Video summary

English Job Interview Tips and Tricks - How to Answer Job Interview Questions in English

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas & lessons (English job interview answering tips)

The video teaches strategies to help non-native English speakers give clear, natural, well-structured answers during job interviews. It focuses on how to handle common open-ended questions and how to improve clarity, focus, and persuasiveness.

Common job interview questions mentioned

The lesson lists eight common questions:

  • “Tell me a little about yourself.”
  • “Where do you see yourself five years from now?”
  • “What are your strengths/weaknesses?”
  • “What is your leadership style?”
  • “Can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated ____?” (examples given: strong leadership, excellent customer service)
  • “Tell me about a time you dealt with a challenging situation at work.”
  • “Why do you want this job?”
  • “Why should we hire you?”

Technique 1: Be concise (answer clearly without wasting words)

Concept: Concise means you don’t waste words—you go straight to the point.

What to avoid (3 things):

  • Including lots of unnecessary details
  • Not speaking in full sentences
  • Having no clear direction (answers become long and unfocused)

How to be more concise (detailed steps):

  • Avoid unnecessary details:
    • Don’t give your entire work history (the interviewer can read it in your CV).
  • Speak in full sentences:
    • Use a clear beginning and end.
  • Add direction early:
    • Decide what you want to highlight and state it at the beginning.

Examples shown:

  • A “bad” answer to “Tell me a little about yourself” is overly detailed and unfocused.
  • A “better” answer starts with a key trait (“I’ve always loved designing and building things…”), connects it to the career, and ends clearly.

Practice method (explicit guidance):

  • Record yourself answering two sample questions.
  • Listen for:
    • Sentences you stop mid-way
    • Words/phrases that add nothing to your meaning
  • Re-record and keep practising until your answer is clean and focused.

Technique 2: Use signposting language (make answers easy to follow)

Concept: Signposting language = words/phrases that tell the listener where you’re going (e.g., “for example” signals an upcoming example).

Why it matters:

  • Without signposting, longer answers lose focus and become hard to follow.

Examples & improvement idea:

  • The content can stay the same, but adding signposting makes it clearer.
  • The video demonstrates this with:
    • “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
    • “What is your leadership style?”

Action task mentioned:

  • Pause the video and insert signposting phrases into a leadership-style answer, then compare your result.

Technique 3: Use the STAR method for longer questions

Concept: STAR = Situation, Task, Action, Result

Used for questions about specific past experiences, such as:

  • “Can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated ____?”
  • “Tell me about a time you dealt with a challenging situation at work.”

Detailed STAR structure (1 sentence per part when practising):

  • Situation: What was happening? (context)
  • Task: What did you have to do?
  • Action: What did you do? (your actions)
  • Result: What happened at the end? (outcome)

Examples given:

  • Customer service example:

    • Situation: Customer order didn’t arrive; no one knew what happened.
    • Task: Solve the customer’s problem.
    • Action: Arrange replacement; investigate later.
    • Result: Customer was happy because the issue was resolved quickly.

  • Challenging situation example (project manager):

    • Situation: Incompatible software tools discovered 3 days before deadline.
    • Task: Avoid delays.
    • Action: Work with team leaders; convert one team’s work with support from other departments.
    • Result: Everything finished on time.

Combined advantage:

  • STAR + signposting language helps you communicate clearly even in complex, longer answers.

Technique 4: Mirroring key words/phrases (show fit and listening)

Concept: Mirroring means using some of the same words and expressions the interviewer uses, showing you’re attentive and aligned with the company.

Benefits (explicitly stated):

  • Keeps answers focused and relevant
  • Shows the interviewer you’re listening and that you care about the company and question

How to use it (detailed steps):

  • Research the company first:
    • How does it describe itself?
    • What adjectives does it use on its website/advertising?
  • Read the job advertisement carefully:
    • Identify the exact language describing the candidate they want.
  • Reuse those ideas in your answers:
    • Use the same themes/words, but don’t copy them robotically.
    • Slightly change phrasing when needed to avoid sounding repetitive.

Example application: “Why do you want this job?”

  • Company described as “innovative” and “forward-looking”
  • Ad says they want someone “creative” and “flexible”
  • Sample answer references all four ideas (e.g., innovation, evolving in the future), even if not every word is repeated.

Example application: “Why should we hire you?”

  • Company themes: “commanding respect” and pride in long history
  • Job ad themes: “great communication skills” and “passion for helping others”
  • Sample answer ties customer service to communication, caring, respect, effectiveness, and fit with company traditions.

Overall takeaway / checklist (as presented)

The video’s core “four techniques”:

  • Be concise
  • Use signposting language
  • Use the STAR method for longer, experience-based answers
  • Mirror key words/phrases from the company/job description (naturally, not robotically)

Speakers / sources featured

  • Gina (speaker)
  • Oxford Online English (channel/lesson source)

Original video