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Are you looking for a new job or recruiting a new employee? Watch our video series for intermediate or upper intermediate level learners.

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Listen to a consultant talking about the basic stages of the change process and the people in a change management team.

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Why do you think you are - the right candidate for the position?, How do you cope - with pressure?, How did you find - out about the job?, Do you have any other skills - which might be useful in the job?, Do you have - any relevant work experience?, Why did you apply - for the position?, How do you feel - about doing shift work?,

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Why do you think you are - the right candidate for the position?, How do you cope - with pressure?, How did you find - out about the job?, Do you have any other skills - which might be useful in the job?, Do you have - any relevant work experience?, Why did you apply - for the position?, How do you feel - about doing shift work?,

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Searching for jobs is extremely stressful, but you know what's even more stressful? Having to do your interview in another language.

But it doesn't have to be if you prepare yourself for this opportunity that could really change your life, forever!
Here are 8 questions that they will likely ask, along with answers to help you rock (do well on) your interview.
Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

8 Common English Job Interview Questions and How to Answer Them Well

There is some great news when it comes to job interviews. It's not all doom and gloom (bad). Most recruiters these days ask the interviewees (you) the same basic questions. So with a little preparation, you can speak very well at your interview, even if you don't have a very advanced level of English.

1. Tell me about yourself

After greeting, shaking hands and introducing yourself, the next thing that interviewers are probably going to ask you to do is to talk about yourself.

Now, this might seem easy for you - you've practicewd it in your English class so much, but they don't want to hear every single detail. Avoid saying something like: I was born in Beijing. I love playing the computer and surfing the net. or I have two sisters. They don't want to know everything about you. They want to know about you and your career growth; they want to know about you related to the job you're applying for.

Also, make sure you don't use any informal slang or make any basic grammar mistakes.
I've been working as a junior chef at a small Italian restaurant for 2 years and my duties included assisting the head chef and preparing salads. I have always been interested in food and cooking which was why I chose to follow this career path. I studied at ******* college, where I gained my first level cooking diploma.
2. What are your strengths?

When your interviewer asks you this question, they want to know all your positive qualities. These positive qualities need to relate to what they want and are looking for.

So before you head into your interview, make sure you do your research as to what kind of person suits this job, especially if you're a newbie (new) and entering the workforce for the first time. Treat this question as a chance to advertise yourself - you are the product, now market yourself. The thing to remember here is not to just list a number of adjectives (anyone can do this). Instead, use examples to support your point.
For example, you could answer with any of the following: To be punctual - to be on time.
I'm a punctual person. I always arrive early and complete my work on time. My previous job had a lot of deadlines (time when you must finish something by) and I made sure that I was organized and adhered to (respected) all my jobs.

To be a team-player - to work well with others. I consider myself to be a team-player. I like to work with other people and I find that it's much easier to achieve something when everyone works together and communicates well.

To be ambitious - to have goals. I'm ambitious. I have always set myself goals and it motivates me to work hard. I have achieved my goals so far with my training, education and work experience and now I am looking for ways to improve myself and grow.

To take initiative - to do something without having to be told to do it. When I work, I always take initiative. If I see something that needs doing, I don't wait for instruction, I do it. I believe that to be get anywhere in life, you need this quality.

To be proactive - To do things and make them happen. I'm proactive. When I think about things, I do them. I like to see results and it's important in this industry to be proactive and responsible for your own actions.

To keep your cool - To stay calm in all kinds of situations. I think it's really important to be able to stay calm when you're working as a reporter. It can get really stressful, but one of my greatest qualities is that I can keep my cool and I don't allow the pressure to get to me, which helps me achieve all my goals and remain focused. Here are a number of other words that can help you answer this question:

Problem-solver (N)
Can find answers to problems easily
Team building skills (N)
You're able to take the lead and be the leader of the group.

Negotiate (V)
To be able to get a better deal that is favorable to you
To have a good work ethic (V)
To work hard, follow the rules and respect your duties of the job.

REMEMBER: It's really important that you give good, solid answers and back them up with evidence otherwise it's just going to sound like you've memorized what you're saying. Some companies won't directly ask you what your strengths are, they could ask the same thing, but using different words, such as:

Why do you think we should hire you?

Why do you think you're the best person for this job?

What can you offer us?

What makes you a good fit for our company?

Watching sample interview videos is a great way to get comfortable with the process and get an idea of the type of questions to expect. The large job postings company Indeed has a video that shares some tips for how to do an interview in 2022. You can watch it on FluentU with accurate, interactive subtitles.

FluentU has a few more videos about interviews that you might find useful (just search for "interview" to find all videos on the topic as well as any video that uses the word).

You can also practice your English skills with the program's native English content, which includes good topics for small talk and current events, like popular music videos, movie clips and trailers and news segments. Get the iOS / Android app or try FluentU in your browser and prepare for your interview by listening to natural English.

3. What are your weaknesses?

What? I don't have any weaknesses! Of course you do - no one's perfect. Everyone has weaknesses, but what they're checking for here is how you try to fix your weaknesses and they also want to know how self-aware (how much you know about yourself) you are.

Another trick here is to turn those weaker qualities into positive qualities. For example, your weakness is that you spend too much time on projects which makes you work slower. Turn that into a positive by saying: I sometimes am slower in completing my tasks compared to others because I really want to get things right. I will double or sometimes triple-check documents and files to make sure everything is accurate (correct).

Another great trick is to talk about a weakness (like being disorganized) and mention some methods that you are using to help overcome this: e.g. I have created a time-management system, which allows me to list all my duties and organize my deadlines so I have a clearer idea of what I need to do.

4. Why did you leave your last job?

If you're applying for your first job, this question is not for you.

However, if you've worked before, the interviewer wants to find out why you left your old job. Did you leave because you were fired? (Your old boss asked you to leave for doing something wrong). Did you quit? ( Resign - Did you choose to stop working?) Or were you laid off? ( Made redundant - no longer needed because the job is no longer available?)

If you chose to leave your old job, avoid saying anything negative about your old workplace or boss (even if this is true). The person or people interviewing you will just look at you in a negative way. You can say the following:

I'm looking for new challenges.

I feel I wasn't able to show my talents.

I'm looking for a job that suits my qualifications.

I'm looking for a job where I can grow with the company.

5. Tell us about your education

Here they want to know everything you've studied related to the job. For example your training and further education (e.g. university, polytechnic, college). You don't need to tell them everything you've done since elementary school, just the important things.

Your: Degrees - 3-4 year qualification from university/college.

Diploma - A short-term qualification (e.g. 1 year) from college/university/polytechnic.

Certificate - A piece of paper showing your participation in a course. NB: Make sure you take all the necessary documents with you, as they may need proof!

If they ask you the question: tell us about your scholastic record, they want to know what kind of grades you received.

6. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Here, they are asking about your goals. Again, it's related to your career, not your personal life. So if having a family is on the list, don't mention it. Be careful what you say here, you need to be ambitious, but NOT too ambitious as those interviewing you may see you as a threat (competition). You can mention: By then I will have...I would have liked to...

Improved my skills

Created more of a name for myself in the industry (become more known for what you do).

Become more independent in what I do and productive (doing more).

Enhanced (improved) my knowledge.

Achieved a higher position.

Become a team leader...

7. What kind of salary do you expect?

Here, they are asking you about how much money you would expect to earn from the job. Be reasonable. Make sure you do your research on the internet about what the average salary is. Do not say I don't know, it makes you sound unsure. Be confident and name your price without selling yourself too short (going for less) or going too high. The truth of the matter is, they already have a salary in mind, but this is their way of checking if you know the industry and if you're aware of your own skills.

8. Do you have any questions for me/us?

Yes, you do! This is how an interviewer will usually finish the interview. They are not just being polite-they want you to speak.

Remember, they're still judging you as you answer this question. So don't ask anything that will make you sound silly, such as what kind of work does your company do? Or how much vacation time do I get each year? You want to find out more, and if you don't ask any questions, then they may view this as you being not very interested in the job. Ask questions like:

Do you have any examples of projects that I would be working on if I were to be offered the job? This shows that you're interested in the actual job and not just being employed.

What is the typical day for this position (job)? Find out what kind of duties are involved and what kind of things you would be expected to do on a day-to-day basis.

Does the company offer in-house training to staff? This shows your interest in not only getting the job, but also wanting to improve and grow.

What is the next step? Here, this is a way of asking what is next in the interview process. They will tell you how many days it will take to make their decision and will inform you if you need to come back for a second interview.

Job interviews don't have to be scary. Remember first impressions count, think before you speak, and show your great English skills and give awesome answers to win that job. Good luck!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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Great Answers to 8 Common English Job Interview Questions

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Searching for jobs is extremely stressful, but you know what's even more stressful? Having to do your interview in another language. But it doesn't have to be if you prepare yourself for this opportunity that could really change your life, forever!

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In a job interview, you will be asked a question by an interviewer where you have to tell them what type of person you are. Although this is not a difficult question to answer, it is a difficult question to answer well.

To impress the people interviewing you with your answer, you need to not only describe your personality using words which sound professional and choose the right type of personality characteristics to talk about for the job that you are having the interview for, but also say in what ways you are like them after you have said them and why being like this is important.

To help you do this, I have created two online exercises where you'll learn 25 professional sounding English words (13 in this exercise and 12 in the next) to describe your personality in a job interview.

After you have done this first part, I recommend that you then do the second part of this exercise. In this second part, you'll learn 12 more words you can use and also how to decide which personality characteristics to talk about in a job interview.

In addition to these exercises, we have a lot of other free online exercises on CVs/resumes and job interviews vocabulary and techniques.

Exercise:

Read the following two replies in a job interview to the question, ' How would you describe yourself?'. The first, is from a candidate for the position of a manager. The second, is from a candidate for the position of a computer analyst.

From the context, try to guess what the meaning of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.

For a manager's position:

'Well, first of all, I am very hands-on. I like to be involved in everything that my team does. It is easier to manage staff if they see you with them a lot of the time. Also, I am very supportive. I encourage people and that brings the best out in them. It works better than criticising them. I am there if any of my team need any type of help, because people are not machines. In addition, I see myself as a natural leader. I have the ability to direct, organise and inspire people. This is especially important when you are a manager, because as you know, if your staff do not respect or trust you, then it is highly likely that the team does not work as it could or should.

I would also say that I am very goal-orientated. I always set myself objectives or targets which I have to meet. For example, when I started my career, I set myself a goal of being promoted to a manager inside of 2 years, and I achieved it. Also, I am a very proactive type of person. I never wait for things to go wrong. I make sure that I identify any possible issues before they happen, and introduce changes and processes to ensure that they do not occur. This is very important in business today.

And in addition, I am pragmatic. I am a realist and understand that change is a business necessity. And that in the world of business you sometimes have to do things that you don't necessarily agree with.

And lastly, I am dynamic. I am very motivated and I am full of ideas of how to run a team. And I have the energy and the confidence to do it.'

For a computer analyst's position:

'I am a very methodical person. I work in a very organised and systematic way to avoid making mistakes. Which is very important in Information Technology (IT), where one small mistake can cost a lot of time and money. In addition, I am reliable. You can trust me to do any work well that I am given. This is very important when you are not under constant supervision. Also, I am hard-working. I am generally the first person to arrive in the office and one of the last to leave.

In addition, I am very analytical, which is very important for any career in science or IT. I always use a combination of logic and analysis when I do my work. This is really useful when you are developing a new project or problem solving. And I am also punctual. I am never late to a meeting or to work.

But most importantly, I am very innovative. I love to create and improve new procedures and applications. In fact, in my current company, I was responsible for the improvements in their online ordering system, that reduced the delivery time to clients.'

Quiz:

Below is a definition/description of each of the words/phrases in bold from the above text. Now fill in the blanks with one of these words/phrases in bold. Only use one word/phrase once and write it as it is in the text. Click on the "Check answers" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.

When the answer is correct, two icons will appear next to the question which you can press/click on. In the first icon, , you can find extra information about the word/phrase (e.g. when, where and how to use etc...) and a Spanish translation. In the second, , is where you can listen to the word/phrase and do a pronunciation test (to make sure you can say it correctly).

Practice

Now that you understand the describing your personality vocabulary, practise it by imagining you are in an job interview in English and you have to describe yourself.

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How to describe yourself in a job interview exercise part 1

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In a job interview, you will be asked a question by an interviewer where you have to tell them what type of person you are. Although this is not a difficult question to answer, it is a difficult question to answer well.

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In this second of two online exercises on describing yourself in a job interview, you'll learn 12 more professional sounding words in English that you can use to describe your personality in a job interview. But before you learn these, you need to know how to choose the right personailty characteristics to use.

Choosing the right personality characteristics to talk about

To successfully describe yourself in a job interview, you not only need to use the right type of words/terms, but you also need to choose personality characteristics which are relevant for the job you are having the interview for.

Different jobs and positions require different types of personality. The type of personality that a person needs for a job in a sales department is different to what is needed for teaching in a school. In addition, a person will need to have different personality characteristics if they are working as a member of a team to if they are in charge of a team.

To know which personality characteristics that you should use when describing yourself in an interview for a job, you first need to know what the roles and the responsibilities of the job you are interviewing for are (will you have to write report, meet with customers, analyse data etc...).

When you know what these are, think from the perspective of the people interviewing you. If you were in their position, what type of person would you be looking for to do that particular type of job? Somebody who is caring? Somebody you can trust? etc...

By doing this, you will know which type of personality characteristics you should (and shouldn't) say you have in your answer in the interview.
Click here to see more vocabulary for describing yourself in part one of this exercise Click here to see more of our free online exercises on CVs/resumes and job interviews
Exercise:

Read the following two replies in a job interview to the question ' How would you describe yourself?'. The first, is from a candidate for the position of a salesman. The second, is from a candidate for a position in advertising.

From the context, try to guess what the meaning of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.

For a salesman's position:

'One of the things that makes me an excellent salesman is that I am very good at reading people. I have the ability to know how people are feeling or thinking by noticing gestures that they make or by what they say. This helps me a lot in my dealings with existing or potential clients. Another thing that I am very good at, in connection with people, is that I am very diplomatic. I am very skilled at dealing with people in difficult situations and can avoid upsetting or offending them. This is especially important when you are involved in negotiations.

In addition, I am very highly motivated. I love what I do and I want to do the best that I can. For me, this is something that is fundamental for a sales executive. And another thing that is key for a sales executive to be, is to be optimistic. And I am that. This is essential, because who wants to buy a product or service from somebody who seems negative or unsure. I would say nobody.

Also, I am very flexible about when, where or how I work. In business today you have to be able to change when necessary. So, if you told me that I had a meeting the following day in Germany, it would have no problem in going.

And lastly, I am very cool-headed. I always stay focused in difficult or stressful situations and I never panic.'

For a position in advertising:

'I am very creative. I am always coming up with new and interesting ideas on how to convince people to buy things. This is important in an industry which constantly changes like advertising. Also, as you have already noticed, I am a very enthusiastic person. I show that I love what I do and want to encourage other people to feel the same.

I am also a team player. When you are doing an advertising project, it is essential that the team works together. If it does not, and people do not get on or are focused too much on themselves, then the project will fail and you all lose.

In addition, I am very committed to being successful in my career and I will do anything to achieve it. Plus, I am a very confident person. I do not doubt my own abilities and I am always sure that I will be successful with any project that I do.

And lastly, I am ambitious. I want to have a very successful career in advertising. I have shown this throughout my career. For example, in my current company I started there as an assistant and within four years I was a senior advertising executive.'

Quiz:

Below is a definition/description of each of the words/phrases in bold from the above text. Now fill in the blanks with one of these words/phrases in bold. Only use one word/phrase once and write it as it is in the text. Click on the "Check answers" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.

When the answer is correct, two icons will appear next to the question which you can press/click on. In the first icon, , you can find extra information about the word/phrase (e.g. when, where and how to use etc...) and a Spanish translation. In the second, , is where you can listen to the word/phrase and do a pronunciation test (to make sure you can say it correctly).

Practice

Now that you understand the describing your personality vocabulary, practise it by imagining you are in an job interview in English and you have to describe yourself.

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How to describe yourself in a job interview exercise part 2

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In this second of two online exercises on describing yourself in a job interview, you'll learn 12 more professional sounding words in English that you can use to describe your personality in a job interview. But before you learn these, you need to know how to choose the right personailty characteristics to use.

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Wordwall - Быстрее создавайте лучшие уроки

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Do you - mean...?, I'm sorry, could you expand - on what you mean by...?, That's a difficult - question to answer., I'd like to answer that in two ways; - firstly,... secondly,..., I think there are two important aspects to - this question. , Let me give you an example - of what I mean., Take..., - for instance, I apply what - I learned. , I see myself as a top performing employee - in a leading company. , I plan to gain - experience and learn new skills., I would be ready to move - up to a position with more responsibility. , I'm aware that there are areas that I - can improve on. , I don't feel that I have any - significant weaknesses. , Is that what you - wanted to know?, Does that answer - your question?,

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Do you - mean...?, I'm sorry, could you expand - on what you mean by...?, That's a difficult - question to answer., I'd like to answer that in two ways; - firstly,... secondly,..., I think there are two important aspects to - this question.