How top candidates nail the most common interview questions
How to structure the best responses to the five most common interview questions asked by HR and hiring managers
I’ve been on the hiring side multiple times (300+ interviews) and also gone through a few interviews myself.
After seeing what works (and what doesn’t), here’s how the best candidates structure their answers to the five most common questions HR and hiring managers can ask during an interview.
At the core, acing an interview comes down to three things:
What you can bring to the company
What problems you can solve
What makes you stand out (vs. other candidates)
If you are trying to improve your interview skills, this one is perfect for you.
P.S. Remember to also make your CV stand out.
Ok, let’s dive in to the questions now.
#1 - Tell me about yourself
Keep it under 2 minutes.
If you’re under 30, briefly mention your academic background. If you’re over 30, just skip it.
Walk through your career chronologically (~20 seconds per job).
End by offering to dive deeper into any part of interest.
❌ Avoid personal topics like family, religion, or health.
❌ Don’t ramble: be concise, engaging, and to the point.
#2 - What motivates you?
Your answer should be about achieving business results.
First, talk about driving impact for the team and company.
Then, mention team success, growth, and learning. This shows long-term commitment.
❌ Avoid talking about hobbies, travel, or personal passions as sources of motivation (generally, the hiring manager really doesn’t care).
❌ Don’t mention job titles or money as primary motivators.
#3 - How do you manage priorities?
Show that you work with your manager and stakeholders to balance urgency and importance.
High importance = High business impact.
High urgency = Must be done now.
Share how you prioritized (or de-prioritized) tasks and communicated decisions to stakeholders.
If you want to deep dive on the topic, I suggest you read this piece by my friend
on “How to manage your bandwidth & prioritization”.#4 - Why are you leaving your current job?
Flip the question. Start with why you’re excited about this new opportunity.
Something like: “I’m excited to work for this company in this role specifically because…”.
Highlight how your skills and experience align with the role.
❌ Don’t show negativity (e.g. bad manager, being stuck at your current role, wanting more money, etc.)
#5 - Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
The hiring manager wants to understand if (i) you can set realistic goals, (ii) are ambitious, and (iii) you are someone that will be with the company long term.
Focus on growth, learning, and broadening your business impact.
This shows ambition.
Try something like this:
In the next five years, I see myself having gained experience and new skills to take on more responsibilities. I want to grow in a company that helps career development and offers new opportunities to those who are willing to take them.
❌ Avoid saying you want to change industries (why apply here then?).
❌ Don’t overshoot. You won’t become VP in a big corporation if you’re a recent graduate.
📩 I have also written other stuff about career and making a good first impression:
See you all on Sundays 🗓️
Thanks,
Giacomo
A couple of other questions I always like to throw in:
1) Why do you want to join us? Give me the details
2) If I had to ask your former boss about your weaknesses, what would he/she say?
Really appreciate how grounded and practical this is. So much interview advice feels vague. This gives actual structure and confidence.