Interviews

Answer the classic questions with clear, true stories. Lesson 43 of 58: Professional, CEFR C1.

“Tell me about yourself”

It is not your life story. Use present, past, future: what you do now, the experience that brought you here, and why this role is the next step. About sixty to ninety seconds. Practise it until it sounds natural, not memorised.
I’m currently a data analyst at a logistics company, where I… (Present)
Before that, I spent three years in… (Past)
I’m now looking for a role where I can… (Future)

“Tell me about a time when…” wants a story: Situation (the context, briefly), Task (your responsibility), Action (what you did, “I”, not “we”), Result (what happened, with a number if you can). Most of the time should be on the Action.
Last year our biggest client threatened to leave. (Situation)
I was responsible for the account. (Task)
I set up weekly calls and fixed the three main issues. (Action)
They renewed for two more years. (Result)
Tip: Prepare five STAR stories that show different strengths. Most questions can be answered with one of them.

For a weakness, name a real one, then what you are doing about it: “I used to find delegating hard, so I now…”. At the end, always ask a question: “What does success look like in the first six months?” “What’s the team like?” Close warmly: “Thank you; I’m really excited about this role.”
What would success look like in the first six months?
I used to struggle with…, so now I… (A weakness with growth)

Answer two interview questions out loud and record them: “Tell me about yourself” (present, past, future, under ninety seconds) and “Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem” (STAR).
My introduction was under ninety seconds
My STAR answer had all four parts
I spent most of the time on the Action
I gave a measurable result

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