InterviewInterview tips: questions and answers
Short answers to the questions candidates ask us most, with links to the full guides.
Preparing
How do I prepare for an interview in one day?
Read the job description and the company's website, prepare "tell me about yourself" and say it aloud five times, prepare three stories from your experience, and pack your documents.
Should I memorise answers?
No. Learn the points and practise saying them in your own words. Memorised answers break when the question changes.
How long should my answers be?
One to two minutes for most questions.
What should I research about the company?
What it makes or sells, where it operates, anything recent, and how the job you are applying for fits in.
How many times should I practise?
Say each main answer aloud at least three times, and do a mock interview with a friend if you can.
In the interview
What if I do not know the answer?
Say so honestly, and add how you would find out or how you would approach it. Do not bluff.
Can I ask the interviewer to repeat a question?
Yes. It is better than answering the wrong question.
Is it all right to pause before answering?
Yes. A pause of a few seconds to think is normal.
Should I say "sir" and "ma'am"?
It is usual in Indian interviews. Use it naturally, not in every sentence.
What if I am very nervous?
Everyone is. Prepare well, arrive early, breathe slowly while waiting, and remember the interviewer also wants the meeting to go well.
Can I talk about salary?
Let the employer raise it, or keep it for the HR discussion or the offer stage.
Freshers
I have no experience. What do I talk about?
Projects, internships, part-time work, college events, sports, NSS or NCC and family responsibilities. Describe what you actually did.
What are the rounds in campus placement?
Usually an aptitude or online test, sometimes a group discussion, technical interviews and an HR interview.
My marks are low. Will I be rejected?
Some employers screen on marks; many do not. Prepare to show what you can do through a project, skills and clear answers.
How do I explain a gap after college?
State plainly what you did, what it taught you, and why you are ready to work now.
After
Should I send a thank-you message?
Yes, a short one within a day, if you have a contact address.
When should I follow up?
After the date they gave, or after a week to ten days.
I was rejected. What now?
Write down the questions you were asked, improve the weak answers, and apply again elsewhere. Most people are rejected several times before the right job.
Someone wants money to confirm my job. Is that genuine?
No. Genuine employers do not charge candidates. Do not pay.
Where to read more
For a full plan, see how to prepare. For the questions themselves, see the common questions and questions by job. For telling a story well, see the STAR method. For what to do after, see after the interview. If you still need a resume, our neighbour resume.shareyourgroup.com has a free one-page builder.
Model answers are examples. They show the shape of a good answer, reviewed in November 2026. Use your own facts: an answer copied word for word will not survive a follow-up question. Employers differ, and nothing here promises selection. Names in the examples are invented.