The 10 Most Common Interview Questions (and How to Answer Them)

Interviews feel unpredictable, but most of the questions are not. The same handful come up again and again, so preparing good answers in advance is the single highest-return thing you can do. Here are the ten most common questions and how to answer each one well.

1. Tell me about yourself

Give a 60-second pitch, not your life story: what you do now, a relevant achievement, and why you're excited about this role. Keep it professional and end pointed at the job.

2. Why do you want this job?

Show you've researched the company. Connect something specific about them, their product, mission, or growth, to what you want to do next. Never say "I need a job."

3. Why should we hire you?

Match your top two or three strengths to the role's core requirements, each backed by a quick result. This is your fit summary, be confident, not modest.

4. What is your greatest strength?

Pick one strength that matters for the role and prove it with an example, not an adjective. "I'm organized" means little; "I ran three projects at once and delivered all on time" lands.

5. What is your greatest weakness?

Name a real but non-fatal weakness and, crucially, what you're doing about it. Avoid clichés like "I'm a perfectionist."

6. Tell me about a challenge you overcame

Use the STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Set the scene briefly, explain your specific actions, and finish with a measurable outcome. STAR works for almost every "tell me about a time…" question.

7. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Show ambition that fits their path. You want to grow, take on responsibility, and deepen your skills, ideally in a direction this role enables.

8. Why are you leaving your current job?

Stay positive. Frame it as moving toward growth, not running from a bad manager. Never badmouth an employer.

9. What are your salary expectations?

Research the market range beforehand and give a band, not a single number. If pushed early, it's fine to say you'd like to learn more about the role first.

10. Do you have any questions for us?

Always say yes. Ask about the team, success in the first 90 days, or challenges the role faces. It signals genuine interest.

Get to the interview first

All of this only matters once your CV wins the interview. CvLaunch checks your CV against the job the way a recruiter's system does, free, in seconds, so you spend your energy preparing answers, not wondering why no one called back.