Opener questions

01

Tell me about yourself.

Tips for answering

Aim for 90 seconds. Three beats: who you are now (one line), what brought you here (a thread connecting your most relevant 2-3 roles), what you're looking for next (this role specifically). End on the company you're interviewing with, not your career history.

What interviewers look for

A confident structure — not a chronological resume read. The "what next" beat should land on this role, not a generic career goal. Concise wins.

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02

Why do you want to work here?

Tips for answering

Tie one specific thing about the company (their product, a value, a recent move) to something specific about you. "I read your engineering blog post on…" beats "I love your mission". Avoid praising the obvious.

What interviewers look for

Evidence you researched. Specificity over flattery. A genuine connection — not a list of company fluff anyone could say.

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03

Why are you interested in this specific role?

Tips for answering

Connect the role description (a specific responsibility, a tech, the team's scope) to a real thing in your trajectory. "The shift to async-first work in this role lines up with what I learned at [previous company]…"

What interviewers look for

You read the JD carefully. The role is the right level for you — not a stretch you'll burn out from, not below your last role.

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04

Walk me through your resume.

Tips for answering

Different from "tell me about yourself" — they want the chronology, but with the WHY between roles. For each, 30 seconds: what you did, the most important thing you shipped, why you moved on. Keep momentum forward; don't dwell on early roles.

What interviewers look for

Coherent narrative. Reasoned moves between roles (not "I was bored"). Increasing scope/responsibility over time.

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05

What do you know about our company?

Tips for answering

Show you read more than the homepage. Mention the product, the business model (how they make money), recent news (funding, launch, hire), and one thing about the team if you can. Cap at 60-90 seconds.

What interviewers look for

Real research, including how the company actually makes money. Mention of recent news shows current interest, not just stale Wikipedia knowledge.

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