The most common interview questions are "Tell me about yourself", "Why do you want this job?", "Why should we hire you?", "What are your strengths?" and "What is your greatest weakness?". Most interviews in India, for freshers and experienced candidates alike, include all five. Prepare a 60 to 90 second answer for each, backed by one real example.
Below are 25 questions you are likely to face, grouped by type. For each one you get what the interviewer is really checking, how to answer and a short sample answer you can adapt. The examples cover freshers and experienced candidates in tech, commerce, sales, support and marketing, so pick the ones closest to your situation and rewrite them with your own facts.
Top 10 interview questions at a glance
| Interview question | What they are really asking |
|---|---|
| Tell me about yourself | Can you sum up your fit for this role in a minute? |
| Why do you want this job? | Did you choose us, or are you applying everywhere? |
| Why should we hire you? | What do you offer that matches what we need? |
| What are your strengths? | Can you prove a strength with an example? |
| What is your greatest weakness? | Are you honest about it and working on it? |
| Why are you leaving your current job? | Will you leave us for the same reason? |
| Where do you see yourself in five years? | Does this role fit where you want to go? |
| What is your biggest achievement? | What results have you actually delivered? |
| What are your salary expectations? | Is your range close to our budget? |
| Do you have any questions for us? | Are you curious and serious about this job? |
Basic interview questions (the 5 you will almost always get)
These five open most interviews. A clear answer to each makes the rest of the conversation easier, because the interviewer builds the next questions on what you say here.
1. "Tell me about yourself."
- What they want: a short summary of who you are professionally and why you fit this role. It is not a request for your life story.
- How to answer: use present, past, future. Say what you do now, one or two things you have done that matter for this job, and why you want this role. Keep it under 90 seconds.
2. "Why do you want this job?"
- What they want: proof that you chose this role and company on purpose.
- How to answer: connect one thing about the role and one thing about the company to your goals. Mention something specific you learned from the job description or the company's website.
3. "Why should we hire you?"
- What they want: a quick case for why you are a good match for their needs.
- How to answer: pick the two or three requirements from the job description that matter most, and give one piece of evidence for each. End with what you would bring in the first few months.
4. "What are your strengths?"
- What they want: a strength that matters for the job, backed by proof.
- How to answer: name one or two strengths, not five. For each, give a short example with a number or an outcome.
5. "What is your greatest weakness?"
- What they want: honesty and self-awareness, plus proof that you are improving.
- How to answer: choose a real weakness that is not central to the job. Explain what you are doing about it and what has changed. Avoid fake weaknesses such as "I work too hard".
Questions about your experience and background
6. "Walk me through your resume."
- What they want: the story that connects your education and jobs, in order.
- How to answer: go in time order and spend most of your time on the most recent and most relevant role. For each step, say why you moved, not just what you did.
7. "What is your biggest professional achievement?"
- What they want: a result you delivered that is relevant to this job.
- How to answer: pick an achievement close to the work in this role. Describe the problem, what you did and the result, ideally with a number.
8. "Why are you leaving your current job?"
- What they want: that you are moving towards something, not running from it.
- How to answer: stay positive. Talk about what you want next: more responsibility, a new skill, a bigger market. Never criticise your manager or company.
9. "Can you explain the gap in your resume?"
- What they want: a clear, honest reason and evidence that you are ready to work now.
- How to answer: give the reason in one or two sentences without over-explaining. Then focus on what you did during the gap, such as a course or freelance work, and why you are ready now.
10. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"
- What they want: whether your plans fit what this role can offer.
- How to answer: describe the skills and responsibility you want to have, not a job title at another company. Show that this role is a sensible step towards it.
11. "What do you know about our company?"
- What they want: that you did your homework before the interview.
- How to answer: mention what the company does, who its customers are and one recent development, such as a product launch or expansion. Then link it to your interest in the role.
Behavioural interview questions
Behavioural questions ask about something that really happened. Answer with one specific story using the STAR method: the situation, your task, the action you took and the result. Our STAR method guide shows how to build these stories in advance.
12. "Tell me about a conflict with a co-worker."
- What they want: that you can disagree without damaging the working relationship.
- How to answer: choose a real but resolved conflict. Focus on how you listened and found a solution, and avoid blaming the other person.
13. "Tell me about a time you failed."
- What they want: that you take responsibility and learn from mistakes.
- How to answer: pick a real failure with a clear lesson. Spend most of your answer on what you changed afterwards.
14. "Tell me about a time you disagreed with a decision."
- What they want: that you can raise concerns professionally and still support the team.
- How to answer: explain the decision, how you raised your concern with data and what happened. If the decision stayed, show that you supported it.
15. "Tell me about a tough decision you had to make."
- What they want: how you think through options and weigh people as well as numbers.
- How to answer: describe the choice, the options you considered and why you chose one. Mention how you handled its effect on others.
16. "How do you handle pressure and tight deadlines?"
- What they want: that you stay organised and calm when work piles up.
- How to answer: describe your method, such as breaking the work down and agreeing priorities, then give one example of it working.
Interview questions for freshers
Freshers get many of the questions above, plus a few about college, projects and flexibility. Your projects, internships and coursework are your experience, so use them the same way an experienced candidate uses past jobs. For help presenting them on paper, see how to write a fresher resume with no experience.
17. "Tell me about your final-year project."
- What they want: what you built, your own part in it and what you learned.
- How to answer: explain the problem, your role in the team, the tools you used and the result. Be ready for follow-up questions on technical details.
18. "Why should we hire a fresher?"
- What they want: what you offer in place of work experience.
- How to answer: point to your ability to learn quickly, relevant skills from projects or internships, and your willingness to start from the basics.
19. "What did you learn in your internship?"
- What they want: practical skills and how you behave at work.
- How to answer: share one or two skills and one thing you learned about working in a team. Use an example rather than a list.
20. "Are you willing to relocate or work in shifts?"
- What they want: whether you can meet the practical needs of the role.
- How to answer: answer honestly. If you can, say so clearly. If you have limits, mention them now rather than after an offer.
Salary and closing questions
21. "What are your salary expectations?"
- What they want: whether your expectations fit their budget.
- How to answer: research the usual pay for the role, city and experience on job portals and company review sites. Give a range rather than one number, say whether it is CTC or in-hand, and stay open to discussing the full package.
22. "What is your current CTC?"
- What they want: a starting point for their offer.
- How to answer: be truthful, because companies often check payslips. Give the breakdown if asked, and then say what you expect for the new role.
23. "What is your notice period?"
- What they want: when you can join.
- How to answer: state your notice period clearly and mention if it can be shortened or bought out.
24. "Do you have any other offers?"
- What they want: how quickly they need to decide.
- How to answer: be honest without naming companies or exact figures. If this company is your first choice, say so.
25. "Do you have any questions for us?"
- What they want: curiosity and interest in the role.
- How to answer: always ask two or three questions. Avoid questions about salary or leave in a first interview.
How to prepare for an interview in 30 minutes
- Reread the job description (5 minutes) — Underline the three skills or duties that appear most often.
- Match a story to each skill (8 minutes) — One real example per skill, with a number or outcome.
- Write your "Tell me about yourself" (5 minutes) — Three lines: present, past, future. Say it aloud twice.
- Prepare your weakness and salary range (4 minutes) — A real weakness you are improving, and a researched range.
- Check the company (5 minutes) — What it sells, who its customers are and one recent update.
- Write three questions to ask (3 minutes) — About the role, the team and the next steps.
Make sure your resume tells the same story as your answers. Tailor your resume to the job description before you apply, and you can practise answers by pasting a question and your draft into the AI career assistant and asking for feedback.
Interview mistakes to avoid
What helps
- Short answers with one clear example
- Numbers and outcomes from your own work
- Honest answers about gaps and weaknesses
- Speaking well of past employers
- Two or three thoughtful questions at the end
What hurts
- Reciting your whole resume
- Vague claims such as "I'm hardworking"
- Fake weaknesses or made-up stories
- Complaining about your manager
- Saying "No questions" at the end
Build my resume: Build an ATS-friendly resume with AI, check how well it fits the job and apply to roles matched to your profile.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 5 basic interview questions?
The five basic interview questions are: "Tell me about yourself", "Why do you want this job?", "Why should we hire you?", "What are your strengths?" and "What is your greatest weakness?". Most interviews include all five, so prepare a short answer with one example for each.
What are the top 10 most common interview questions?
The top 10 are: tell me about yourself, why do you want this job, why should we hire you, what are your strengths, what is your greatest weakness, why are you leaving your current job, where do you see yourself in five years, what is your biggest achievement, what are your salary expectations, and do you have any questions for us.
How should a fresher answer "Tell me about yourself"?
Start with your degree and college, then mention one or two projects or an internship that relate to the job, and end with why you want this role. Keep it to about one minute. Treat your projects as your work experience and give a result for each, such as how many people used what you built.
How do I answer "What is your greatest weakness?"
Choose a real weakness that is not essential to the job, explain what you are doing to improve it and show progress. For example, public speaking, with the steps you took and where you are now. Avoid weaknesses that are really strengths in disguise, such as working too hard.
How long should my interview answers be?
Aim for 60 to 90 seconds for most answers and up to two minutes for behavioural stories. If the interviewer wants more detail, they will ask a follow-up question.
What should I ask at the end of an interview?
Ask two or three questions about the role and team, such as what success looks like in the first 90 days, what the team's priorities are this year and what the next steps in the hiring process are. Leave salary and leave questions for later rounds or for HR.
Ready to apply? Browse jobs on CareerCtrl or fresher jobs, and see our guide on how to get a job with no experience.