How to prepare in one evening
- Reread the job advert and list the five skills or experiences it stresses most.
- Prepare five or six short stories from your work, studies or volunteering that show those skills. Each can answer several questions.
- Research the organisation: what it does, its customers, recent news and its stated values.
- Practise aloud, ideally with someone else, and time yourself.
- Prepare two or three questions to ask at the end.
The STAR method for behavioural questions
Questions that begin "Tell me about a time when..." want a real example. Structure it with STAR:
- Situation: the context, in one or two sentences.
- Task: what you were responsible for.
- Action: what you did. Spend most of the answer here, and say "I", not "we".
- Result: what happened, with numbers if possible, and what you learned.
The most common questions
"Tell me about yourself."
They want a two-minute professional summary, not your life story. Use present, past, future:
- Present: your current role and one strength or achievement.
- Past: the experience that led here.
- Future: why this role is the logical next step.
"Why do you want this job?"
Connect three things: what the role involves, what you are good at, and something specific about the company. Avoid answers about salary, location or "any job".
"What are your strengths?"
Pick two strengths relevant to the role, and give a brief example of each in action.
"What is your greatest weakness?"
Choose a real weakness that is not central to the job, and explain what you are doing about it. For example: "I used to take on too much myself rather than delegate. In my last role I started planning work with the team at the start of each project, which helped us hit deadlines with less overtime." Avoid disguised boasts like "I work too hard".
"Why are you leaving your current job?"
Stay positive and forward-looking: growth, new challenges, a better fit. Never criticise your current employer, even if it deserves it.
"Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult situation or conflict."
Use STAR. Show that you stayed calm, listened, found a solution and kept the relationship working.
"Tell me about a time you failed."
Choose a real but recoverable mistake. Spend most of the answer on what you learned and what you changed afterwards.
"Where do you see yourself in five years?"
They want to know you are motivated and likely to stay. Talk about skills you want to build and responsibilities you hope to grow into, in a direction that fits the organisation.
"Why should we hire you?"
Summarise your fit in three points: the key requirement you meet, a result that proves it, and what you will bring to the team.
"What are your salary expectations?"
Research the market rate for the role and location first. Give a range based on that research, with the bottom of the range being a figure you would accept. If you would rather not say first, you can ask what range the role has been budgeted at. In some places, employers must publish salary ranges in adverts, which helps.
"Do you have any questions for us?"
Always have some. See below.
Good questions to ask at the end
- "What would success look like in the first six months?"
- "What are the biggest challenges facing the team right now?"
- "How do you support people's development here?"
- "How would you describe the team's way of working?"
- "What are the next steps in the process?"
Avoid asking about holidays and benefits in the first interview, unless the interviewer raises them. Those questions are better once you have an offer.
On the day
- Arrive 10 minutes early, or log in to video calls 5 minutes early.
- Bring copies of your CV and your notes.
- Listen to the whole question before answering. It is fine to pause and think.
- Be specific. Real numbers and details are more convincing than adjectives.
- Match your answers to the role, using the requirements you listed.
After the interview
- Send a short thank-you email within a day. Our guide to writing a professional email has a template.
- Note the questions you were asked while they are fresh, for future interviews.
- Follow up politely if you have not heard back by the date they gave.
If you receive an offer, it is normal to negotiate. Many of the techniques in our guide to asking for a raise apply to job offers too.
Key takeaways
- Prepare five or six STAR stories that match the job's key requirements.
- Keep answers to one or two minutes, with a specific example and result.
- Be honest about weaknesses, and positive about past employers.
- Always ask questions at the end, and follow up with a thank-you email.