20 interview questions—and how to build honest answers.

The 20 questions to prepare

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Why do you want this job?
3. Why should we hire you?
4. What are your strengths?
5. What is one development area?
6. Tell us about a difficult customer.
7. Describe a conflict you handled.
8. Tell us about a mistake.
9. Give an example of teamwork.
10. Describe a time you took initiative.
11. How do you manage competing deadlines?
12. How do you work under pressure?
13. What achievement are you proud of?
14. Why are you leaving your current role?
15. Explain a gap in your CV.
16. What do you know about us?
17. How would your manager describe you?
18. Where do you want to grow?
19. What are your salary expectations?
20. What questions do you have for us?

Build a STAR answer

Situation: one sentence of context. Task: what you were responsible for. Action: the steps you personally took. Result: what changed, what you learned, or what you would improve.

Fictional structure example: “During a busy month-end, our shared invoice list had missing owners. I was asked to help the team close outstanding items. I added owners and weekly review dates, followed up on missing documents and flagged blocked items. The team could then see what remained before close.”

Replace every detail with something you genuinely did. School projects, volunteering and community responsibilities can provide evidence for first-time job seekers.

South African interview checks

• Confirm the venue, transport, load-shedding or connectivity backup for online interviews.
• For a panel interview, answer the person who asked while including the rest of the panel with natural eye contact.
• For public-service posts, reread the advert’s duties, competencies and department mandate; do not assume the Z83 is the end of preparation.
• When discussing pay, distinguish monthly gross salary, annual package and CTC.

Prepare from the actual advert

Highlight five requirements, then prepare one true example for each. Use the free CV and job-ad review to find requirements your CV may not yet show, and the salary and offer guide before discussing an offer.

Questions people ask

How do I answer “Tell me about yourself”?

Give a 60–90 second work-focused answer: what you do or studied, one relevant strength with proof, and why this role is your next step.

What is the STAR method?

STAR means Situation, Task, Action and Result. It helps you give a specific example instead of a vague claim.

How should I answer salary expectations?

Clarify whether the employer means monthly gross pay, annual package or cost to company. Give a researched range only when needed and consider benefits as well as cash salary.

What should I take to a South African interview?

Follow the invitation. Keep a copy of your CV, the advert, qualification or licence proof requested, your ID for access where required, and the contact details of the interviewer.

More free guides

Z83 form guide · How to write a CV · Free CV template · Cover letter · Interview questions · Learnerships · Salary and offers · Job-scam checks · CV vs job ad review

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