide.

“Why do you want to work here?”

The wrong answer talks about you (“the salary”, “career growth”). The right one talks about them: a product, a project, a specific value found in the job ad or on their website. Then you connect it to what you can do.

A simple way to say it: “I read that you’re expanding into… and that’s exactly the kind of project I’ve worked on at…”

“What are your strengths?” and “What is your greatest weakness?”

For strengths: one quality, linked to the role, and an example that proves it. “I’m good at organising complex projects. For example…” works better than a list of five adjectives.

For weaknesses: a real area for improvement, not a strength in disguise (“I’m a perfectionist” convinces nobody any more), followed by what you are concretely doing about it. If spoken English is that area, you can say so: it is honest, and it shows self-awareness.

“Tell me about a time when…”

These behavioural questions often start with “Tell me about a time when…” or “Give me an example of…”. The recruiter wants a real story, not a general statement. This is where the STAR structure helps most.

Prepare at least three stories from your experience that can serve several questions: a difficult project, a disagreement you resolved, a mistake you learned from.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?”

The recruiter is checking that the role makes sense in your career and that you will not leave in six months. Talk about skills you want to develop, linked to the role, rather than a specific job title.

“Why are you leaving your current job?”

Stay positive and forward-looking: what you are looking for, not what you are running away from. Never criticise your current employer, even if they deserve it.

“What are your salary expectations?” and “When can you start?”

These are the questions where people hesitate most, and a hesitation can cost you. Prepare a figure (or a range) and your availability before the interview, and say them plainly: “I’m looking for a salary between… and…”; “I can start in four weeks.”

“Do you have any questions for us?”

Always say yes. Prepare two or three questions about the role or the team:

• “What does success look like in this role after six months?”
• “What are the main challenges the team is facing right now?”
• “What are the next steps in the process?”

When you did not understand the question

It will happen, and it is fine. What costs you is guessing and answering the wrong question. One sentence is enough to take back control: “Sorry, could you rephrase that?” or “Just to make sure I understood, you’re asking about…?”

What Prompto does

Prompto reads your CV and the job ad, and prepares answers to the questions this role is likely to bring, based on your real facts. You can practise out loud and get a score. During a video interview, it translates the recruiter’s question into your language and suggests an answer, on your screen only: the recruiter sees nothing.