English for job interviews: say what you mean, clearly and calmly
You have the experience, but in an English interview your answers come out shorter and simpler than you are. This prompt has your todo.is agent turn your real experience into clear English answers, give you the phrases for your field, and run a mock interview by voice note with feedback on both content and language.
The prompt
- Help me prepare for a job interview in English. The job is [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY OR JOB POSTING LINK]. My English level is [LEVEL] and my first language is [FIRST LANGUAGE]. My experience: [YOUR EXPERIENCE OR ATTACH RESUME]. Read the job posting, then write my answers to the 10 questions I am most likely to get, including "Tell me about yourself", "Why this company?" and 3 behavioural questions using the STAR method. Use natural spoken English at my level, not memorised-sounding text. Add 15 useful phrases for my field, ways to ask for a question to be repeated, and 3 questions I can ask them. Then run a mock interview with me on WhatsApp by voice note: one question at a time, and after the last one, feedback on my answers and my English. The interview is on [INTERVIEW DATE].
What to change
- [JOB TITLE]: E.g. "Junior Data Analyst" or "Hotel Front Desk Supervisor".
- [COMPANY OR JOB POSTING LINK]: The company name, or paste the job link so your agent can read the requirements.
- [LEVEL]: E.g. "B1", "B2, nervous when speaking".
- [FIRST LANGUAGE]: E.g. "Portuguese". Your agent watches for typical mistakes from your language.
- [YOUR EXPERIENCE OR ATTACH RESUME]: A few lines about your jobs and results, or attach your resume (PDF or Word).
- [INTERVIEW DATE]: E.g. "next Thursday at 10:00". Your agent plans practice around it.
Example result
- Interview prep: Operations Coordinator, Northline Logistics
- English level B1+ · first language: Portuguese · interview Thursday 10:00
- Tell me about yourself (about 60 seconds)
- "I'm an operations assistant with four years' experience in a freight forwarding company in Porto. I look after daily shipments for about 30 clients, and I'm the person people call when something goes wrong. Last year I helped cut late deliveries by around a fifth by changing how we plan pickups. I'm applying because Northline is growing in Europe and I'd like to take on more responsibility in a bigger team."
- A STAR answer: "Tell me about a problem you solved"
- • Situation: "A big client's shipment was stuck at customs a week before a product launch."
- • Task: "I had to get it released in time, or find another option."
- • Action: "I called the customs broker every morning, sent the missing certificate the same day, and booked a backup air shipment for the urgent part."
- • Result: "The goods arrived two days before the launch, and the client renewed their contract."
- Phrases for your field
- • "I'm responsible for…" / "I look after…"
- • "on-time delivery", "lead time", "carrier", "customs clearance", "bottleneck"
- • "We managed to reduce… by…"
- • "I'd usually start by…"
- If you don't understand
- • "Sorry, could you repeat the question?"
- • "Do you mean…, or…?"
- • "That's a good question. Let me think for a second."
- Questions to ask them
- • "What would success look like in the first three months?"
- • "How is the team organised?"
- • "What are the biggest challenges for the team right now?"
- Mock interview feedback
- • Language: "I have four years in this company" → "I've been at this company for four years" (a common mistake for Portuguese speakers). "I am responsible of" → "responsible for".
- • Content: your "Why us?" answer was general. Mention their new hub in Rotterdam from the job post.
- • Delivery: good pace. Pause after numbers so they land.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the job, your level, first language, experience and interview date.
- Paste it on the Today screen in todo.is and attach your resume, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp.
- Read and practise the answers aloud, then do the mock interview by voice note.
- Ask for another round: "harder questions this time", "faster voice notes", or "a video-call style interview".
Tips for a better result
- Learn your answers as bullet points, not word for word. Memorised paragraphs sound stiff and fall apart when the question is phrased differently.
- Prepare numbers in English out loud (percentages, dates, money). They are where non-native speakers most often stumble.
- Have two "buy time" phrases ready, like "That’s a good question". A short pause is fine; silence is what feels long.
- Do the mock interview at the same time of day as the real one, standing up if it will be a video call.
English for job interviews: FAQ
- Is it OK to have an accent in an English interview? Yes. Interviewers care about being understood, not about a native accent. Clear structure, pace and key words matter far more.
- Should I memorise my answers? Memorise the structure and key facts, not the full text. The STAR format (Situation, Task, Action, Result) gives you a frame you can use for any behavioural question.
- What if I do not understand a question? Ask for it to be repeated or rephrased. It is normal in any interview, and it is much better than answering a different question.
- Can todo.is apply for the job for me? No. Your agent helps you prepare: research the company, write answers and practise. You send the application and do the interview yourself.
JavaScript is required to use the todo.is app.