Start hereTell me about yourself. What is your main weakness? Why should we hire you? Each familiar question is trying to learn something, and official career guides say what.
Job interviews tend to come back to a familiar set of questions. Below are 12 of them, with what official career services and employers’ own hiring guides say the interviewer is trying to learn from each.
Each card also has a plain way to prepare and something to watch for. Interviews differ by job, employer and country, so treat this as a starting map, not a script.
Three kinds of question, and where STAR fits
Most questions ask about you, about something you did, or about a situation that has not happened yet.
CareerOneStop, sponsored by the US Department of Labor, describes traditional interview questions as broad-based. Behavioural questions ask how you behaved in past situations, to better predict how you might behave in the job. Hypothetical or situational questions give you a scenario that could happen.
For behavioural questions, about something you did, many guides suggest a simple four-part shape called STAR. England’s National Careers Service spells it out as Situation, Task, Action and Result, where the result includes what you learned. It advises keeping examples short and to the point, and telling them in a conversational way so you do not appear too rehearsed.
Amazon’s own interview guide calls STAR one way to structure an answer, but not the only way. The Australian Human Rights Commission says some people find it helpful. So STAR is one helpful shape, not the only one.
In practice, a handful of well-chosen stories can cover many questions. Amazon suggests having a few examples ready that show different strengths, including times you took risks, succeeded, failed and grew.
Questions about you
These ask who you are at work and how you see yourself, and the guides favour short, honest answers.
1. “Tell me about yourself”
An invitation to sum up your working life in a sentence or two.
CareerOneStop suggests preparing one or two sentences about your work background. It adds that you should present yourself positively and show genuine interest in the job. The National Careers Service says employers will want to get to know you, and may also ask about your hobbies and interests.
For example, one sentence on the work you do now and one on what draws you to this job can be enough.
Try this: Write your two sentences, then say them out loud once or twice.
Watch for: A long life story, when the guide suggests a sentence or two about work.
2. “What are your strengths?” or “Why should we hire you?”
A chance to match what you do well to what the job asks for.
The National Careers Service says the strengths employers look for depend on the job. It suggests planning your answers around two or three examples that are relevant to the job. CareerOneStop suggests reading the job description for keywords and choosing two or three that are key strengths of yours.
In practice, if the advert asks for someone organised, a short story about a project you kept on schedule says more than the word itself.
Try this: Circle three words in the job advert and find one true example for each.
Watch for: Listing qualities with no example behind them.
3. “What is your main weakness?”
An invitation to show you know where you are still improving.
The National Careers Service advises being honest about your weaknesses and saying how you are working to improve them. Its example is someone who struggles with time management and now makes a timetable of steps at the start of each project. CareerOneStop suggests choosing a weakness that won’t significantly affect your job performance, then describing the steps you are taking to overcome it.
For example, “I used to say yes to every request, so now I check my week before I take on something new.”
Try this: Name one real weakness and one thing you already do about it.
Watch for: An answer with no real step in it, since both guides ask what you are doing about the weakness.
4. “Where do you see yourself in three (or five) years?”
A question about how you hope to grow, and where this job fits in that.
CareerOneStop suggests showing that you are eager to learn new skills and progress in your career. It also suggests not treating the job you are interviewing for as just a stepping stone. Its pages for veterans list the five-year version among traditional questions.
For example, you might name a skill you hope to build in the role and say why it matters to you.
Try this: Write down one skill this job could help you grow, and one reason it matters to you.
Watch for: Naming a different job as your real goal. CareerOneStop suggests talking about growing in the job or company, without naming a specific job title.
Questions about the job and the employer
These check whether you have looked into the role and the company, so a little research goes a long way.
5. “Why do you want to work here?”
A check that your interest is in this employer, not just any job.
The National Careers Service says employers want to see that you have a genuine interest in working for them. It suggests looking at the company’s website and its “about us” pages. CareerOneStop suggests describing what you value about the company, such as its mission, culture, successful projects or reputation in the community.
In practice, one specific detail can carry more than general praise, such as a recent project you read about.
Try this: Write down one thing about the company you would genuinely like to be part of.
Watch for: Praise that could fit any employer.
6. “Why did you leave, or why are you leaving, your last job?”
A question about what happened in your last job and what you took from it.
The National Careers Service suggests that if you left by choice, you stay positive about why you want a new job. If you were made redundant, it suggests explaining the situation and describing how you have responded since. If you were fired for misconduct or poor performance, it suggests explaining why your standards dropped, what you learned and how you have improved. CareerOneStop advises avoiding negative things about past employers.
For example, “The team was cut back, and since then I have finished a course in the software this role uses.”
Try this: Write one sentence on what happened and one on what you are looking for now.
Watch for: Blaming a former employer: CareerOneStop advises against it, and the National Careers Service suggests staying positive.
7. “What are your salary expectations?”
A question about pay, which CareerOneStop suggests answering with some research behind you.
CareerOneStop suggests not raising money or benefits until the interviewer brings it up, or until an offer has been made. If you are asked, it suggests giving a range rather than a single figure, because a range gives room to negotiate. It points to researching realistic pay for the occupation where you live. It also suggests waiting, if possible, until you know the benefits before you answer.
These tips come from a site sponsored by the US Department of Labor, and customs around pay differ between countries and employers.
Try this: Look up the usual pay range for the role where you live before the interview.
Watch for: A single number pulled from the air.
8. “Do you have any questions for us?”
Usually asked near the end, and a chance to learn whether the job suits you.
The National Careers Service says employers usually ask this at the end of an interview. It calls this a good chance to show your interest in the company. CareerOneStop says employers can see having no questions as a sign that you are not interested, or not curious. Its examples include asking what a typical day is like, and how performance is measured.
CareerOneStop also reminds readers that part of your job in an interview is to assess the job opportunity and the company. In other words, the interview runs both ways.
Try this: Prepare three questions, and keep one about the next steps in hiring.
Watch for: Questions that the company website already answers.
Questions about what you have done, or would do
Most of these ask for one real story from your past, and the last asks what you would do, so prepared examples help.
CareerOneStop says employers often ask about past work experiences to predict future performance and reliability. The National Careers Service says that if you have little work history, you can use examples from outside work, including volunteering.
9. “Tell me about a challenge or a problem you faced”
A request for one real problem and what you did about it.
The National Careers Service lists “when have you faced a challenging situation?” among common work history questions. Its worked STAR example is a florist’s shop where flowers for two weddings went to the wrong venues. CareerOneStop’s version asks about an unexpected problem, such as a lost shipment or a coworker who suddenly quit.
Amazon’s guide suggests focusing on your own part, even when you worked in a team, and saying “I” rather than “we”. In practice, this keeps the story on what you did.
Try this: Write one problem story as four short lines: situation, task, action, result.
Watch for: A story where every action belongs to “the team”.
10. “Tell me about a mistake or a failure”
A question about how you recover, and what you learned.
CareerOneStop says interviewers want to know you can work through challenges and use critical thinking to solve a problem. On failure, it says your answer shows you can take a failure, get back up and try again. It suggests stressing what you learned and what you have done to avoid a repeat. Amazon says it is not looking for perfection, and values self-awareness and a willingness to learn.
For example, a missed deadline you now prevent with a weekly check-in makes a complete story.
Try this: Choose a real, modest mistake, and end the story with what you now do differently.
Watch for: Claiming you have never failed at anything.
11. “Tell me about a conflict with a coworker”
A question about how you handle disagreement with the people you work with.
CareerOneStop suggests focusing on a positive result, and on how you were part of the solution, not the problem. It adds that if you compromised or negotiated a resolution, you can describe that too. Its pages for veterans list a question about handling conflict with a co-worker among behavioural questions.
For example, two colleagues wanted different deadlines, and you set up a short call where you agreed on a middle date.
Try this: Pick a disagreement that ended well, and describe what you said or did to settle it.
Watch for: Making the other person the villain of the story.
12. “What would you do if…?”
A made-up scenario that shows how you think through something new.
CareerOneStop’s example is a co-worker asking for help with copies while you are busy meeting a deadline. The Australian Human Rights Commission’s examples include being given a task you have never done before. Google’s hiring guide suggests using hypothetical questions to see how candidates handle new, ambiguous challenges they have not met before.
The Commission suggests taking a moment to think through your answer. The National Careers Service adds that you can ask the interviewer to repeat or explain a question you do not understand. So a short pause before answering is fine.
Try this: Say your steps out loud in order, and name what you would check first.
Watch for: Rushing to an answer before you understand the question.
Why many employers ask everyone the same questions
Some employers use structured interviews, asking every candidate the same questions and scoring answers the same way.
Google says it uses structured interviewing, with the same interview questions and an identical scale for grading answers. Its guide reports that its own results show structured interviews predict job performance better than unstructured interviews.
A 2022 review of research on hiring methods ranked structured interviews first among the methods it compared. The same review concluded that these methods remain useful, but predict job performance considerably less well than earlier summaries had suggested. Other researchers have since questioned part of that review’s method.
For you as a candidate, this explains why questions can feel scripted: in a structured interview, everyone hears the same ones.
How sure: Moderate a large review ranked structured interviews first, but it also lowered its estimates for hiring methods, and part of its method has been questioned.
Questions an interviewer may not be allowed to ask
Rules on personal questions differ by country, so here is what official bodies in three countries say.
This is general information, not legal advice. For your own situation, check with the official body in your country or a lawyer.
United States. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says employers are explicitly prohibited from asking about disability before a job offer. For questions linked to race, colour, sex, national origin, religion or age, it says the laws do not clearly forbid them. But such questions may be used as evidence of intent to discriminate, unless there is a business reason for them. It lists questions about pregnancy, marriage plans, children and child care among those that may be seen as evidence of intent to discriminate before hiring. CareerOneStop says you are not required to answer questions an employer cannot ask. It also notes that employers may legally ask your age, but may not refuse to hire you based only on your age.
United Kingdom. The UK government’s guidance says employers must not ask candidates about “protected characteristics”, or whether they are married or have or plan to have children. It allows questions about health or disability only in set cases, such as finding out whether someone needs help to take part in an interview. It also says applicants do not have to tell an employer about spent criminal convictions, though some areas of employment, such as schools, are exempt.
In short, the rules depend on the country, and each body above publishes more detail on its own site.
Where to learn more
- Nerves before a big day: our page on how to stop overthinking.
- Changing jobs, networking and building skills: our page on career moves people talk about.
- Talking about pay and other negotiations: our summary of Never Split the Difference.
- Working through a scenario step by step: our page on 9 ways of thinking.
- For more practice questions, the CareerOneStop and National Careers Service pages listed below are free to read.
Quick answers
What is the STAR method?
A four-part way to tell a story in an interview, Situation, Task, Action and Result, where the result includes what you learned. Amazon's guide calls it one way to structure an answer, not the only way.
How should I answer "Tell me about yourself"?
CareerOneStop suggests preparing one or two sentences about your work background, presented positively, with genuine interest in the job.
How do I answer "What is your weakness?"
England's National Careers Service suggests being honest about the weakness and saying how you are working to improve it.
Can an interviewer ask my age?
It depends on the country. CareerOneStop notes that US employers may legally ask your age, but may not refuse to hire you based only on it. The EEOC adds that such questions may be used as evidence of intent to discriminate unless there is a business reason. The UK government's guidance says employers can only ask for a date of birth on an application form if the job requires a certain age. The Australian Human Rights Commission says asking about age is unlawful if it is unrelated to the job.
Use this
Our suggestion: three steps that prepare you for most of these questions.
Which story shows what this question is asking?
Quick quiz
Nothing is scored or saved. Recalling it once now is what makes it last.
1. As England's National Careers Service describes STAR, what does the R stand for?
Answer: Result, including what you learned.Read it again ↑
2. How does CareerOneStop suggest answering a question about salary expectations?
Answer: With a researched range.Read it again ↑
3. Which body says US employers are prohibited from asking about disability before a job offer?
Answer: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Read it again ↑
How we checked this · Last checked November 2026
- We read the interview guides of England's National Careers Service and of CareerOneStop, which is sponsored by the US Department of Labor, plus pages from the Australian Human Rights Commission.
- Employer guides come from Amazon and Google, which describe their own hiring. The legal section uses the EEOC, the UK government's employer guidance and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
- We could read only the record of a later paper that questions the hiring review, so the page says no more than that its method has been questioned.
- The ACAS and EHRC pages could not be opened, so the UK rules come from the UK government's own guidance page.