125 câu hỏi thường gặp khi phỏng vấn xin việc bằng tiếng Anh

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7."Have you fired anyone? And if so, why?"

If you fired someone before, then that means you are a manager or hire. If your answer is no, then this is an easy question. But if you answer yes, then you have to give a reason why. If you say I fired one of our employees because he or she couldn’t do the work properly, then this is a regular answer that will not help you. Large corporations have a procedure they follow to fire someone. If you can incorporate using the process of firing into your own experience, then the answer will be stronger. Here is an example.

Short Answers

"I’ve never had to fire anyone yet, but if I’m in this situation, I would follow company policy and do it professionally."

"I had to fire one employee who continually failed to complete projects. Before firing this employee, I tried to work with him by motivating, encouraging, and even providing different work. In the end, nothing worked and I had no choice but to let him go."

"The only time I had to fire someone was when an employee was continually late. We have a company policy of giving a verbal warning for the first three offenses, and then a written warning after the 3rd offense. I had many discussions about this problem with this employee, but it didn’t help. In the end, we had to let him go."

Long Answers

"When I was a managing a group of 4 people in my last position, I unfortunately had to fire one of them. The person was unable to perform at an acceptable level for a long period of time. Our company has a process in place of trying to grow our employees, empower them, and help them find their strengths, but nothing helped. I put the person on probation and explained that he will have to try harder. But after seeing bad performance due to a lack of effort for a long time, I had to fire him."

Another approach to this question is to take a strong stance on performance. As I said before, if the answer is different and creative, the interviewer will remember it more and that means they will remember you more. Then your chances of getting the job increase more than others. Here is an example of an answer that the interviewer will remember.

"Oh yeah, I fired a lot of people. All of the reasons were the same. They were not performing their jobs. I believe in good management. I believe I should mentor and help grow our employees. This is a business and we need to do whatever we can to help our company grow. One of the biggest factors on the success of a company is having great employees. So I won’t hesitate to fire someone that isn’t performing their job. It leaves more room to bring in someone who will benefit the company."

This is an answer I would be willing to use. But before using this answer, you must first look at the type of person asking this question and determine if he or she will like it. If the person is a strong person that shows no emotion, then it might be good. But if a person is very friendly, then that person might not like it. Even though it is a good answer, a friendly person might not like it because it could indicate that you are a cold person. Basically friendly people don’t like cold people and if you have to work together, they might not want to work with you. So be careful on using this type of answer.

 

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8."What do you do when a worker is giving the team more problems then helping?"

If you have a lot of team work experience, you know that there are a lot of people like this. It is a fact that some people actually slow down the work than help the work. That is why this is a good question to ask. A good employee will know how to handle this situation. A bad employee will do all the work themselves. Although doing the work is good, it doesn’t show that you can deal with different types of people.

Short Answers

"I follow a process of helping my coworker out in any way I can. This can include assistance in their portion of the work or by encouragement. If that doesn’t work, then we redistribute the work to make sure everything is covered. I believe it’s important to let my manager know of the problem as well."

"If the problem is related to a difficult task that a coworker cannot solve, then I’ll get all the team members to help out. But if the problem is due to laziness or unwillingness to work, then I’ll inform my manager of the problem."

"It’s hard to deal with a worker that puts in great effort but slows down the team. I noticed it is best to tackle the problem early. One way I found that was helpful was to be more firm. This way, the project continues to move forward without so many interruptions due to small arguments."

Long Answer

"I’ve been in this situation a couple of times. One time, we organized and distributed easier work to the worker with problems. But this is only a short term solution. Most of the time, I end up spending a lot of time helping the person out. It might have been quicker if the rest of the team members did all the work, but I figure helping this person now will benefit us in our next project. Although this method doesn’t work all the time, I really get excited when it does work. Then I know I really helped another person succeed and this in turn helps the company."

This answer will also work if you leave out the last two sentences. But I included the last two sentences to emphasize that helping other people succeed is really the truth instead of just words. If you choose the right way to say something, it sounds much more believable.

 

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9."When do you know enough is enough when dealing with a subordinate that doesn’t seem to be helping?"

This is another good management question. The best way to answer this question is with a procedure in mind. Basically after you tried everything, then enough is enough. But what exactly is everything. You can’t use everything because that shows you really don’t know. Instead of the word everything, list out all the steps so the interviewer believes you know what to do in this situation.

"I know enough is enough when I’ve exhausted all measures to help this employee grow. I would do my part by providing encouragement, giving extra instructions, mentoring, and giving different types of work. If I exhaust all of these steps, then I know I can’t do anything further and that is when enough is enough."

 

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10."Do you like to work by yourself or with others?"

Even if you have a strong preference to work alone or with others, the best answer is to say both. Even if a job is mostly about working alone, there might be some team work involved. Most employers want someone who can work well in a team and work well alone.

"That’s a tough question… I like the combination of the two. It’s great working in teams while getting and sharing ideas with each other, but it’s also nice to sit at your desk and work hard productively. I like to do both so it’s hard to choose one over the other."

If they insist on choosing one, then choose the one that is relevant to the job you are interviewing for. Make sure you pause a little before saying so.

"If I had to choose just one, then… I’d probably choose to work alone."

 

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11.How do you get along…

This isn’t a very popular question because it’s hard to learn about the person answering. The answers are all going to be the same. It’s just a matter of how you say it. Because there isn’t anything exciting to say here, you should show friendly characteristics so it is believable. These answers can be short. It really doesn’t matter how long the answer is but you have to make sure you show your friendliness through your voice.


"How do you get along with your subordinates?"

"My relationship with my directs is very good. They’re very open and honest with me and I’m sure they feel they can come to me with any problems."

"How do you get along with your co-workers?"

"I’ve always had an easy time getting along with different types of people. So I never had a problem getting along with my co-workers. I consider many of them my friends."

"How do you get along with your superiors?"

"I’ve had my share of great managers and mediocre managers, but I’ve always gotten along with all of them very well. I’ve rarely had conflicts with them and if there was an issue, I always talked it over with them."

 

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Miscellaneous Interview Questions

1."What do you do to stay in shape?"

Staying in physical shape also helps the brain function better. It really doesn’t matter if you are completely in shape or not. But being active indicates that you are not a lazy couch potato.

"I like to take long walks with my dog on a regular basis, and I also go on weekly hikes at a trail near my house."

"I work out at a gym a couple times a week. I like to stay active."

"I play for a co-ed softball team. It’s fun and it gives me a little exercise."

All these examples will work. It doesn’t have to be long but you should answer with something that indicates that you are active.

 

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2."What do you like to do when you’re not in the office?"

This is another question where they want to find out some of your hobbies. Basically, you can answer this question similar to how you would answer, what are your hobbies.

"When I’m not in the office, I like to play golf, read magazines, and spend time with my wife."

"Well, I like the piano so I have piano lessons on a weekly basis. I also like gardening, so I work on my yard a lot. But if I want to relax, I like to watch videos at night."

Something short and simple is the best answer. No need to elaborate on why.

 

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3."What’s the most recent book you read?"

If you are interviewing for a marketing position, don’t say you are reading a book called International Marketing Strategies. Rather, answer with a novel such as Michael Crichton books or John Grisham books. It is more realistic and shows other interests that you have.

"I just finished The Runaway Jury by John Grisham. I find all of his books very entertaining."

"I have a strong interest in World War II, so I was reading a book about Hitler. It’s quite interesting to see how he grew up and what lead him to his hatred towards the Jews."

Something simple like this will be good enough.

 

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4."What is the most recent movie you saw?"

You can either answer by using a similar answer to the recent book question, or you can say that you don’t watch movies that much.

"The last movie I saw was The Last Samurai. I thought it was great."

"Oh gosh… it’s been a while since I’ve seen a movie. I think it was Spider Man. I like to spend my time outside, so I don’t see movies that often."

Both of these answers are fine. Whether you like to see movies or not, just tell them exactly what you think. Your answers will be more natural. If you answer these types of questions awkwardly, they might get the impression that you are uncomfortable or that you are not capable of small talk. So answer without thinking too much about these questions.

 

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5."Did you have any trouble finding this place?"

This question is not an interview question, but a question usually asked by an interviewer right when you see them. This is especially common if the building location is hard to find. Here is another question you should tell exactly what happened.

"No problem at all. I checked for directions on the Internet and found it pretty easily."

"A little bit. I didn’t realize that there was another building back here, so I drove by a couple times, but that’s ok, I eventually found it."

With the first answer, they will say something like, that’s good. Then they will move on to other questions. If you answer with the second question, they will probably talk a little more about how he or she agrees that this building is hard to find. Either answers are acceptable.

 

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6."Will working on weekends be a problem?"

If the interviewer is asking this question, then this position is probably going to requires some weekend work. Maybe it’s not a lot, but they want to make sure that if something goes wrong and more work is required, you will be able to work on weekends. I recommend answer by saying it will not be a problem. If you want to find out how often you will have to work weekends, you can ask it after answering the question.

"It shouldn’t be a problem at all. I frequently worked on weekends in my other position, especially during tax season. How often is weekend work required here on average?"

This answer is stating that it is no problem. It also supports the answer by saying I have worked on weekends in my previous group. And the last sentence is an example how you can ask them about weekend work.

 

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7."How do you feel about overtime?"

If this is an hourly job, then pay is given to employees working extra hours. If it is a salary position, most of the time they will not ask this question because they expect you to work overtime. But expect this position to have some overtime requirements if the interviewer is asking this question.

"I don’t mind working overtime at all. I know during busy times people are expected to work more, and I’m flexible with my hours so I won’t have a problem."

 

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8."Have you filed for bankruptcy?"

This question is for positions that deal with finance and money. You might see this question if you are interviewing for a banker position, a financial analyst position, or a stock broker. If money is a factor, then they want someone who is responsible with money. Just simply tell them the truth. If you have filed for bankruptcy, then you probably shouldn’t be applying for this job anyway. So I’m going to give only one answer of no.

"No. I’m very responsible with money and I have great credit."

 

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9."Do you own or rent your home?"

Renting or owning a home sometimes indicates your financial status. Renters are usually people who do not have enough down payment for a house or people with bad credit who cannot get a loan. So it is best to have your own home, but if you don’t, then give them an answer that shows you are preparing to buy a home.

"I’m currently renting, but I plan on buying my own place next year."

"I’m renting right now, but I’ll probably buy a house when I get married."

If you own your house, then a simple, "I own my house" will be a good enough answer.

 

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10."Do you have any outside income?"

This might be a job interview question, or it could be a question when you are talking to a creditor. In either case, you can simply reply with a yes or no. If it is a yes, then briefly tell them the other source of income.

"I get paid child support from my ex-husband."
"I have a rental property."

"No. I do not."

 

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11."Do you earn any income from investments or hobbies?"

If you are active in the stock market, then you can mention something like that. Another income from investment is from your savings account or mutual funds. Whatever it is, simply tell them what it is.

"I have a savings account that I earn a little extra income from."
"I have some mutual funds that perform about 8% a year."
"I have some investments in the stock market."

 

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12."Are you able to make frequent business trips?"
"Are you willing to travel?"

If they are asking this, then this position probably requires some traveling. If you say no, then you probably won’t get hired because they want someone who is able to travel. But depending on your job, you will already know if it requires traveling or not.

"I know as an auditor that I’ll have to make business trips. So I’m definitely willing to travel."

"I don’t have any problems with traveling."

 

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13."Are you willing to relocate?"

This is a tough question because relocating means moving to a completely new area. It might be ok to answer with a no, but I would answer with a maybe. Here is an example.

"I guess it would depend on the location and the pay. If everything is the same, I would rather stay here because this is where I grew up. But I would be willing to consider it."

This answer is not saying yes or no. This is saying maybe in a polite way. Don’t answer with a direct maybe. That is bad. Instead use something similar to my example. If you are willing to relocate, it is an easy answer.

"I love change and I’d definitely be willing to relocate."

 

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14."May I contact your current employer?"

This all depends on if your current employer knows that you are searching for another job. If you are not employeed, they might ask if they can contact your former employer. Regardless, the best answer is to say yes. If not, then they will think you have something to hide.

"Yes. Do you have their contact information?"

 

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15."May I contact your references?"

The only correct answer to this question is a yes. If they have your references, then a simple yes will be enough. If they do not, then answer yes and offer them a list.

"Sure. After the interview, I can email or fax you a list of references. Will that be ok?"