5 Interview Questions and Answers - Part II

Job interviews are usually stressful, and a job interview in English can be doubly so. It’s worth taking the time to prepare for your job interview in English more thoroughly than you might prepare for a regular job interview.

Here are some questions that you might find useful to practice:

1)  Do You Prefer to Work in Teams or Alone?

This is a pretty tricky question to answer and the answer may be dependent upon the job you are applying for. But in most cases, it is best to say that your preference is dependent on whichever gets the job done the most efficiently and produces the most quality product. So here is an example response you can use if you are asked this question:

I find that my preference is really dependent upon whether I can turn in a better product alone or with a group of collaborators. And I find that more often than not, a group of adept coworkers is extremely helpful in a project that demands expertise in many different areas.

2)  Are You a Team Player?

This question is very much like the last question but you will have to answer “yes” to this question unequivocally. However, upon answer yes you will need to come up with a specific answer from your past that shows an example of how well you worked in a team environment and what you were able to accomplish together.

3)  If You Had Enough Money to Retire Right Now, Would You?

This question is used to gauge what your attitude towards money is. To simply say that money isn’t important to you is not a very believable response. Money is important to everyone. However, when answering this question, you should illustrate that you want your life to be defined by more than just money. And if you truly love the field you are in and the work you do, it is okay to say that you love the work too much to retire. Here are a couple of answers that can be given if you are asked this question:

I would continue to work because I have been working tirelessly since I got out of college and the work I do brings a lot of meaning to my life.

I would continue to work because I want to continue to contribute to society.

Having the money would be nice but the money doesn’t determine what I do with my life. The career I am in brings me happiness and I am going to keep doing what makes me happy regardless if I have enough money to retire or not.

4)  How Would You Describe Yourself?

Like many other interview question that requires you to describe yourself, you should be careful to walk that fine line between bragging and selling yourself. Do not be too brief but don’t lose the attention of the interviewer by being long-winded either. When answering this question, pick up to three of your best attributes and expand on them with some specific examples. If you think honesty is one of your best traits, then you should describe a situation in your life (preferably work-related) in which you were extremely honest with someone even if there is a high likelihood that your honesty would have cost you something of great significance, such as a promotion.

5) Have You Ever Had a Conflict With Someone at Work? How Did You Handle it?

In answering this question, it is important to show that you are fair, level-headed, and civilized. In your reply, you should think of an example where you used your rational judgment and level-headedness to solve a personal conflict at work. This could be something as simple as a difference of opinion in how to approach a project to something as dramatic as handling workplace gossip.