Common Interview Questions

First Impressions

The first impression you make on the interviewer can decide the rest of the interview. It is
important that you introduce yourself, shake hands, and be friendly and polite. The first
question is often a "breaking the ice" (establish a rapport) type of question. Don't be
surprised if the interviewer asks you something like:

 How are you today?

 Did you have any trouble finding us?
 Isn't this great weather we're having?

This type of question is common because the interviewer wants to put you at ease (help
you relax). The best way to respond is in a short, friendly manner without going into too
much detail. Here is some examples correct responses:

Interviewer: How are you today?

You: I'm fine, thank you. And you?

OR

Interviewer: Did you have any trouble finding us?

You: No, the office isn't too difficult to find.

OR Interviewer: Isn't this great weather we're having?

You: Yes, it's wonderful. I love this time of year.

Interviewer: Did you have any trouble finding us?

You: No, the office isn't too difficult to find.

Here are some examples of incorrect responses:

How are you today?

So, so. I'm rather nervous actually.

OR

Interviewer: Did you have any trouble finding us?

You: As a matter of fact it was very difficult. I missed the exit and had to return via the
highway. I was afraid I was going to be late for the interview.

OR Interviewer: Isn't this great weather we're having?

You: Yes, it's wonderful. I can remember this time last year. Wasn't it awful! I thought it
would never stop raining!

Interviewer: Did you have any trouble finding us?

You: No, the office isn't too difficult to find.

Getting Down to Business

Once the pleasant beginnings have finished, it's time to begin the real interview. Here are
a number of the most common questions that are asked during the interview. There are
two examples of excellent replies given for each question. Following the examples, you
will find a comment describing the type of question and important things to remember
when answering that type of question.

Interviewer: Tell me about yourself.

Candidate: I was born and raised in Milan, Italy. I attended the University of Milan and
received my master's degree in Economics. I have worked for 12 years as a financial
consultant in Milan for various companies including Rossi Consultants, Quasar Insurance
and Sardi and Sons. I enjoy playing tennis in my free time and learning languages.

Candidate: I've just graduated from the University of Singapore with a degree in
Computers. During the summers, I worked as a systems administrator for a small
company to help pay for my education.

Comment: This question is meant as an introduction. Do not focus too specifically on any
one area. The above question will often be used to help the interviewer choose what
h/she would like to ask next. While it is important to give an overall impression of who
you are, make sure to concentrate on work related experience. Work related experience
should always be the central focus of any interview (work experience is more important
than education in most English speaking countries).

Interviewer: What type of position are you looking for?

Candidate: I'm interested in an entry level (beginning) position.
Candidate: I'm looking for a position in which I can utilize my experience.
Candidate: I would like any position for which I qualify.

Comment:You should be willing to take an entry level position in an English speaking

company as most of these companies expect non-nationals to begin with such a position.
In the United States, most companies provide many opportunities for growth, so don't be
afraid to start from the beginning!

Interviewer: Are you interested in a full-time or part-time position?

Candidate: I am more interested in a full-time position. However, I would also consider a
part-time position.

Comment: Make sure to leave open as many possibilities as possible. Say you are willing
to take any job, once the job has been offered you can always refuse if the job does not
appeal (not interest) to you.

Interviewer: Can you tell me about your responsibilities at your last job?
Candidate: I advised customers on financial matters. After I consulted the customer, I
completed a customer inquiry form and catalogued the information in our database. I
then collaborated with colleagues to prepare the best possible package for the client. The
clients were then presented with a summarized report on their financial activities that I
formulated on a quarterly basis.

Comment: Notice the amount of detail necessary when you are talking about your
experience. One of the most common mistakes made by foreigners when discussing their
former employment is to speak too generally. The employer wants to know exactly what
you did and how you did it; the more detail you can give the more the interviewer knows
that you understand the type of work. Remember to vary your vocabulary when talking
about your responsibilities. Also, do not begin every sentence with "I". Use the passive
voice, or an introductory clause to help you add variety to your presentation

Interviewer: What is your greatest strength?

Candidate: I work well under pressure. When there is a deadline (a time by which the
work must be finished), I can focus on the task at hand (current project) and structure my
work schedule well. I remember one week when I had to get 6 new customer reports out
by Friday at 5. I finished all the reports ahead of time without having to work overtime.

Candidate: I am an excellent communicator. People trust me and come to me for advice.

One afternoon, my colleague was involved with a troublesome (difficult) customer who
felt he was not being served well. I made the customer a cup of coffee and invited both
my colleague and the client to my desk where we solved the problem together.

Candidate: I am a trouble shooter. When there was a problem at my last job, the
manager would always ask me to solve it. Last summer, the LAN server at work crashed.
The manager was desperate and called me in (requested my help) to get the LAN back
online. After taking a look at the daily backup, I detected the problem and the LAN was up
and running (working) within the hour.

Comment: This is not the time to be modest! Be confident and always give examples.
Examples show that you are not only repeating words you have learned, but actually do
possess that strength.

Interviewer: What is your greatest weakness?

Candidate: I am overzealous (work too hard) and become nervous when my co-workers
are not pulling their weight (doing their job). However, I am aware of this problem, and
before I say anything to anyone, I ask myself why the colleague is having difficulties.

Candidate: I tend to spend too much time making sure the customer is satisfied.
However, I began setting time-limits for myself If I noticed this happening.

Comment: This is a difficult question. You need to mention a weakness that is actually a
strength. Make sure that you always mention how you try to improve the weakness.

Interviewer:Why do you want to work for Smith and Sons?

Candidate: After following your firms progress for the last 3 years, I am convinced that
Smith and Sons are becoming one of the market leaders and I would like to be part of the
team.

Candidate: I am impressed by the quality of your products. I am sure that I would be a

convincing salesman because I truly believe that the Atomizer is the best product on the
market today.

Comment: Prepare yourself for this question by becoming informed about the company.
The more detail you can give, the better you show the interviewer that you understand
the company.

Interviewer: When can you begin?

Candidate: Immediately.
Candidate: As soon as you would like me to begin.

Comment: Show your willingness to work!

The above questions represent some of the most basic questions asked on any job
interview in English. Probably the most important aspect of interviewing in English is
giving detail. As a speaker of English as a second language, you might be shy about
saying complicated things. However, this is absolutely necessary as the employer is
looking for an employee who knows his or her job. If you provide detail, the interviewer
will know that you feel comfortable in that job. Don't worry about making mistakes in
English. It is much better to make simple grammar mistakes and provide detailed
information about your experience than to say grammatically perfect sentences without
any real content.

Useful Vocabulary for the Resume and Interview

Below is a list of great verbs to help you express just exactly what you did with
impressive vocabulary. These verbs are used to express responsibilities and tasks
performed:

identified
raised
implemented
edited recommended
improved
dealt recorded
acted increased
decided recruited
accomplished indexed
decreased rectified
adapted initiated
defined redesigned
administered inspected
delegated repaired
advanced installed
derived replaced
advised instituted
designated restored
allocated interpreted
detected reversed
analyzed introduced
developed reviewed
applied invented
devised revised
approved investigated
directed saved
arbitrated justified
discovered screened
arranged led
distributed selected
assisted localized
documented serviced
attained located
doubled set up
blended made
encouraged solved
brought managed
engineered sorted
built maintained
enlarged sparked
carried out mechanized
escalated specified
catalogued merged
established started
changed moderated
estimated stimulated
classified motivated
evaluated strengthened
collaborated negotiated
examined summarized
compared opened
expanded supervised
completed operated
experienced supported
computed organized
explored systematized
conceived originated
facilitated tested
conducted overcame
finalized trained
constructed perceived
formulated transacted
consulted performed
founded transcribed
contracted pioneered
functioned transformed
controlled planned
governed tripled
cooperated prepared
grouped upgraded
coordinated presented
guided validated
corrected presided
handled varied
counseled processed
harmonized verified
created programmed
harnessed vitalized
promoted
headed won
provided
wrote
purchased

To describe your skills the following adjectives are useful

accurate honest
active innovative
adaptable logical
adept loyal
broad-minded mature
 methodical
motivated
competent
objective
conscientious
outgoing
creative
personable
dependable
pleasant
determined
positive
diplomatic
practical
discreet
productive
efficient
reliable
energetic
resourceful
enterprising
self disciplined
enthusiastic
sense of humor
experienced
sensitive
fair
sincere
firm
successful
genuine
tactful
trustworthy

Use these verbs and adjectives and really sell yourself. You only have a few minutes to
show how good you really are. By using this precise vocabulary and being confident can
help you make the best impression possible.

The Interview
Congratulations! Your cover letter and resume have made a good impression and the
employer has called you in for an interview. Now it's time to make sure that you also
have the right type of English for that job interview.

There are some very important game rules to consider when taking a job interview. The job
interview in English requires a very specific kind of vocabulary. It also requires good tense
usage as you need to make a clear distinction between past and present responsibilities. Here
is a quick overview of the appropriate tenses to use:

Tense Example Sentence Explanation

I collect data from all
of our branches and Use the present simple to describe your daily
Present
analyze the responsibilities. This is the most common tense to use
Simple
information on a when speaking about your current position.
weekly basis.
I developed an in-
Use the past simple to describe your daily
house database for
Past Simple responsibilities in a former position. This is the most
the personnel
common tense to use when speaking about past jobs.
department.
Use the past continuous to speak about current
projects that are happening at that moment in time.
Currently, we are
These projects are limited in time and should not be
Present expanding our sales
confused with daily responsibilities. Example:
Continuous division to include
Currently, I am designing a new layout for our local
South America.
branch. I am usually responsible for staff organization,
but they asked me to help out with design this time.
Present I've researched over Use the present perfect to generally describe projects
Perfect 300 cases until now. or accomplishments that you have made up to the
present moment in time. Remember not to include
specific past time references which should be used
 with the past simple. Example: I've developed a
number of databases using Microsoft Access. Just last
week I finished a database for our warehouse.
I will be the manager Use the future simple to discuss your plans for the
Future
of a medium sized future. This tense is only used when the interviewer
Simple
retail outlet. asks you what you plan to do in the future.

There are a number of other tenses that you can use to speak about experience that you
have had. However, if you do not feel comfortable using more advanced tenses, these
tenses should serve you well in the interview.

What is Most Important?: General Guidelines

Work Experience

Work experience is by far the most important part of any job interview in an English
speaking country. It is true that education is also important, however, most employers
are more impressed by extensive work experience than by university degrees. Employers
want to know exactly what you did and how well you accomplished your tasks. This is the
part of the interview during which you can make the best impression. It's important to
give full, detailed answers. Be confident, and emphasize your accomplishments in past
positions.

Qualifications

Qualifications include any education from high school through university, as well as any
special training you may have had (such as computer courses). Make sure to mention
your English studies. This is very important as English is not your first language and the
employer may be concerned about this fact. Assure the employer that you are continuing
to improve your English skills by any courses you may be taking, or by saying that you
study a certain number of hours a week to improve your skills.

Talking about Responsibilities

Most importantly, you will need to demonstrate your qualifications and skills which are
directly applicable to the job you are applying for. If past job skills were not exactly the
same as what you will need on the new job, make sure to detail how they are similar to
job skills you will need for the new position.