English Job Interview Techniques

Trying to interview for a job that requires you to speak a language other than your native language can be very intimidating. Not only do you have to prove your qualifications for the position to your interviewer and sell your personality, you have to do it while speaking a foreign language as fluently as possible. Fortunately, most interviews follow a similar formula, so there are ways to plan ahead on how you are going to answer some common questions that you might be asked.

Most interviews will start off with a casual, informal greeting. It's important not to be thrown off by this. While the rest of the interview will likely be in a mostly professional tone, a friendly greeting is intended to help you relax before asking the tougher questions. The interviewer might simply ask you how you are feeling, or they might ask other simple, non-business questions. You should try and give a relatively short answer - you want to acknowledge their question and show your understanding, but you don't want to turn it into a whole conversation.

One of the big focuses of any interview will be on your qualifications, including your education and your past work experience. Here, it's important to remember to use the past tense. If you're talking about coursework that you completed or a job you no longer have, be sure to speak in the past tense: "I studied business at..." or "I worked for..." If you're talking about your current employer or you're still enrolled in classes, then you should use the present tense. Also, when talking about your education, be sure to mention what courses you've taken in English.

One of the trickiest parts of an interview is explaining your particular set of skills to the potential employer. There's a strong chance that there are many aspects of the job that you are applying for that are things you haven't dealt with in the past. You need to be able to show the interviewer how the experience and skills that you do have can be applied to the position that you're trying to get. You may want to spend some time prior to the interview learning what sort of responsibilities you'll have at the job you're applying for. Then, think about your skills and past experiences and try to make a connection.

Another tip when interviewing for a job in English is to pick out some words ahead of time that you can use to describe yourself, your abilities, and your past experiences. Consider using words such as reliable, enthusiastic, innovative, personal, and other adjectives that describe your positive traits. This both displays your comfort level with the English language and shows the employer what you have to offer them.

The most important thing to remember when applying for a job in English is not to be too nervous. While a potential employer will want to know that you're a competent English speaker, they will also understand that you English won't be flawless. In fact, many people who speak English natively don't speak it perfectly. If you make a mistake, don't worry too much about it or you'll just end up making more mistakes because you're nervous.