How to Prepare for a Job Interview in English

What’s more stressful than a job interview? A job interview in English when English is not your first language, of course! But don’t worry. Being prepared is the best way to remove stress, and you can always prepare for a job interview in English.

1. First, get ready for the job interview like you would get ready for any job interview. Research the company. Learn everything you can about the job. Think of how to present yourself, your education, and your work experience. Check your resume and make the necessary changes. Plan your schedule and what to wear to the job interview, too! The Wall Street Journal has some nice articles on how to prepare for a job interview.

2. Second, prepare for the job interview in English. The easiest way to do this is to research common interview questions and practice answering them. For example, the British Council lists the following popular job interview questions:

• How would you describe yourself?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work here?
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• There are many other websites that have a list of common job interview questions in English. Some have answers you can study too.
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3. Third, practice relevant phrases. Here are some examples:

Your qualifications

• I hold a master’s degree in information technology from the University of Chicago.
• I graduated with a degree in engineering from MIT.
• I haven’t received any formal training, but I have fifteen years of experience in this field.
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Your accomplishments

• I have accomplished a lot in my current position.
  I handled several projects.
• I created five marketing plans for my team.
• In the last six months, I have met all my targets.
• I improved the workflow.
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Your career goals

• I see myself as a top-performing employee in a well-established organization, like this one.
• After gaining enough experience, I’d like to move on from a technical position to management.
• I’d like to get more experience in this field. I hope to one day lead my own team.
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• Check online for more Business English phrases and expressions you can use for job interviews. You can start with this list compiled by the blog MyEnglishTeacher.eu.
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4. Fourth, role-play exercises can help you prepare for a job interview. Practice with an English-speaking language partner on sites such as Learntalk. If you don’t have anyone to practice with, record your answers and play the recording back to yourself.

5. Finally, it’s always a good idea to improve your Business English skills. Sign up for Business English lessons on job interviews at Learntalk. Find an English teacher who can also act as a career coach--at least for Business English speaking skills.

Check back here for more tips on how to prepare for a job interview in English!