Prepare for a job interview
Before, during and after: the interview questions that almost always come up, how to answer them without reciting, what to ask at the end and how to follow up.
5 guides
Common questions
How to answer “tell me about yourself” in an interview, with sample answers
“Tell me about yourself” opens most interviews, and the first minute sets the tone for the rest. Here is how to answer “tell me about yourself” with a simple three-part formula, how long to talk, and ten sample answers you can adapt to your own situation.
Strengths and weaknesses: how to answer in a job interview, with examples
“What are your strengths and weaknesses?” comes up in almost every interview, in one form or another. Here is how to pick strengths and weaknesses that fit the job, a list of examples you can draw from, sample answers for each, and the mistakes that make this question harder than it needs to be.
Reasons for leaving a job: how to explain them, with sample answers
“Why are you leaving your job?” or “Why did you leave your last one?” is a near-certain interview question, and many job applications ask for a reason for leaving each past position. Here are the reasons for leaving a job that employers accept, how to put yours in one honest sentence, and sample answers for every situation, including a layoff or a firing.
On this page
The interview questions almost every employer asks
Job titles change, the core questions don't. From the recruiter's phone screen to the final round, the same interview questions come back. For each one, here is what the interviewer wants to find out, and how to answer in a few sentences:
| Question | What they want to know | How to answer |
|---|---|---|
| "Tell me about yourself" | Whether you can get to the point | Present, past, future: your current role, two results, why this job |
| "Why do you want to work here?" | Whether you researched the company | One specific fact about the company, linked to what you want to do |
| "Why are you leaving your current job?" | Your motives, and how you talk about an employer | What you're moving toward, not what you're running from |
| "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" | Self-awareness | A strength proven by a result, a real weakness and what you do about it |
| "Tell me about a time you faced a challenge" | How you act under pressure | A real story in four steps (see below) |
| "Why should we hire you?" | Your fit with the role | The two or three requirements of the posting you meet best, with proof |
| "What are your salary expectations?" | Whether your range fits the budget | A researched range for the role and the city |
| "Do you have any questions for us?" | Your curiosity | Two prepared questions about the work itself |
How to prepare for interview questions without reciting
Interviewers spot memorized answers quickly. Prepare material, not scripts:
- Reread the job posting and underline the requirements: they are the criteria you will be judged on.
- Pick four or five stories from your work, internships or studies: a result, a problem solved, a conflict, a mistake you learned from. Most questions can be answered with one of them.
- Research the company: its products, recent news, the interviewer's LinkedIn profile.
- Say your answers out loud, at least once, and time them.
Behavioral interview questions and the STAR method
Questions that start with "Tell me about a time when..." are behavioral interview questions: the interviewer judges what you did, not what you say you would do. Answer with a real story in four steps: the Situation, your Task, the Action you took and the Result, with a number if you have one.
Situation: "Last spring, a coworker went on leave during our busiest month."
Task: "I had to cover her accounts without delaying mine."
Action: "I set up a shared tracking sheet and a 10-minute check-in every Monday."
Result: "No order shipped late, and the team still uses the sheet."
Your turn: the questions you ask
"Do you have any questions for us?" closes almost every interview. Prepare two or three about the work, the team and the next steps, and keep salary and time off for the offer stage. The guide to questions to ask the interviewer has a full list, sorted by topic.
Interview questions an employer should not ask
Federal law makes it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and transgender status), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information, as the EEOC explains. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, an employer may not ask whether you have a disability, or ask medical questions, before making a job offer. It can ask whether you can perform the job, and how. If a question crosses the line, you can steer back politely to the skills the role requires.
Practice out loud, on the real job posting
Kandiq's mock interview starts from a job posting and your resume, analyzes the company, then asks 9 recruiter questions one at a time, across seven kinds: introduction, background, skills, behavioral, situational, motivation, salary and terms. You answer in writing or out loud. Each answer is reviewed against the points expected, and out loud, your speaking pace and filler words are measured. The session ends with a scored report. Mock interviews are part of Kandiq Pro, with 2 coaching sessions per subscription month.
Questions