Interview Questions and Answers

Common Graduate Interview Questions and Answers

Starting your career means facing a highly competitive job market. According to the Institute of Student Employers (2025), the average employer receives 140 applications per graduate vacancy. Once you secure an interview, you have already beaten the odds. Now, you need to prove you are the right fit.

The opening stages of any interview usually feature general questions designed to break the ice and assess your communication skills. The most common opener is “Tell me about yourself”. Avoid reciting your CV word-for-word. Instead, use the Present-Past-Future formula. Start with your current situation, briefly mention relevant past academic or work experience, and finish with why you are excited about this specific role.

Another frequent question is “Why do you want to work for us?”. Employers want to see genuine enthusiasm and commercial awareness. Mention a recent company project, their workplace culture, or their industry standing. You can find excellent company insights on Prospects careers to help formulate your answer.

Competency-Based Interview Questions for UK Graduates

Competency questions ask you to provide real-life examples of times you demonstrated specific skills. Interviewers use these to predict your future performance based on your past behaviour. You will usually spot them when a question begins with “Tell me about a time when…” or “Give an example of…”.

To answer these effectively, you must use the STAR method:

• Situation: Set the scene by describing the context of your example.
• Task: Explain what your specific responsibility or challenge was.
• Action: Detail the exact steps you took to resolve the issue or complete the task. Use “I” rather than “we”.
• Result: Share the positive outcome, ideally with quantifiable metrics.

Here is a breakdown of common competency themes and what employers look for:

To understand how employers evaluate your STAR responses, it helps to look at a practical worked example of an interview scoring matrix. Many graduate recruiters score each competency on a scale of 1 to 5.

Worked Example: Interview Scoring Calculation

Imagine an assessment centre where you are evaluated on four competencies: Teamwork, Leadership, Communication, and Problem Solving.

• Teamwork: 4/5
• Leadership: 3/5
• Communication: 5/5
• Problem Solving: 4/5

Total Score: 16 out of 20.

If the employer requires a minimum threshold of 75% to pass to the final stage, you calculate your percentage by dividing your score by the total possible score and multiplying by 100.

(16 / 20) x 100 = 80%.

In this scenario, your strong communication and problem-solving examples pulled your average up, securing your place in the next round.

Strengths and Weaknesses Interview Questions

Discussing your flaws in a professional setting feels unnatural, but “What is your biggest weakness?” is a staple of graduate interviews. The interviewer is testing your self-awareness and your commitment to personal development.

Avoid cliché answers like “I am a perfectionist” or “I work too hard”. These sound insincere. Instead, choose a genuine, minor weakness that does not directly impact the core requirements of the job, and explain the steps you are taking to improve.

Good weaknesses to discuss include:

• Struggling with public speaking, but you have recently joined a university debate society to build confidence.
• Finding it hard to delegate tasks in group projects, but you are now using project management software to assign roles fairly.
• Being overly critical of your own work, which you are managing by setting strict deadlines for initial drafts.

When discussing strengths, align them with the job specification. If you are applying for a data analyst role, highlight your attention to detail and proficiency with statistical software. If you are applying for a graduate scheme in HR, focus on your interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.

Technical and Commercial Awareness Interview Questions

Depending on your industry, you may face technical questions or case studies. These assess your hard skills and your understanding of the business landscape. According to Prospects.ac.uk (2025), 71.9% of employed graduates secured professional-level roles 15 months after graduation, and these positions almost always require demonstrating specific industry knowledge.

If you are asked a commercial awareness question, such as “What are the biggest challenges facing our industry right now?”, you need to show you read the news. Mention factors like inflation, supply chain issues, or regulatory changes.

You might also be asked about your salary expectations. To answer this confidently, you need to know what a standard graduate salary looks like and how it translates to your actual bank account.

Worked Example: Salary Expectation and Take-Home Pay Calculation

If you ask for a starting salary of £28,000, you should know your monthly budget.

• Gross Annual Salary: £28,000
• Deduct the standard Personal Allowance (tax-free): £12,570
• Taxable Income: £15,430
• Income Tax (20% basic rate): £3,086
• National Insurance (approximate based on 2025/26 rates): £1,228
• Plan 2 Student Loan Repayment (9% on earnings above £27,295): £63.45
• Total Deductions: £4,377.45
• Net Annual Take-Home Pay: £23,622.55
• Monthly Take-Home Pay: £1,968.54

Understanding these figures helps you negotiate effectively and ensures you can cover your living costs. You can run your own scenarios using our Student Budget Calculator to see how different graduate salaries will support your lifestyle.

How to Prepare for Online and Video Interviews

Since the shift to remote work, video interviews have become a standard part of the graduate recruitment process. Some are live calls with a recruiter, while others are pre-recorded asynchronous interviews where you speak to a screen.

With the rise of generative AI, some candidates attempt to read scripted answers generated by software during their video calls. Do not do this. Recruiters can easily spot candidates who are reading from a separate screen. Eye contact drops, speech patterns sound robotic, and you lose the chance to build a genuine rapport.

To succeed in a video interview:

• Test your internet connection, microphone, and webcam an hour before the call.
• Choose a quiet, well-lit room with a neutral background.
• Dress exactly as you would for an in-person interview.
• Look directly into the camera lens when speaking, rather than at the interviewer’s face on the screen, to simulate eye contact.
• Keep a glass of water and a notepad with brief bullet points nearby.

If your broadband drops frequently, it might be worth checking your connection stability. Use our Broadband Comparison Tool to ensure you have a reliable setup before assessment season begins.

Questions to Ask the Interviewer at the End

Almost every interview concludes with the interviewer asking, “Do you have any questions for us?”. Saying no is a missed opportunity. Asking thoughtful questions demonstrates your engagement and helps you decide if the company is the right fit for your career goals.

Avoid asking about salary or annual leave at this stage, as it can make you seem focused only on the benefits. Instead, ask questions that show you are thinking about your long-term future with the organisation.

Consider asking:

• What does a typical day look like for a graduate in this role?
• How does the company support professional development and training?
• What is the most exciting project your team is working on right now?
• How would you describe the company culture?

According to the Office for National Statistics (2024), 86.7% of UK graduates are employed within six months of graduation, proving that thorough preparation yields results. Treat your interview preparation like a university assignment. Research the company, practice your STAR examples, and refine your delivery.