Great Answers to 8 Common English Job Interview Questions
The job interview is English!
Time to panic!
How do I answer this?
What are they going to ask?
What do I say to really impress them and make them choose me?
OK, actually, it’s time to calm down and relax.
Don’t worry.
Almost everybody who ever goes for a job interview is a little bit afraid… after all, this
opportunity could really change your life, forever!
1. Tell me about yourself
Now, this might seem easy for you – you have 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 Sale. I
love playing the computer and surfing the net, or I have two sisters. They do not 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 are applying for.
For example:
I have been working as a junior chef at a small Italian restaurant for two 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 *******
school, 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.
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?
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 is 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:
Focused To concentrate well Confident (adj) Not shy
(Adj)
Problem- Can find answers to Team building You’re able to take the lead
solver (N) problems easily skills (N) and be the leader of the group.
Negotiate (V) To be able to get a better To have a good To work hard, follow the rules
deal that is favorable to you work ethic (V) and respect your duties of the
job.
3. What are your weaknesses?
What? I don’t have any weaknesses! Of course you do – no one is perfect. Everyone has
weaknesses, but what they are 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 have 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!
