Common job interview questions and answers

What are the most common job interview questions?

Most entry-level interviews in South Africa come back to the same handful of questions: tell me about yourself, why do you want this job, what are your strengths and weaknesses, why should we hire you, and do you have any questions for us.

The wording changes from one employer to the next, but the questions underneath stay the same. Each one is really asking one of three things: can you do the work, will you fit in with the team, and do you actually want this job. If you keep those three in mind, a question you did not expect is much less frightening.

Here are the questions worth preparing, roughly in the order they tend to come up:

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why are you interested in this job?
3. What do you know about our company?
4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
5. Tell me about a mistake you made, or a challenge you faced.
6. Why should we hire you?
7. What is your availability, and when could you start?
8. What are your salary expectations?
9. Do you have any questions for me?

Some employers also read out a saying, like "the customer is always right" or "teamwork makes the dream work", and ask what you think of it. There is no trick. They want to hear how you treat customers and colleagues, so agree or disagree honestly and back it up with something that happened to you.

How do I answer "Tell me about yourself"?

Talk for about a minute: what you studied, any work you have done, and why you are sitting in front of them today.

This is a warm-up. They want a short picture of who you are, and they want to hear how you speak. It is not your life story, and it is not your CV read out loud. Keep to the parts that connect to the job.

Part-time work, holiday jobs, helping in a family business, volunteering and looking after relatives all count as experience. If you have never had a job, talk about school, a course you finished, or something you are responsible for at home.

How to answer the questions that worry people most

"What are your strengths and weaknesses?"

Give one strength with a short example of when you showed it. Then give one real weakness and say what you are doing about it. Avoid fake weaknesses like "I work too hard". An honest one with a plan is far more convincing.

"What is your biggest failure?"

Pick a real mistake that did not cause serious harm, and spend most of your answer on what you learned and what you do differently now. Owning a mistake calmly shows you can be trusted.

"Why should we hire you?"

Read the advert again the night before. Pick two or three things it asks for, and match each one with something you can actually show. Say it calmly. Confident does not mean loud.

"What are your salary expectations?"

Know the range before you go in. Give a range rather than one number, and say you are open to discussing it. Never agree to less than the legal minimum for the work. Career Office Premium includes a "What should this job pay?" tool that shows the legal minimum and what people in that kind of work earn.

"What is your experience with this software?"

Say honestly what you have used and how. If you have not used it, say how you would learn it. Never claim to know a program you have not used, because they may ask you to show them.

What should I ask at the end of an interview?

Ask one or two questions about the work itself, such as "What does a typical day look like in this role?" or "What happens next, and when can I expect to hear from you?"

Saying "No, I think you have covered everything" can make it seem as if you are not that interested. A question also helps you find out whether the job suits you. Other good ones: "What do the people who do well here have in common?" and "Who would I be working with?"

Leave questions about pay and leave until they bring it up, or until they make you an offer.

How to prepare the day before

1. Read the advert again and underline what it asks for. Your best answers are usually hiding in it.
2. Spend ten minutes on the company's website or social media, so you have one true thing to say about them.
3. Write a short answer to each question above, then say them out loud. Practise with someone at home if you can.
4. Have one story ready for each of these: a time you helped a customer, a time you worked in a team, and a time something went wrong.
5. Pack copies of your CV, your ID and your certificates.
6. Plan your transport and leave extra time for taxis or trains, so you arrive early and calm.
7. Dress one step smarter than the people who already work there.

Afterwards, send a short thank-you message, ideally within a day, saying you enjoyed meeting them and are still interested. The free Career Office scripts include what to say when you follow up after an interview, and how to ask why you did not get it.

Questions people ask

Should I learn my answers off by heart?

No. Know the points you want to make and one example for each, then say them in your own words. Answers learned word for word sound stiff, and they fall apart when the question comes out differently.

What if I have no work experience at all?

Use school, a course, volunteering, sport, church or community work, and responsibilities at home. Employers hiring for a first job know you are starting out. They want to see that you are reliable and willing to learn.

What if I do not know the answer to a question?

It is fine to take a breath and say, "Let me think about that for a moment." If you really do not know, say so honestly and tell them how you would find out.

Is it all right to bring notes?

A few points on a page, and the questions you want to ask, are fine. Look at the interviewer while you talk, not at the page. If you write answers in Career Office interview preparation, they stay on your own phone. The privacy notice explains what the Career Office keeps.