Learning Easy English · Education
Talking about job interviews
BBC Learning English's podcast "Real Easy English" tackled the topic of job interviews, with hosts Becca and Neil walking listeners through everything from why interviews feel so nerve-wracking to how to handle common questions like "Why do you want this job?" and "What is your weakness?" The episode offers concrete, learner-friendly advice on preparation strategies and how to talk about skills and experience effectively.
Listen to this episode Go to the show page
What this episode answers
What kinds of questions are commonly asked in job interviews?
"Why do you want this job?" and "What is your weakness?" are cited as typical examples — the first tests sincerity, and the second is tricky because honesty and self-promotion are hard to balance.
How should you answer the question "Why do you want this job?"
Think through your answer in advance and deliver it with confidence; because many candidates face the same question, a confident response is what sets you apart.
What preparation should you do before a job interview?
Prepare specific examples from your past experience and successes, and research the company or organisation so you can tailor those examples to the role.
How should you handle the question "What is your weakness?"
Admitting a genuine weakness is necessary — claiming perfection convinces no one — but the weakness should be framed so it does not appear fatal to the job.
What is the key to communicating your skills and experience effectively in an interview?
After handing over your CV and cover letter, interviewers want more detail; telling a concrete story of the form "I did this in a previous job, and this was the result" is the most effective approach.
Why interviews make us nervous
Becca and Neil open the episode by asking how interviews actually feel. Becca admits she finds them a little nervous-making, while Neil points out that feeling nervous is entirely natural — in fact, not feeling nervous at all would suggest you simply don't care about the outcome.
The pair identify what makes interviews uniquely difficult: you are meeting a stranger and must simultaneously come across as warm and friendly while also proving you are capable and competent. Striking a balance between being approachable and projecting confidence is, they argue, the central challenge of any job interview.
Common question 1: "Why do you want this job?"
One of the most frequently asked interview questions is "Why do you want this job?" Neil describes it as a great question precisely because if you don't genuinely want the position, you are caught in a lie the moment you answer.
Because the question is so predictable yet so difficult to answer well, the hosts advise thinking through your response before the interview rather than improvising on the day. Becca adds that since every candidate faces the same question, delivering your answer with real confidence is what makes the difference and helps you stand out.
How to talk about your skills and experience
Candidates typically hand the interviewer a CV and a cover letter — documents laying out their skills and experience — but interviewers rarely stop there. They want fuller explanations, and that is where specific examples become essential.
Neil explains that interviewers are not looking for general statements about what you would do in a given situation; they want to hear what you actually did in a previous role and what the result was. Becca agrees and adds a practical tip: research the company or organisation beforehand and choose past examples that are a close fit for the role you are applying for. Doing so, she says, raises the interviewer's impression of you considerably.
Common question 2: "What is your weakness?"
When Becca asks Neil to name the hardest interview question he has encountered, he picks "What is your weakness?" without hesitation.
The dilemma is real: you do not want to be fully honest — as Becca jokes, saying "My weakness is that I hate working and can't get out of bed in the morning" is clearly out of the question — but claiming to have no weaknesses at all is equally unconvincing. The skill lies in acknowledging a genuine weakness while presenting it in a way that does not make it seem like a deal-breaker for the job.
Vocabulary from the episode
At the end of the episode, Becca and Neil run through the key words that came up during the conversation.
- **nervous**: the feeling of being worried or anxious about something - **confident**: feeling sure that things will go well; used here in the context of being confident in your own skills - **skills**: the abilities you have that are useful in a job - **examples**: specific things you have personally experienced and can talk about — not generic stories picked up from the internet
The hosts also remind listeners that a worksheet is available on the BBC Learning English website (bbclearningenglish.com) so they can test themselves on the episode's content.
Takeaways
- Feeling nervous before an interview is natural and simply shows you care — the real challenge is balancing friendliness with confidence at the same time.
- The two trickiest common questions — "Why do you want this job?" and "What is your weakness?" — are best answered not with complete candour or a perfect façade, but with preparation and concrete examples.
- Researching the company in advance and lining up specific past successes that fit the role is the most reliable way to stand out from other candidates.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.