By Victoria and Alan Last updated: September 18, 2023

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

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 interview questions in English that they will likely ask, along with answers to help you succeed.

Contents

• English Job Interview Questions 
• • 1. Tell me about yourself
  • 2. What are your strengths?
  • 3. What are your weaknesses?
  • 4. Why did you leave your last job?
  • 5. Tell us about your education
  • 6. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
  • 7. What kind of salary do you expect?
  • 8. Do you have any questions for me/us?
• And One More Thing...

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

English Job Interview Questions 

There’s 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 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 on 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 ******* 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 to something) 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 and I made sure that I was organized and adhered to all my jobs.

A deadline is the time when you must finish something by and to adhere to means to respect something.

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 goals for myself 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 get anywhere in life, you need this quality.

To be proactive (to take action to prevent problems or grab opportunities)

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:

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.

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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. They also want to know how self-aware you are (how much you know about yourself).

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.

Accurate means correct.

Another great trick is to talk about a weakness (like being disorganized) and mention some methods that you’re using to help overcome this:

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. 

A time management system refers to a set of strategies, tools, and techniques to help people effectively plan, organize, and prioritize their tasks and activities within a given timeframe.

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 or resign  (choose to stop working)? Or were you laid off (dismissed from the job) because you were made redundant  (no longer needed)?

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.

You’ll want to tell them about any of the following if you have them:

• Degrees: 3-4 year qualification from university/college
• Diploma: A short-term qualification (e.g. 1 year) from a college/university/polytechnic
• Certificate: A piece of paper showing your participation in a course.

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’re 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… or I would like to have…

• improved my skills.
• created more of a name for myself in the industry (become more known for what you do).
• become more productive and independent in what I do.  
• enhanced my knowledge. (To enhance means to improve.)
• achieved a higher position.
• become a team leader.

7. What kind of salary do you expect?

Here, they’re 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.

Don’t 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’re 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? (Position is another word for 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? This is a way of asking what’s 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 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)

And One More Thing...

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