The global labor market has no borders anymore. Ukrainian specialists are increasingly being interviewed by international companies where English is the working language. And even if you are a super-specialist in your field, without the ability to speak English clearly and confidently, your chances of getting a job are sharply reduced.
English at a job interview is not about perfect grammar. It’s about whether the recruiter or technical interviewer will understand how you think, whether you can explain your decisions, and whether you can interact with an international team.
In this article, we will analyze:
● the differences between HR and technical interviews
● what English skills are important for interviews
● how to answer typical questions
● what words and phrases will help you sound confident;
● how to prepare so that you don’t look confused.
An HR interview is the first barrier. It tests not only English, but also soft skills: communication, motivation, and the ability to fit into a team.
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
3. Why do you want to work for our company?
4. Describe a challenge you faced at work and how you handled it.
5. Where do you see yourself in five years?
It is important not to memorize ready-made answers, but to have a structure. For example:
● Briefly: who you are, what experience you have.
Specifics: an example from life or work.
Conclusion: a positive conclusion.
Example:
“One of my strengths is adaptability. For example, when my team switched to a completely new tool last year, I quickly learned it and helped others onboard. I believe this skill will help me integrate smoothly into new projects.”
The main thing here is to prove that you can solve problems. But you need English to explain the logic:
● how you approached the problem
● why you chose this particular algorithm or technology
● how your solution works.
● IT: solve an algorithmic problem and explain your thought process in English.
Engineering: describe the process you have optimized.
Marketing: present a case study where the strategy has yielded results.
The formula Problem → Solution → Result works here.
“The problem was slow query performance. I optimized the database indexes, which reduced execution time from 15 seconds to 2. As a result, the system could handle more users simultaneously.”
1. Professional vocabulary. You should be fluent in the terms of your specialty.
2. Stable phrases for HR questions. In order not to get lost and start answering confidently.
3. Ability to paraphrase. If you forget a word, explain it in another way.
4. Pronunciation. Not an accent, but intelligibility.
5. The pace of speech. Calm and even, without fuss.
● I would describe myself as…
● One of my key strengths is…
● I’ m currently focusing on improving…
● What excites me about this role is…
● I’ m motivated by opportunities to…
● The main challenge was…
● I decided to approach it by…
● My solution was based on…
● This resulted in…
● If I had more time, I would improve it by…
1. Answering too briefly. To the question “Tell me about yourself ” they say: “I am a developer with 5 years of experience ” – and that’s it. You need at least 2-3 sentences with details.
2. They translate verbatim from Ukrainian. This results in strange phrases like “I have such experience ” instead of “I have experience in…”.
3. They focus on grammar. This is distracting. It is more important for recruiters to understand the essence.
4. Excessive modesty. English culture allows you to talk about achievements directly.
1. Make a list of typical HR and technical questions.
2. Write down your answers. Don’t cram, but make notes for reference.
3. Record yourself on a dictaphone. You will hear where you get confused and which words are “stuck”.
4. Find a partner or teacher. Role-playing interviews are the best training.
5. Go through several fake interviews. Even with an AI agent or a friend.
The secret is simple: don’t correct yourself in the middle of a sentence. If you make a mistake, finish the thought. The recruiter will understand the meaning.
Energy, confidence, and clarity of explanation are more important.
Phrases that save you if you get stuck:
● Let me rephrase that.
● What I mean is…
● Could you please clarify the question?
That’s a good question, let me think for a second.
● You have 3-4 sentences for Tell me about yourself.
● Ready-made answers to the “strengths and weaknesses”.
Examples of projects with a clear structure (Problem → Solution → Result).
● Vocabulary of your profession in English.
● Fallback phrases in case you forget a word.
English at an interview is not about perfect grammar. It’s about the ability to communicate your thoughts clearly and confidently. Therefore, preparing for an interview in English is very important. If you know the basic answers, practice professional vocabulary, and rehearse the interview situation at least a few times, you will have a huge advantage.
Every interview is a training session. Even if you don’t get an offer, the next one will be easier. And with the right preparation, English will no longer be a barrier and will become your weapon.
Prepared by ENGLISH.KH.UA
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