Question 1

Tell me about yourself.

Accepted Answer

Use present, past, future. Skip your childhood and your full CV. End on why you are in this room. Example: I am a final-year computer science student who likes building small tools people actually use. Last year I built a timetable app for my class and about forty classmates still use it. I then spent two months as an intern fixing bugs and writing tests at a software firm. I want to move into a backend role where I can keep learning from experienced engineers.

Question 2

Walk me through your resume.

Accepted Answer

Pick three items that matter for this role and tell each as a one-line story. Do not read the page aloud. Example: Three things matter here. First, the timetable app, where I learned to ship and then support real users. Second, my internship, where I wrote my first code that went to production. Third, my database course project, where I designed the schema and got it reviewed by our tutor.

Question 3

What are your strengths?

Accepted Answer

Name one or two strengths and attach evidence. A strength with no example sounds like a slogan. Example: I am good at breaking a vague task into small steps. When the timetable app needed a rewrite, I listed twelve small tasks, did the riskiest first, and finished a week before the exam period.

Question 4

What is your biggest weakness?

Accepted Answer

Choose a real, minor weakness, say what you do about it, and show progress. Avoid "I work too hard". Example: I used to stay stuck on a bug for too long before asking. Now I give myself thirty minutes, write down what I tried, and then ask. It has saved me hours on my last two projects.

Question 5

Why should we hire you?

Accepted Answer

Link one or two of your strengths to something the role needs. Be specific, not boastful. Example: The role needs someone who can pick up a codebase quickly and fix things carefully. In my internship I was given an unfamiliar module in week one and fixed my first bug by week two, with a test so it would not return.

Question 6

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Accepted Answer

Show direction, not a rigid plan. Stay realistic and tie it to growth in the kind of work you are applying for. Example: I would like to be a solid engineer who owns a part of a system end to end, and maybe helps newer people join the team. I am not sure of the exact title, but that is the kind of work I want to grow into.

Question 7

What do you do outside studies or work?

Accepted Answer

Pick one real interest and show a trait it reflects, such as consistency or teamwork. Keep it short. Example: I play football with a college team on weekends. It taught me to communicate quickly under pressure, which helps when I pair-program and need to explain an idea in one sentence.

Question 8

Why are you looking for a change? (experienced candidates)

Accepted Answer

Be positive and forward-looking. Talk about what you want more of, not what you dislike about your last job. Example: I have learned a lot in my current team, and I now want broader exposure to production systems at larger scale. This role offers that, which is why I applied.

Question 9

Is there anything you want to add?

Accepted Answer

Use it to close a gap, not to repeat yourself. Mention one relevant thing the interviewer has not heard, or say you are glad to answer more. Example: One thing I did not mention: I wrote documentation for the timetable app, and a new classmate was able to contribute a fix without asking me anything. I care about leaving work easy to pick up.

Tell me about yourself: how to answer, with examples

A simple shape: present, past, future

Common questions