How to Prepare for a Job Interview in English
Paula, TEFL-certified business English teacher, London
A job interview in English is a test of clear thinking, not of rare vocabulary. The interviewer wants to know whether you can explain your work, make a decision sound reasonable, and stay calm when you miss a word. You can prepare those three things. You cannot prepare every possible question, and you should not try.
The sample answers are practice lines in banking, a luxury hotel, or premium car sales, fields Paula has worked in. They are not her biography. She is a TEFL-certified teacher based in London. You can rehearse your own answers one-to-one, for 45 minutes on Zoom, with a free 25-minute trial.
1. Learn the job in their words
Read the advert and write down five tasks they mention. Next to each one, write one piece of your experience in a single English sentence.
Useful phrases
- The advert asks for client meetings. I lead a weekly call with suppliers.
- They want written updates. I send a short note after every review.
- They mention deadlines. I agree the date before I agree the extra work.
- This is the line I want them to remember.
- I am not going to say I am a hard-working team player. That could be anyone.
The advert says “guest complaints”. My line: I take the complaint, repeat what I heard, and agree a time to come back. I do not promise a remedy I cannot keep.
2. Answer “tell me about yourself” in four lines
This question means “give me a map, not your life story.” Use four lines: what you do now, relevant work before that, what you are good at in this kind of role, and why you want this job.
Useful phrases
- I work in credit analysis for a bank.
- Before that I handled guest accounts in a hotel.
- I'm strongest when a decision needs a clear note and a calm meeting.
- I'm applying because this role is about clients in two countries.
- That's the short version. I can give an example.
I work on credit proposals. Before that I prepared client updates for a relationship team. I'm strongest when a paper needs a clear recommendation and the risks in plain language. I'm applying because this role is about writing those papers for international clients.
3. Describe one piece of work
When they say “tell me about a time when…”, they want one example. Use three parts. Situation: what was happening. Action: what you did, with “I”, not only “we”. Result: what changed. Use a number only if it is true.
Useful phrases
- The situation was a delivery date we could not keep.
- I called the supplier and agreed a smaller first delivery.
- I told the client the same day.
- The result was that the event went ahead.
- I would write the date in the email the same day.
A client wanted handover before a trip, and the workshop was full. I offered a later handover with the service plan included, and I wrote both options in an email the same hour. They chose the later date. We did not lose the order, and the date in the file matched the date we had said.
4. Talk about a strength with evidence
Name the strength and the proof in the same breath. “I am diligent and passionate” does not give the interviewer anything to hold.
Useful phrases
- I'm careful with written English. I check names, dates, and numbers before I send.
- I'm direct. I say the risk early, then the option I recommend.
- I prepare. I write three questions before a client meeting.
- I can explain a fee in plain language.
- The proof is the email I sent the same day.
I'm calm when a number is wrong. A fee in a client note did not match the approval. I stopped the email, checked the figure, and sent the corrected line. The client replied the same day.
5. Answer the weakness question without a joke
They ask about a weakness to see if you can talk about your work honestly. Choose a real limit that is not the core of the job, and say what you do about it.
Useful phrases
- I used to write emails that were too long.
- People missed the request.
- I now put the ask in the first two lines.
- I ask a colleague to read anything sensitive.
- It takes longer, and the replies are clearer.
I used to promise a guest a time before I had checked the team. I now repeat what I heard, say I will confirm, and give a clock time. I would rather come back with a true time than give a fast answer I have to undo.
6. Ask them one useful question
“No, I think you covered everything” closes the conversation. Have two questions ready, so you still have one if they answer the other during the interview.
Useful phrases
- What does a good first six months look like in this role?
- How does the team make a decision when people disagree?
- What is the hardest part of this job that the advert does not show?
- Who would I work with most closely in the first month?
- Could you say that last part again? I want to be sure I understood.
What does a good first six months look like for someone joining the sales team? I want to understand how you judge a handover that went well, not only the number of cars.
Checklist
- Five tasks from the advert, each with one true sentence from your work.
- A four-line introduction you can say without reading.
- Four stories: problem, disagreement, mistake, and work you are proud of.
- One strength with proof, and one weakness with what you do about it.
- Two questions for them.
- A line you can use if you miss a word.
Questions
How do I prepare for a job interview in English?
Match five tasks from the advert to real work you have done. Practise a four-line introduction, four short stories, one strength, one weakness, and two questions. Say them aloud. Do not try to memorise fifty answers.
What if my English stops in the middle of an answer?
Describe the word you lost, or ask them to repeat their question. “Could you say that last part again?” is professional. A long silence, or a guess that changes the meaning, is what hurts the answer.
Should I talk about my English as a weakness?
Only if it is a real limit in the job, and only with the habit you use. Preparing key lines and checking what you missed sounds like a working method. An apology with no method does not.
Can I rehearse the interview with Paula?
Yes. Bring the advert and your four stories. Lessons are one-to-one, 45 minutes, on Zoom, with a free 25-minute trial. There is no subscription. Packs are on the pricing page.
More articles
- Small Talk in English at Work: What British Colleagues Actually Talk About
- Introduce Yourself in English at Work: Phrases and Examples for Finance, Hotels and Sales
- Negotiation Phrases in English: Ask, Hold, and Close
- How to Lead a Meeting in English: Phrases for Professionals
- Business Email Phrases That Sound Natural