Interview prep: questions Nepali employers ask (and how to answer)

Most interview advice online is written for Silicon Valley. Nepali interviews follow a different rhythm: more relationship-building at the start, more practical questions in the middle, and a lot more focus on commitment and culture fit at the end. Here are the 12 questions that come up again and again, and how to handle each one. 1. "Tell me about yourself." Skip the autobiography. Give a 60-second answer in three beats: where you are now, what you have done that matters for this role, and why you are sitting in this room. Practise this out loud until it sounds natural. 2. "Why do you want to work here?" Show you have done your homework. Mention something specific: a product, a recent news item, a value on their website. Vague flattery sounds lazy. 3. "Why should we hire you?" Pick the two most relevant skills from the JD and pair each with a 30-second proof story. Ditch the buzzwords. 4. "What is your biggest weakness?" Avoid the cliche "I work too hard." Pick a real, non-fatal weakness and explain how you are working on it. Honesty lands better than spin. 5. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" Employers in Nepal especially want to know you will not jump ship in 6 months. Show ambition, but anchor it to growth inside their kind of company. 6. "Are you applying anywhere else?" Be honest but vague. "I am exploring 2-3 roles in this space" is fine. Do not name competitors. 7. "What is your expected salary?" Research the market on JwalaJobs and Glassdoor. Give a range, not a single number, and be ready to defend the lower bound. If you must, ask for their range first. 8. "Why are you leaving your current job?" Never bad-mouth your current employer. Frame it as moving toward something, not running away from something. 9. "Tell me about a time you handled conflict at work." Use the STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Keep it under 90 seconds. Pick a real example with a clean resolution. 10. "How do you handle pressure or deadlines?" Give a specific example, not a personality description. "Last quarter we had a launch slip by three weeks; here is what I did" beats "I work well under pressure." 11. "Do you know anyone here?" Common in Nepal. Honest answer. If yes, name them and your relationship; if no, just say no. Either is fine. 12. "Do you have any questions for us?" Always say yes. Ask about the team you would join, the biggest challenge in the first 90 days, and how success is measured. Skip salary and leave for later rounds. Final tips. Arrive 10 minutes early. Bring a printed CV even if they have one. Wear one notch above the office dress code. Send a short thank-you message within 24 hours; it still works. Interviews are a skill. The more you practise, the better you get. Good luck.