An English Answer Strategy That Will Increase Your Chances of Getting Hired

A conversational English session can be stressful, especially if English isn't your first language. But with an Answer Strategy, you can not only reduce stress but also truly stand out. Most conversations follow a similar pattern. In this article, I show you how to successfully handle each stage, from small talk to hypothetical questions. I also provide grammar and communication tips for each question type.

1. Small talk – the first moment that has a huge significance

Small talk is a light, informal conversation that often occurs at the very beginning of a meeting. Sometimes it lasts only a minute, but it can be crucial for a first impression. And research shows that first impressions are formed in the first 7 seconds. Many people subconsciously judge you based on your attitude, politeness, and naturalness.

Typical questions:

How was your journey?

Did you find us easily?

Is this your first time in company/city?

Grammatical structures worth using:

Past Simple : I took the tram, I arrived early

Present Perfect : I've never been to this building before

Present Simple : I usually check the route the day before

Answer examples:

Yes, thank you. The journey was smooth.

I came a bit early just in case.

Actually, it was my first time here, but Google Maps made it easy.

Yes, I've been in this part of the city before.

I like how quiet it is.

It's also worth adding a joke, for example: I guess this isn't your first time here.

Remember to smile, look someone in the eye, and keep your comments short and positive, and don't be afraid to ask the interviewer how their day is going. This initial interaction has a huge impact on how the conversation will go.

2. Common interview questions – questions that always come up

These are general questions that allow you to understand your personality, motivation, and mindset. Their goal isn't just to learn about your experience, but also to determine whether you're a good fit for the company and the specific team. The strategy for answering in English also plays a huge role here.

Typical questions:

Tell us about yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Why do you want to leave your current job?

Preparation technique:

Research the company in advance. Find out what values are important to them (e.g., innovation, teamwork, responsibility). Consider what traits are key to the position you're applying for. Prepare answers that demonstrate these values in action.

Grammatical structures:

Present Simple: I work as a QA tester, I lead a team of developers

Present Perfect Continuous: I've been working in IT for five years

Past Simple: I studied at Gdańsk University of Technology

First Conditional(if you're talking about the future): If I join your team, I'll focus on delivering high quality code

Example of a response to Tell us about yourself:

I'm a backend developer with five years of experience, mostly in Python and Flask.

I've worked in both startups and larger environments.

What I enjoy most is building stable architecture that can grow with the product.

I'm currently looking for a company that values long-term thinking and collaboration, which is what I admires about your team.

Example answer to What are your strengths and weaknesses?:

One of my strengths is clear communication.

I make sure all stakeholders are aligned, especially during sprints.

A weakness I've been working on is being overly focused on details.

While it helps with code quality, I've learned to balance perfectionism with deadlines.

Preparation technique :

Research the company in advance. Find out what values are important to them (e.g., innovation, teamwork, responsibility). Consider what qualities are key to the position you're applying for. Prepare answers that demonstrate these values in action.

3. Competency questions, show that you can do it, not just say that you can do it

These are questions about specific situations from the past designed to demonstrate your skills. They often begin with "Tell me about a time when..." or "Describe a situation when..."

Typical questions:

Tell me about a time you worked as part of a team. Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem. Tell me about a time you had to deal with a conflict.

Here, you must use the STAR technique, which organizes your statement:

Situation – what happened

Task – what were you responsible for?

Action – what did you do?

Result – what was the effect

Grammatical structures:

Past Simple: I worked, I solved, I suggested

Past Continuous: We were launching a product when the issue occurred

Past Perfect: We had already completed testing when we noticed a bug

Avoid the Second Conditional. Don't say: I would have done... – that's not the right situation.

Example answer:

Last year, we were building a customer portal for a bank. I was responsible for he backend.

Midway through the project, we had performance issues. I ran a quick audit and discovered that database calls were not optimized. I reverse part of the logic, and we reduced load time by 40 percent. The client was very happy with the result.

Technique:

Prepare 2-3 good professional stories in advance, which you can adapt to different questions. Stick to the STAR structure. Answer in a way that makes it clear what you did specifically.

4. Hypothetical questions – what if...

These are questions about situations that might arise in the future. The interviewer wants to see how you think, how you make decisions, and how you handle pressure.

Typical questions:

What would you do if you disagreed with your manager?How would you handle a tight deadline with limited resources?What would you do if your team refused to follow your plan?

Technique:

Use the problem → approach → solution structure.

Grammatical structures:

Second Conditional: If I disagreed..., I would...

Modal verbs: I would try, I might suggest, I could ask

Softening phrases: I would probably, I would aim to, I would prefer to

Example answer:

If I disagreed with my manager, I would first try to understand their reasoning. Then I would explain my point of view respectfully and provide data or examples to support it. If the final decision was still theirs, I would follow it professionally, but I would also want to learn from the process.

Avoid responses like "I'm not sure" or "It depends." Even if the situation is difficult, show that you have a plan, are analytical, and think maturely.

Technique:

Choose a few common questions ("What would you do if…?"), write short answers in a problem → approach → solution pattern, using the second conditional and modal verbs. Practice them aloud so they sound natural and fluent. Add two or three soothing phrases ("I would probably…," "I might try…"), and always try to end on a positive note.

Conversing in English isn't a test of grammar tenses, but of communication. Clarity, confidence, specificity, a calm pace, and preparation are key. Knowing grammatical structures is important, but even more important is how you communicate and how you demonstrate your value.

A good answer is one that: answers the question, is specific and concise, demonstrates your actions and way of thinking, and aligns with the company values and the position you are applying for.

If you want every interview, not just job interviews, to be impressive and valuable, and for your interviewer to immediately know that working with you is a great idea, schedule a lesson with me and see how much you can gain.

Gregory S.