Preparing for a job interview in English
An interview in a second language is mostly a preparation problem. The language you need is narrow and predictable — your own story, your own work, the words of your own industry — and almost all of it can be rehearsed.
Week 1: build the material
Your story in ninety seconds. "Tell me about yourself" is not an invitation to narrate your CV. Three beats: where you are now, what you have done that is relevant, why this role. Write it, say it out loud twenty times, then throw the script away.
Six STAR answers. Situation, Task, Action, Result — for: a project you led, a conflict you handled, a failure, a deadline you saved, something you learned fast, and a decision you would now make differently. Those six cover most competency questions in any language.
Your own numbers. Interviewers remember quantities. "Cut the release cycle from three weeks to five days." Prepare four.
Twenty industry words. Not general vocabulary — the specific nouns and verbs of your field, with the collocations. Hesitating on the ordinary words of your own job is what costs credibility.
Week 2: rehearse under pressure
- Two mock interviews, ideally with someone playing the interviewer properly:
- Record one and watch it. You will find two habits to drop in the first minute.
- Rehearse the question you are dreading. Salary, the gap in your CV, why you left.
- Prepare three questions to ask them, specific to the role. It is scored, and it is
Phrases worth having automatic
- Buying time: "That's a good question — let me give you a concrete example."
- Not having understood: "Just to make sure I've got the question right — you're asking
- Recovering: "Sorry, let me start that again."
- Handling a gap in knowledge: "I haven't used that specific tool, but I've done the same
Never fill silence with apologies for your English. One sentence — "English isn't my first language, so tell me if you'd like me to slow down" — is confident. Repeated apologising is what makes interviewers doubt you.
Video-call specifics
Look at the camera when you make your main point, not at the faces. Wear headphones. Keep one page of notes visible but not read from. Have a plan for the freeze: "I think we lost you for a second — shall I repeat the last part?"
What a mock interview should feel like
Uncomfortable, and specific to your job description. Bring the posting and any questions you were sent. Afterwards you want three things: which answers landed, which were too long, and the two language habits to change before the real one. Tutors who do this list it on the job interview page; for the wider register of meetings and email, see business English.
Try it with one tutor first
The $5 Trial Pass buys 25-minute trials with up to four tutors, so you can meet several before you commit to a course of lessons.
Book a mock interviewQuestions people ask
How do I prepare for a job interview in English in two weeks?
Week one, build the material: a ninety-second answer to “tell me about yourself”, six STAR stories, four numbers and twenty industry words. Week two, rehearse: two mock interviews, one recorded, plus the question you are dreading.
Should I mention that English is not my first language?
Once, briefly, if it is useful — then stop. Repeated apologies draw attention to the language instead of your answers.
How soon can I get a mock interview?
Many tutors keep slots open within a day or two, and each card shows the next free one in your own timezone, so a rehearsal before the interview is usually possible.