English Job Interview

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 practiced 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.

For example:

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 York college, where I gained my first level cooking diploma.

Reasons You Want this Job

Example Questions:
“Why are you interested in this position/job?” “Why are you interested in working at XX Company?”
With these questions, you should highlight what about the job is of interest to you. Is it the interaction with clients
and problem-solving? Is it saving money for the company through accounting? Or growing sales of a product you
believe in?
Focus on what you will actually do in the job and what excites you about the position, not the benefits or salary or
day-to-day tasks.

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.

For example, you could answer with any of the following: 2/6

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 ofdeadlines
(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,

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.

Focused (Adj) To concentrate well Confident (adj) Not shy 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.

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?

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.

Motivation

Example Questions

• “What is most important to you in your current position?”

• “What is most important to you in a new position?”

• “What is most important to you in a career?”

• “What are you looking for in a company?”

Again the focus is on goals but also your motivations. Think about why you want this job. What is your motivation to
be successful in this position? Will this job really help you accomplish your career goals? Is this job (or is the
company) really a good fit for you? It is best to be honest with yourself and in your answer.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

• Translate your CV into English

Common questions:

Personal
1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What are your strengths?

The word strength refers to what you do well, your positive qualities or effective skills.
3. What are your weaknesses?
The word weakness refers to what you don’t do well, your negative qualities or skills.
4. What do you see as a major success in your life?
Major means important or big.
5. Describe a major disappointment in your life.
A disappointment is something you were looking forward to and didn’t happen.
6. What motivates you?
The word motivate means to give you the reason to do something, to inspire you, to encourage
you.
7. What does success mean to you?

8. What are three of your greatest accomplishments?

The word accomplishment means an achievement, something you did well.
9. What are your plans for the future?

10. Have you done any volunteer work?

11. What are your hobbies?

12. What do you like to do in your spare time / free time?

Spare time means when you’re free, when you’re not working.
13. Where do you see yourself five years from now? Ten years from now?

14. Describe a time when you failed.

15. What is your favourite book / movie?

16. What do you do for fun?

17. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Educational
18. Tell me about your educational background.
19. What academic courses did you like the most / the least?

20. Which academic course did you find most difficult?

21. Do you have plans for further education?

22. Why did you choose your major?

Your major is your main area of specialization in university.

Professional
23. Why do you want this job?

24. Why should we hire you?

To hire means to recruit, or give someone a job.
25. Why are you the best person for the job?

26. Explain how you would be an asset to this company.

An asset is something valuable.
27. Why do you think you will be successful in this job?

28. What are your qualifications for this position?

Qualification means the educational and professional background or experience needed in a job.
29. What can you offer our company?

30. What do you know about this industry?

31. What is your personal mission statement?

32. Why do you think you’re suited for this position?

Suited means appropriate, a good match.
33. Describe your work ethic.
Your work ethic is your attitude towards work and behavior at work.
34. Describe your management style.

35. What are your short-term goals?

Short-term means in the near future.
36. What are your long-term goals?
Long-term means in the distant or far future.
37. Why did you choose this field?
Field means an area of work, such as computers, engineering or medicine.
38. Please describe your work experience.

39. Why do you want to work for our company?

40. What do you know about our company?

41. What is most important to you in a job?

42. Describe your previous jobs.

The word previous means what came or happened before.
43. Why did you leave your previous job?
44. What were your responsibilities in your previous position?
The word responsibility refers to what you are supposed to do, what you are in charge of.
45. What did you like the most about your last job?

46. What did you like the least about your last job?

47. What did you learn in your previous job?

48. Do you work well under pressure?

The word pressure means stress.
49. Are you punctual?
To be punctual means that to arrive on time, to not be late.
50. How long do you plan to stay in this job?

51. Can you multi-task?

To multi-task means to do many things at one time.
52. Describe your ideal job.
Ideal basically means perfect here.
53. How would your co-workers describe you?

54. How do you feel about learning new things?

55. Have you ever had trouble with a boss? How did you handle it?

56. What major problems or challenges have you faced?

57. Why did you resign?

58. Why were you fired?

59. Are you a risk-taker?

A risk-taker is someone who is willing to take chances.
60. What have you been doing since your last job?

61. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past year?

62. What’s the most interesting book you’ve read in the past year?

63. How soon can you start work?

64. Do you have any questions?

Job Specifics
65. Are you looking for full- or part-time work?

66. Are you looking for a day or night job?

67. Are you seeking a permanent or temporary position?

68. Can you work weekends?

69. Are you willing to work overtime?

Overtime means hours outside of regular work hours.
70. Can you work nights?
71. Are you willing to travel?

72. Are you willing to relocate?

To relocate means to move to another location.
73. Do you have a driver’s licence?

74. Do you like working with the public?

75. Do you like working with numbers?

76. How are your writing skills?

77. How’s your spelling?

78. What computer programs are you familiar with?

79. Do you know any foreign languages?

80. Have you worked in a multicultural environment before?

Multicultural means many cultures.
81. How do you relate to people from diverse cultures?
Diverse means different.

Salary
82. What are your salary expectations?
Salary expectation is how much money you think you will get.
83. What salary do you want to earn?
To earn means to make, to receive.
84. What kind of compensation are you looking for?
Compensation refers to salary plus benefits.

Leadership
85. Do you consider yourself a leader?

86. What leadership or managerial positions have you held?

Independence
87. Do you like working alone?

88. How well do you work independently?

89. How do you feel about working by yourself?

Teamwork
90. Are you a team player?

91. Do you work well with others?

92. What strengths would you bring to a team?

93. Do you prefer working on a team or by yourself?

 References
94. May we contact your previous employers?

95. Can we contact your references?

References are people who are willing to talk about you, your abilities or your character.
Questions You Can Ask the Interviewer
96. If you were to offer me the job, how soon would you want me to start?

97. When could I expect to hear from you?

98. Are there any further steps in the interview process?

99. What are the major responsibilities of this position?

100. Are there possibilities for advancement?

Advancement means to move up in your job, to be offered a promotion or higher position.

VOCABULARY

Adjetives

accurate - I'm an accurate bookkeeper.

active - I'm active in two volunteer groups.

adaptable - I'm quite adaptable and happy to work in teams or on my own.

adept - I'm adept at identifying customer service issues.

broad-minded - I'm proud of my broad-minded approach to problems.

competent - I'm a competent office suite user.

conscientious - I'm efficient and conscientious about paying attention to detail.

creative - I'm quite creative and have come up with a number of marketing campaigns.

dependable - I'd describe myself as a dependable team player.

determined - I'm a determined problem solver who won't rest until we've come up with a solution.

diplomatic - I've been called in to mediate as I'm quite diplomatic.

efficient - I always take the most efficient approach possible.

enthusiastic - I'm an enthusiastic team player.

experienced - I'm an experienced C++ programmer.

fair - I have a fair understanding of programming languages.

firm - I have a firm grasp on the complexities facing us.

innovative - I've often been complimented on my innovative approach to shipping challenges.

logical - I'm quite logical by nature.

loyal - You'll find that I'm a loyal employee.

mature - I have a mature understanding of the market.

motivated - I'm motivated by people who love to get things done.

objective - I've often been asked for my objective views.

outgoing - People say I'm an outgoing person who's very personable.

personable - My personable nature helps me get along with everyone.

positive - I take a positive approach to problem solving.

practical - I always look for the most practical solution.

productive - I pride myself on how productive I am.

reliable - You'll find that I'm a reliable team player.

resourceful - You might be surprised by how resourceful I can be.

self disciplined - I've often been complimented on how self disciplined I remain in difficult situations.

sensitive - I do my best to be sensitive to others' needs.

trustworthy - I was so trustworthy that I was asked to deposit company funds.

Verbs

act - I've acted in a number of roles in my current position.

accomplish - It took only three months to accomplish all our goals.

adapt - I can to adapt to any circumstance.

administer - I've administered accounts for a wide range of clients.

advise - I've advised management on a wide range of issues.

allocate - I allocated resources across three branches.

analyze - I spent three months analyzing our strengths and weaknesses.

arbitrate - I've been asked to arbitrate between colleagues on a number of occasions.

arrange - I've arranged shipments to four continents.

assist - I've assisted management on a wide range of issues.

attain - I attained the highest levels of certification.

built - I built out two new branches for my company.

carry out - I was responsible for carrying out management's decision.

catalog - I helped develop a database to catalog our client's needs.

collaborate - I've collaborated with a wide range of clients.

conceive - I helped conceive of a new marketing approach.

conduct - I conducted four marketing surveys.

consult - I've consulted on a wide range of projects.

contract - I've contracted with third parties for our company.

cooperate - I'm a team player and love to cooperate.

coordinate - As project manager, I've coordinated major projects.

delegate - I delegated responsibilities as supervisor.

develop - We developed more than twenty applications.

direct - I directed our last marketing campaign.

document - I documented workflow processes.

edit - I edited the company newsletter.

encourage - I encouraged coworkers to think outside the box.

engineer - I helped engineer a wide range of products.

evaluate - I evaluated sales operations throughout the country.

facilitate - I facilitated communications between departments.

finalize - I finalized quarterly sales reports.

formulate - I helped formulate a new market approach.

handle - I handled foreign accounts in three languages.

head - I headed the R&D department for three years.

identify - I identified production issues to streamline development.

implement - I implemented a number of software rollouts.

initiate - I initiated discussions with personnel to improve communications.

inspect - I inspected new equipment as part of quality control measures.

install - I've installed more than two hundred air conditioners.

interpreted - I interpreted for our sales department when necessary.

introduce - I introduced a number of innovations.

lead - I led the regional sales team.

manage - I managed a team of ten for the past two years.

operate - I've operated heavy equipment for more than five years.

organize - I helped organize events at four locations.

presented - I presented at four conferences.

provide - I provided feedback to management on a regular basis.

recommend - I recommended changes to help improve workflow.

recruit - I recruited employees from local community colleges.

redesign - I redesigned our company database.

review - I reviewed company policies on a regular basis.

revise - I revised and improved plans for company expansion.

supervise - I've supervised project development teams on a number of occasions.