Interviewing

Interviewing for a job requires a lot of preparation and practice.

The information below explains the different of question types, and gives you some common questions and example answers to learn from.

Use these questions to think about the answers you would give if you were asked the question in English job interview.

	Open Questions			Double-Barrelled Questions
	Closed Questions			Behavioural Questions
	Hypothetical Questions			Final Questions
	Leading Questions			Summary

Interviewing for an English-Speaking Job

 

Your resume has been successful, and now they want to interview you. Well done!

Interviewing for a job is different in many cultures.

The questions and example answers below are typical of what you might be asked in a job interview in Canada, Australia, England, or the USA.

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!

DO NOT memorize the answers - the key to successful interviewing is to be prepared for the questions, and have a mental outline to follow for each answer.

Open Questions

When you are asked an open question, the interviewer wants general information, not a yes/no answer. You may need to give examples and/or details.

Tell us a little about... What did you...?  

Example Questions and Answers:

Q:	Tell me about your education.
A:	Well, I graduated from Tokyo University with a BA in business and then did a one-year postgraduate diploma in accounting.

 

Q:	What did you do in your last role?
A:	My main responsibility was looking after the company's largest clients, but I also assisted in developing new business.

 

Q:	Why do you want this job?
A:	I've been looking for a job where I can use my creative skills and work with people. I've heard good things about your company.

 

Q:	Why did you study medicine?
A:	When I was in school, biology was always my favorite class. My mother was a nurse and I always loved hearing stories from the hospital. I knew one day I would be a doctor.

 

Q:	What are your career goals?
A:	Eventually, I'd like to manage a large team of sales people in a company that's involved in environmentalism and the green movement.

 

Q:	How would your best friend describe you?
A:	He would say that I'm loyal and a very good listener. I think he would also say that I'm very social and usually in a good mood.