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UK job interviews for Indians: competency questions, right to work and salary

For Indian graduates on the Graduate route, Skilled Worker applicants and anyone interviewing with a UK employer from India.

Updated 5 October 2026 · 7 min read · Published by Interview Sarthi, makers of Prep Sarthi (AI mock interviews) and Live Sarthi (interview help on Windows)

Short answer: UK interviews lean on competency-based questions (“give an example of when you…”), often scored against the skills listed in the job advert. Prepare one example for each skill in the advert, answer with STAR, give salary as an annual figure in pounds, and be ready to prove your right to work. Check the employer is a licensed sponsor before you rely on them for a visa.

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Competency-based interviews

Many UK employers, including the NHS, the Civil Service and most large companies, run structured interviews. The panel asks for examples of each skill in the job description (often called the person specification or essential criteria) and scores your answer for each one. The Civil Service calls its version Success Profiles and assesses “behaviours” such as working together or delivering at pace.

That makes preparation mechanical, in a good way: list every essential skill in the advert and prepare one real example for each.

Answer each with STAR (situation, task, action, result), keep it to about two minutes, and use “I” for your part. Worked examples are in the STAR guide. Nurses: see NHS interview questions for Indian nurses.

Right to work and sponsorship

• Every employer must check your right to work before you start. If you have an eVisa, you prove it online with a share code from the GOV.UK “prove your immigration status” service.
• Check the sponsor register first. The UK government publishes a list of organisations licensed to sponsor workers. If an employer is not on it, they cannot sponsor a Skilled Worker visa until they get a licence.
• Answer the sponsorship question in one sentence: scripts for the Graduate route are in the sponsorship guide.

Salary: per annum, in pounds

Most UK adverts show a salary or a range. Answer in the same format: “I'm looking for around £38,000 to £42,000 per annum, depending on the package.” Ask about pension contributions, bonus and hybrid working as part of the package rather than base pay alone. The figure here is an example; research the role and city, because London pay differs from the rest of the country.

Tone: understated beats oversold

• UK panels respond better to calm, evidenced answers than to big claims. “I reduced processing time by about a third” lands better than “I am an excellent problem solver”.
• Prepare two questions for the end: “What would you want the person in this role to achieve in the first six months?” works almost everywhere.
• Say your notice period clearly. One month is common in the UK, longer for senior roles; if yours is 60 or 90 days, say so early.

Indian-English phrases that confuse interviewers abroad

These are normal at home and in Indian offices, but they slow down an interviewer in New York, London, Toronto or Dubai. Swap them before the call:

Speak a little slower than you do at home and finish sentences clearly. Nobody expects you to change your accent; they need to follow your examples.