Interview questions and answers for Sri Lanka jobs

How interviews usually run

Not every employer uses every stage. A small company may do everything in one meeting. When you are invited, ask what to expect and who you will meet.

1. 1

   A screening call.

   A recruiter or an HR person phones or messages you to check the basics. They ask about your experience, your notice period, your expected salary and whether you can come to the office. Take the call somewhere quiet. If you cannot talk, ask to call back at a set time.

2. 2

   The interview, often with a panel.

   Two or three people may ask questions in turn, such as a manager, an HR person and a senior colleague. Look at the person who asked, and glance at the others as you answer.

3. 3

   A test, for some roles.

   Some roles add an aptitude test, a technical test, an Excel test or a writing test, before or after the interview. Ask what the test covers, so that you can practise.

4. 4

   A final round.

   A second interview may be with a senior manager or a director. It checks how well you fit, and it is often where an offer and the pay are discussed.

5. 5

   Online interviews.

   Many employers do some or all of their interviews on a video call. The questions are the same. What changes is your set-up, as the part on the day explains.

The ten questions every interviewer asks

These come up in almost every interview, in every field. The sample answers show a shape. Replace the details with your own facts, and say them aloud until they sound like you. Do not memorise word for word, because it shows.

• 1. Tell me about yourself. What they want to learn: who you are for this job, in under two minutes. They do not need your family background, your religion or your school history, so keep to your work and study. Sample answer: “I am an accounts executive with four years in manufacturing companies in Gampaha. I run the month-end close and the bank reconciliations, and last year I helped bring the close forward by two days. I passed AAT and I am now studying for CIMA. I want to move into management accounts, which is why I applied for this post.” The shape is where you are now, how you got there and what you want next.
• 2. Why do you want to work here? What they want to learn: that you chose them on purpose and did some homework, and are not sending the same CV everywhere. Read the advert, the company’s website and its social media pages the evening before. Sample answer: “I read about [a project, product or service you found], and it is the kind of work I want to do. Your advert asks for [a skill from the advert], which I have used for three years. I think I could be useful from my first month.”
• 3. Why should we hire you? What they want to learn: whether what you have matches what they need. This is your short sales pitch, so use the advert’s own words. Sample answer: “You need someone who can [the main task in the advert]. I have done that for [time], and in my last role [a result with a number]. I also learn quickly: I taught myself [a tool] in a month and now train others in it. I would like to bring that to your team.”
• 4. What are your strengths? What they want to learn: two or three strengths the job needs, each with proof. A list of adjectives proves nothing. Sample answer: “I am careful with detail. In my last job I checked every payment batch before it was released, and in two years none went to a wrong account. I also explain things clearly, so the sales team now asks me to walk them through the monthly figures.”
• 5. What is your weakness? What they want to learn: that you are honest and that you work on your faults. Choose a real weakness that the job does not depend on, and say what you do about it. Avoid “I work too hard” and “I am a perfectionist”, which interviewers hear often. Sample answer: “I used to say yes to every request, and my own work slipped. Now I write each request down, tell the person when I can finish it and say politely when I am full. My manager says my deadlines are more reliable now.”
• 6. Why are you leaving your job? What they want to learn: whether you will leave them in the same way. Give a reason that looks forward, and never criticise a manager or a company. If a contract ended or your post was made redundant, say so in one plain sentence. If you have never worked, say you are looking for your first full-time post. Sample answer: “I have learned a lot in my present company, but the team is small and there is no senior post to move into. I want to work on larger projects and take more responsibility, and this role offers both.”
• 7. Where do you see yourself in five years? What they want to learn: whether your ambition fits the job, and whether you plan to stay and learn. Do not say you want your manager’s job, and do not say you plan to leave soon. Sample answer: “In five years I would like to be a trusted senior member of this team, handling larger accounts with little supervision. I plan to finish my CIMA in that time and use it here. I would rather grow with one company than move often.”
• 8. What is your expected salary? What they want to learn: whether your expectation fits their budget, and whether you know what the work is worth. Research first. Ask people who do the same job, recruiters and former classmates what similar posts pay, and compare any adverts that state pay. Decide the lowest figure you would accept. Then answer with a range for the gross monthly salary, which is the amount before EPF and tax are taken out. No figure is given here, because pay changes with the employer, the town and your experience. Sample answer: “From what I understand about similar posts in Colombo, I am looking for a gross monthly salary of [your researched range]. I am open to discussing the whole package.” Ask what the package includes beyond the basic salary, such as allowances.
• 9. When can you start? What they want to learn: when they can plan on having you. Read your contract before the interview, and never promise a date you cannot keep. Sample answer: “My contract asks for [your notice period], so I could join from [date]. I will ask my employer whether we can agree an earlier date, but I will not leave my team without a proper handover.” A fresh graduate can say, “I can start immediately.”
• 10. Do you have any questions for us? What they want to learn: that you are curious and have thought about the job. Saying “no questions” sounds uninterested. Prepare three that the company’s website cannot answer. Examples: “What would a good first six months look like in this role?” “Who would I work with day to day?” “What training do new staff receive?” “What happens next, and when may I expect to hear from you?” Pay and leave can wait until the employer raises them or offers you the job.

Software interview questions

Software interviews test what you know and how you think. Expect questions on your own projects and, often, a task to do at a desk or at home.

Many software employers send a take-home task or an online test before or after the interview. Read the brief twice and ask if anything is unclear. Build a small thing that works rather than a large thing that does not. Commit as you go, add a short README on how to run it, and keep to the time given. Be ready to explain every line.

• Tell us about a project you built. A good answer shows: You can explain what the project did, which part was yours, why you chose your tools and what you would change. Sample outline: The problem it solved, the tools and why, your own part, one result, one lesson.
• Explain object-oriented programming. A good answer shows: You know the ideas in your own words and have used them, not recited them. Sample outline: Classes and objects, then encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism, each with an example from your own code.
• What is the difference between an inner join and a left join in SQL? A good answer shows: You can say which rows each returns, and you have written queries yourself. Sample outline: An inner join returns only rows that match in both tables. A left join returns every row of the left table, with empty values where there is no match. Example: customers who have never placed an order.
• How do you use Git? A good answer shows: You work in branches, make small commits with clear messages and have resolved a merge conflict. Sample outline: A branch for each piece of work, a review before merging, and one conflict you fixed.
• What is a REST API? A good answer shows: You understand requests and responses between a client and a server, and you have built or used one. Sample outline: Resources and addresses, the request types (get, post, put and delete), status codes such as “not found”, and data sent as JSON.
• How do you test your code? A good answer shows: You test more than the happy path. You know a small unit test from a test of the parts working together. Sample outline: What you test first, how you test a failure, and a bug that a test caught for you.
• How do you debug a problem you cannot find? A good answer shows: You have a method and you ask for help in good time. Sample outline: Reproduce it, read the error and the logs, and narrow it down. Test one idea at a time, then ask a colleague, saying what you have tried.
• Tell us about working in an Agile team. A good answer shows: You have worked in sprints and daily meetings, you say when you are blocked and you cope when requirements change.

• See software jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.

Finance and accounting interview questions

Finance interviews check your accuracy and your habits more than your theory. Expect to be asked how you do the work, step by step.

Employers often ask about your professional exams, such as CA Sri Lanka, CIMA, ACCA and AAT Sri Lanka. Know your stage and your next step.

• Walk us through your month-end close. A good answer shows: You know the steps and their order, the deadlines and who you depend on. Sample outline: Accruals and prepayments, bank and supplier reconciliations, and payroll and depreciation entries. Then a review of the trial balance, the main differences from budget and the handover for reporting.
• How do you do a bank reconciliation? A good answer shows: You understand timing differences and you clear every item rather than carry it. Sample outline: Match the bank statement to the cash book. List items such as cheques not yet presented and deposits not yet credited, explain each difference and clear old items.
• What do you do when a reconciliation does not balance? A good answer shows: You look for the cause and do not force the figures. You tell your manager when you cannot find it. Sample outline: Check the latest entries. Look for duplicates and for digits written the wrong way round. Then ask a colleague to look with fresh eyes.
• What are SLFRS, and where have you used them? A good answer shows: You know that SLFRS are Sri Lanka’s financial reporting standards, based on IFRS. You are honest about the parts you have actually used. Sample outline: Name one area you have applied at work or studied for your exams, and say what it changed in the accounts.
• How does VAT work, and how do you prepare a return? A good answer shows: You understand that tax charged on sales is set against tax paid on purchases, where the rules allow. You know that records and invoices must be right. Sample outline: Output tax, input tax, the checks you make on invoices before you claim, and who approves the return.
• Which Excel skills do you use? A good answer shows: You use more than totals. Expect a short test in Excel, so practise before you go. Sample outline: Lookups (VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP), pivot tables, conditional sums and the checks you build to catch your own errors.
• Where are you with your professional exams? A good answer shows: You are committed, you are honest about your stage and you have a plan. Employers often ask about CA Sri Lanka, CIMA, ACCA and AAT Sri Lanka. Sample outline: The qualification, what you have passed, what you are studying now and when your next exam is. Do not call yourself qualified until you are.
• Tell us about an error you found, and what you did. A good answer shows: You care about accuracy, you speak up early and you add a check so it does not happen again.

• See finance and accounting jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.

Banking interview questions

Banks look for care with customers, with rules and with cash. Expect questions on how you deal with people and with a mistake.

• How would you handle an angry customer? A good answer shows: You stay calm, listen, and either fix the problem or take it to the right person. Sample outline: Let them finish, say what you understand, solve what you can, explain what you cannot do and who can, and follow up.
• Tell us about a complaint you handled. A good answer shows: You have real experience, and you can tell it with the situation, what you did and what came of it. Sample outline: The problem, the customer’s point of view, your action, the result and what you changed afterwards.
• What is KYC, and why does it matter? A good answer shows: You know that KYC means “know your customer”. The bank checks who a customer is, with identity and address documents, before it opens an account, and keeps the records.
• What would you do if you noticed something suspicious on an account? A good answer shows: You know about money laundering. You report anything suspicious through the bank’s own procedure, to your supervisor or the compliance officer. You do not warn the customer or investigate alone.
• How do you reach a sales target, and what is cross-selling? A good answer shows: You sell honestly. Cross-selling means offering a related product, such as a savings plan to a customer opening an account. You do it only when it fits what the customer told you. Sample outline: Listen first, match one product to a real need, explain it clearly, and accept a “no”.
• How do you stay accurate when you handle cash? A good answer shows: You count twice, balance your drawer every day and report a difference at once. You never hide one.
• Why do you want to work in banking? A good answer shows: You understand that banking is built on trust, rules and customers, and not only on a steady job. Banking qualifications, such as those of the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka, can help, so mention any you have started.

• See banking jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.

Admin and office support interview questions

Admin and office support interviews ask how you organise your day and treat people. Expect a short typing or Office test.

• Which Microsoft Office skills do you use? A good answer shows: You name what you do, and you expect a typing or Excel test. “I know MS Office” says very little. Sample outline: In Word, mail merge and styles. In Excel, formulas and sorting a list. In PowerPoint, a clean presentation for a manager.
• How do you manage a busy diary? A good answer shows: You plan, confirm and leave room for the unexpected. You can also solve a clash. Sample outline: Confirm each meeting, add travel time, keep gaps for urgent items, and warn your manager early about a clash.
• How do you handle confidential information? A good answer shows: You can be trusted. You do not discuss papers with colleagues and you keep documents locked or protected.
• Everything is urgent. What do you do first? A good answer shows: You judge by deadline and effect, and you ask your manager when unsure. You tell people when their task will be late.
• How do you deal with a difficult caller or visitor? A good answer shows: You stay polite and calm, take the details and hand the matter to the right person.
• How do you manage petty cash? A good answer shows: You are careful with money and records. Sample outline: A fixed float, a voucher and receipt for every payment, approval from the right person, a regular count and a reconciliation.
• How do you organise filing? A good answer shows: You use a system anyone can follow, with clear file names, so papers and computer files are easy to find.

• See admin and office support jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.

HR interview questions

HR interviews ask how you treat people and how exact you are with rules and records. Expect questions on recruitment, payroll and fairness.

• Walk us through how you fill a vacancy. A good answer shows: You know the whole process, not only the interviews. Sample outline: Agree the job description with the manager, advertise, screen CVs, shortlist, interview, check references, make the offer and plan the first week.
• How do you screen CVs fairly? A good answer shows: You judge each CV against the job’s needs and not against a name, religion, school or place. Sample outline: Write the needs down first, score every CV the same way and keep a note of why people were not shortlisted.
• What do you do in the first week of onboarding? A good answer shows: You prepare before the person arrives, so that they feel welcome and can start work. Sample outline: The contract, documents, equipment and system access, an induction, a colleague to ask, and a check-in at the end of the week.
• How do you run payroll? A good answer shows: You are accurate and you protect confidential pay data. Sample outline: Collect attendance, leave and overtime, calculate, get approval, check against last month, issue payslips and make the payments on time.
• What do you know about EPF and ETF processing? A good answer shows: You know that the EPF is a retirement fund, and that the employee and the employer both contribute to it. The ETF is paid by the employer. Each must be calculated and submitted correctly and on time. Say that you follow the current rules and check them when unsure. Do not quote rates from memory.
• What labour law basics should an HR executive know? A good answer shows: You know the main areas: working hours, leave, overtime, termination and notice, and disciplinary procedure. You also know when to ask the Department of Labour or a lawyer. Do not recite sections.
• How would you handle a complaint between two employees? A good answer shows: You are fair, you keep the matter confidential and you follow the company’s procedure. Sample outline: Listen to each person separately, write down the facts, do not take sides, follow the policy and say what happens next.
• Tell us about your CIPM studies. A good answer shows: You are committed to the profession, and you can link what you study to your work.

• See HR jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.

Media and communications interview questions

Media and communications interviews start from your work. Expect to show it, and perhaps to write something on the spot.

• Take us through your portfolio. A good answer shows: You choose your best work for this job and explain the brief, your part and the result. Sample outline: Three to five pieces. For each, the aim, your role, what you would do differently.
• Which languages do you write in, and how do you check your work? A good answer shows: You are honest about your level in English, Sinhala or Tamil. You expect to be asked to write on the spot in each one. Sample outline: The language, the kind of writing you do in it and how you check spelling and tone. Say who reads your work before it goes out.
• How do you work to a deadline? A good answer shows: You plan, you deliver drafts early and you warn people the moment a deadline is at risk.
• How do you check facts before you publish? A good answer shows: You check names, dates and figures against the source, and you correct a mistake quickly and openly. Sample outline: Go back to the first source, and find a second one for any claim that matters. Keep a note of where each fact came from.
• How do you tell whether a post or an article worked? A good answer shows: You know that reach, clicks and engagement are different figures. You compare them with a goal and change what you do because of them. Do not quote a figure you cannot show.
• What do you do about copyright and sources? A good answer shows: You use only text, pictures and music that you have the right to use. You credit sources, and you ask permission when you are not sure.
• How do you take an editor’s changes to your work? A good answer shows: You welcome feedback and you can explain your choice when you disagree.
• What would you change in our content? A good answer shows: You studied their pages before the interview. Sample outline: One thing that works well and why, one idea of your own, and how you would try it.

• See media and communications jobs Open vacancies in this field on BetterJobs.lk.

On the day

• A printed CV. Bring a few clean copies in a folder, in case more than one person is on the panel. They must be the CV you sent.
• Your certificates. Bring the originals and a photocopy of each, in order: education first, then professional qualifications, then letters from past employers. Employers often want to see the originals and keep a copy.
• Arrive early. Plan the route and the transport, and aim to be there about fifteen minutes before the time. Leave extra time for traffic. Be polite to everyone you meet, from the security desk to the panel.
• Dress for the office. Wear clean, formal office clothes. When in doubt, dress one step smarter than the staff you see. Put your phone on silent before you go in.
• Answer in the language you are asked in. Many interviews move between Sinhala, Tamil and English. Keep your English clear if the job needs it, and ask politely if you did not catch a question.
• For an online interview, test everything the day before. Open the link, and check the camera and the sound. Charge your device, and sit near your router. Plan for a power or data cut, with a second device or your phone’s data. Choose a quiet room with a plain background and the light in front of you, not behind. Join a few minutes early, keep the employer’s phone number to hand, and look at the camera when you speak.

Afterwards

1. 1

   Ask about the timeline.

   Before you leave, ask when you may expect to hear from them. Write the answer down.

2. 2

   Send a short thank-you email.

   Send it the same day or the next morning. Thank the person, name one thing from the interview and say you are still keen. Keep it to a few sentences.

3. 3

   Follow up once.

   If the date they gave has passed, or after about a week when they gave none, send one polite email asking for news. Then wait. A second and third message do not help.

Know your CV before they ask about it

An interviewer reads your CV first and asks about it, so every line needs a story behind it. Upload your CV as a PDF to the CV checker to see how it reads, what lowered your score and what to fix first. After the report you can also ask BetterJobs AI for career guidance and a cover letter.

More guides:

• ATS CV guide How employer software reads a CV, and how to write one it reads well.
• CV format guide The sections in order, what to write in each, and what to leave out.
• Cover letter samples How to set out a cover letter, with six samples and an email version.
• Spot fake job adverts The warning signs of a fake advert, and how to check one.
• Minimum wage guide The national minimum wage, who it covers and where to complain.
• Salary calculator Your take-home pay after EPF and APIT tax.
• New APIT and the Budget What the Budget changes for APIT income tax, and when it would start.