How should I answer 'tell me about yourself'?

Give a 90-second narrative: where you started, the two or three moves that shaped your skills, what you do now, and why this role is the logical next step. Keep it professional and end pointing at the job you are interviewing for.

How do I answer the weakness question?

Name a genuine weakness that does not disqualify you for the role, then describe the specific correction you made and the evidence it worked. Disguised strengths like 'I work too hard' are recognised instantly.

What should I do if I do not know an answer?

Say so, then reason out loud about how you would find the answer. Interviewers testing technical depth are usually more interested in your approach than in instant recall.

Common Interview Questions & How to Answer Them (2026)

Most interviews reuse the same dozen questions because they reliably separate prepared candidates from unprepared ones. Preparing structured answers with real examples means you spend the interview demonstrating judgement rather than improvising a story.

Get your resume ready first

Use STAR, but keep it short

Situation, Task, Action, Result gives your answer a spine. The mistake candidates make is spending 80% of the answer on the situation. Set the scene in two sentences, spend the bulk on what you personally did, and always finish with the result.

Prepare six stories that between them cover conflict, failure, leadership, pressure, persuasion and a technical win. Almost every behavioural question can be answered from that set.

The questions you will almost certainly be asked

Prepare these specifically. Each has a known trap, and knowing the trap is most of the preparation.

'Tell me about yourself' — a 90-second career narrative ending at why you are in this room, not a life story
'Why do you want this role?' — something specific about their product, market or team, plus what you would work on
'What is your greatest weakness?' — a real one with the correction you have made, not a disguised strength
'Tell me about a failure' — own the decision, show the lesson, show it applied later
'Where do you see yourself in five years?' — a direction consistent with this role, not a job title above the interviewer
'What are your salary expectations?' — a researched range with a reason, deferred politely if it is too early

Questions to ask them

Having no questions reads as low interest. Ask two or three that only someone genuinely evaluating the job would think to ask.

What would success in this role look like at six months?
What is the biggest constraint the team is working around right now?
How are decisions made when priorities conflict between teams?
Why is this role open — growth, replacement or a new function?

Frequently asked questions

How should I answer 'tell me about yourself'?: Give a 90-second narrative: where you started, the two or three moves that shaped your skills, what you do now, and why this role is the logical next step. Keep it professional and end pointing at the job you are interviewing for.
How do I answer the weakness question?: Name a genuine weakness that does not disqualify you for the role, then describe the specific correction you made and the evidence it worked. Disguised strengths like 'I work too hard' are recognised instantly.
What should I do if I do not know an answer?: Say so, then reason out loud about how you would find the answer. Interviewers testing technical depth are usually more interested in your approach than in instant recall.