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Job interview questions in English, with answers

Questions by job, model answers at two levels, and four moves that work for almost any answer.

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Four moves for any answer

  1. 1

    Answer first

    Give the answer in one sentence, then explain.

  2. 2

    One real example

    A short story beats a list of qualities.

  3. 3

    Say the result

    Add a number or a clear outcome.

  4. 4

    Stop

    Under 90 seconds. Then ask one question back.

Questions by job

Marketing

  • Tell me about a campaign you are proud of.
  • How do you measure success?
  • How do you work with the sales team?
  • Describe a campaign that did not work.
  • How do you decide where to spend budget?

Tech

  • Walk me through a project you led.
  • How do you handle disagreement in code review?
  • Tell me about a bug that took days to fix.
  • How do you explain technical ideas to non-technical people?
  • What would you improve in our product?

Health

  • Tell me about a difficult patient situation.
  • How do you prioritize when everything is urgent?
  • How do you handle a mistake?
  • How do you explain a diagnosis in simple words?
  • How do you work with a team on a busy shift?

Sales

  • Walk me through your last big deal.
  • How do you handle a no?
  • How do you build a pipeline?
  • Tell me about a time you missed a target.
  • How do you research a prospect?

Support

  • Tell me about an angry customer.
  • How do you stay calm under pressure?
  • What makes support good?
  • How do you say no to a customer?
  • Tell me about a time you went beyond the ticket.

Model answers

Tell me about yourself.

B2 answer

I am a marketing specialist with five years of experience. I started in a small agency, and now I run campaigns for a software company. I like turning data into ideas, and I am looking for a role with more responsibility.

C1 answer

I have spent five years in marketing, first at an agency and now at a software company, where I lead campaigns end to end. What I enjoy most is turning messy data into a clear story. That is why this role caught my eye: it would let me own strategy, not just execution.

Present, past, future. Under 60 seconds.

Tell me about a challenge you solved.

B2 answer

Last year our biggest client wanted to leave. I called them, listened to their problems, and offered a new plan. In the end they stayed, and they even increased their budget.

C1 answer

Last year our biggest client was ready to walk away. Instead of defending our work, I asked what was not working, then rebuilt the plan around their answers. They stayed, and raised their budget by 20 percent the following quarter.

Situation, action, result. Keep the result last.

Why do you want this job?

B2 answer

I like your product and I want to grow in a bigger team. My experience fits the role, and I can start helping quickly.

C1 answer

Your product solves a problem I have seen up close, so I can contribute from day one. I also want to work with a team that raises the bar, which is what I noticed in your recent launch.

Name the company. Generic answers are forgotten.

Say it better

Avoid / Try
AvoidTry
I am very good in everything.My strongest skill is turning data into decisions.
I want a better salary.I am looking for a role with more growth and fair pay.
I have no weaknesses.I am learning to delegate, so I now plan it every week.
My last boss was bad.We had different working styles.

Practice

Multiple choice cloze

Choose the best option to complete each interview answer.

  1. 1. I have in marketing for five years.
  2. 2. My biggest strength staying calm under pressure.
  3. 3. I am in this role because it combines data and clients.
  4. 4. In my last job, I the reporting time by half.
  5. 5. One weakness I am working on is delegating.
  6. 6. I would like to my skills in a larger team.
  7. 7. I left my last job I wanted more responsibility.
  8. 8. Do you have any questions? Yes, the team look like?

0 of 8 checked

Questions

How long should an answer be?
About 60 to 90 seconds. Long enough for one example and a result, short enough to keep the conversation going.
Can I practise with a teacher?
Yes. In an English for work class, Pili builds the practice from your job and your industry, and you answer out loud.

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Want to practise this with Pili?

Book a trial class. She writes back with times in Buenos Aires time.

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