Interview questions
Common interview questions and answers
By the JobberNest team · Reviewed 3 November 2026
Most interviews, whatever the job, use the same dozen questions in different words. Interviewers aren't trying to trick you. Each question checks one thing: can you do the job, will you fit in, and do you really want it.
For each question below you'll see what the interviewer is listening for and a way to answer. Use them to plan your own answers from your own experience, then say them out loud until they sound natural.
The questions
1.Tell me about yourself.
What they're looking for: A two-minute summary that shows you're relevant to this job. It sets the tone for the whole interview.
How to answer: Use present, past, future: what you do now, one or two achievements that relate to this job, and why you want this role. Leave out your family, your state of origin and your life story. Aim for about 90 seconds.
2.Why do you want to work here?
What they're looking for: Whether you've researched the company or are applying everywhere.
How to answer: Name something specific: a product, a recent expansion, how they treat customers, or what the job will let you learn. Then connect it to what you're good at.
3.What are your strengths?
What they're looking for: Whether your strengths match the job, and whether you can prove them.
How to answer: Pick two strengths from the job advert and give a short example of each. "I'm organised. During NYSC I kept stock records for a 200-item pharmacy store and the monthly counts always matched."
4.What is your greatest weakness?
What they're looking for: Self-awareness and honesty, not perfection.
How to answer: Choose a real weakness that isn't central to the job, and say what you're doing about it. Avoid "I work too hard": interviewers have heard it thousands of times.
5.Tell me about a time you solved a problem.
What they're looking for: How you think and act under pressure. This is a behavioural question: they want a real story.
How to answer: Use STAR: the Situation, your Task, the Action you took, and the Result. Spend most of your time on the action, and end with a number or a clear outcome.
6.Describe a time you worked in a team.
What they're looking for: Whether you can share credit, handle disagreement and deliver together.
How to answer: Pick a story where the team had a real challenge. Say what you did, how you handled a disagreement, and what the team achieved.
7.Where do you see yourself in five years?
What they're looking for: Whether you'll stay, and whether your plans fit what they can offer.
How to answer: Show ambition that fits the company: growing skills in this field and taking on more responsibility. Don't say you plan to start your own business or move abroad.
8.Why are you leaving your current job?
What they're looking for: Whether there's a problem they should worry about.
How to answer: Be positive and brief: you want more responsibility, a bigger challenge, or a field you've worked towards. Never criticise your current employer.
9.What salary are you expecting?
What they're looking for: Whether you're affordable and realistic.
How to answer: Research the range for the role first. Give a range rather than one figure, and say you're open to discussing the whole package (HMO, pension, allowances).
10.Do you have any questions for us?
What they're looking for: Interest and preparation. "No" is a weak answer.
How to answer: Ask two or three real questions: what success looks like in the first three months, how the team works, or what the next step in the process is.
Questions to ask the interviewer
- What would a great first three months look like in this role?
- What are the biggest challenges the team is facing right now?
- How do you measure performance for this position?
- What do you enjoy most about working here?
- What are the next steps in the process?
Tips
- 1
Practise out loud
An answer that sounds fine in your head can come out muddled. Say your answers out loud, or practise with a mock interviewer, until they flow.
- 2
Prepare five stories
Most behavioural questions can be answered with one of five good stories: a problem solved, a team success, a mistake you fixed, a time you led, and a time you went beyond your role.
- 3
Check the logistics
Confirm the time, the address or video link, and the interviewer's name the day before. Arrive or log in ten minutes early.
- 4
Online interviews
Test your data or Wi-Fi, camera and microphone. Sit facing a window or a lamp, and keep your phone charged as a backup.
Questions people ask
How long should my answers be?
Usually one to two minutes. Long enough for a full example, short enough that the interviewer stays with you.
What should I wear to an interview in Nigeria?
Corporate wear is the safe choice for banks, consulting and most offices. Tech start-ups are often more relaxed, but smart is never wrong.
What if I don't know the answer?
Say so honestly, then explain how you would find out or approach the problem. Interviewers respect that more than a guess.