Job hunting is something most students have experienced or will face soon, which makes this topic practical and engaging. These questions cover everything from interview prep to career choices and what makes a good workplace.
Questions are organized by level from beginner to advanced. A printable PDF of all the questions is available at the bottom of the page.
Beginner (A1-A2)
- What was your first job? Tell me about it.
- Do you have a job right now? What do you do?
- What are three jobs you would like to try?
- How do you get to work? (Bus, car, walk, bicycle, etc.) How long does it take?
- Do you know someone who loves their job? What do they do?
- Do you wear special clothes for your job, like a uniform? What do they look like?
- Where do you work? What is it like there?
- Do you like your coworkers? What are they like?
- How much money do you want to make at your job?
- Do you work with a computer every day? What do you use it for?
- Do you eat lunch at work or bring food from home? What do you usually eat?
- What do you do on your break at work? How long is your break?
Elementary (A2)
- How many jobs have you had? What were the interviews like to get those jobs?
- When you were a child, what job did you want to have? Why?
- Do you prefer working inside or outside? What’s good about it?
- Who has the best job in your family? Why do you like it?
- Have you ever applied for a job online? How did it go?
- What kind of job would you never want to do? Why?
- Have you ever quit a job? What made you leave?
- Do you prepare before a job interview? What do you do?
- Have you ever been nervous before a job interview? What happened?
- What was the longest job you ever had? Why did you stay so long?
- What hours do you prefer to work: mornings, afternoons, or nights? Why?
- Have you ever worked on weekends or holidays? What did you think of it?
- Did you ever have to learn something new for a job? How did you learn it?
- What’s the worst job interview you’ve ever had? What went wrong?
Intermediate (B1)
- What is the best way to find a job? What has worked for you or people you know?
- What do you think are the five most common questions asked at a job interview?
- What are some things you should do to prepare before a job interview? What do most people forget to do?
- How is the job market in your country, is it easy or difficult to get a job?
- If you were going to change jobs or try to get a job, what kind of job would you want to apply for? Why that job?
- How should a person dress for a job interview? Does it depend on the type of job? Give me some examples.
- How should you act when you are in a job interview? Confident? Polite? Humble?
- What are resumes like in your country? What information do employers want to know?
- What are some good things to have on your resume? Is there anything you would not want an employer to see?
- What is the most important thing you look for in a job: the money, the people, or the work itself? Why?
- Should companies require job applicants to include a photo on their resume? Why or why not?
- Should employers be allowed to check a job applicant’s social media accounts? Why or why not?
- If you could start your own business, what kind of business would it be? Why that business?
- Should you always be honest in a job interview, or is it okay to exaggerate a little? Why or why not?
- Should people follow their passion or choose a job that pays well? Why or why not?
- What makes a boss good or bad to work for? Can you think of specific things?
- Is it a good idea to be friends with the people you work with, or should you keep work and personal life separate? Why or why not?
- How often have you changed jobs in your career? What factors influenced those decisions?
Upper-Intermediate (B2)
- Do you think it’s better to work for a small company or a large company? What are the downsides of each?
- Do you think it’s better to stay at one company for a long time or to change jobs every few years? What are the advantages of each?
- How has remote work changed the job market? What do you think about those changes?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of gig economy jobs like Uber, delivery services, or freelancing?
- How do networking and personal connections affect job opportunities in your country? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
- What role does age discrimination play in hiring? How is it different for young workers versus older workers?
- In many countries, young people with university degrees struggle to find good jobs. What do you think is causing this, and what could be done about it?
- Many companies now use AI to screen resumes and even conduct first-round interviews. How does this change what job seekers need to do to stand out?
- Some people say your first job shapes the rest of your career. How much do you agree with this, and what factors matter more?
- What are the long-term effects on a person when they spend a long time unemployed? Think about both practical and emotional effects.
- How does the gap between the highest-paid and lowest-paid workers in a company affect the people who work there?
Advanced (C1)
- Why have some jobs been considered ‘men’s work’ or ‘women’s work’ throughout history? How is that changing, and what forces are driving the change?
- How do education credentials both open doors and create barriers in the job market? When does requiring a degree serve employers versus job seekers?
- Why do people often stay in jobs they hate? What economic, social, and psychological factors make it difficult to leave?
- Job interviews are supposed to predict job performance, but they often measure how good someone is at interviewing. What does this reveal about hiring practices and what gets valued in the workplace?
- How does the rise of personal branding and LinkedIn profiles change what it means to be ‘qualified’ for a job? What gets lost and what gets gained?
- Why do some cultures value job stability while others celebrate entrepreneurship and risk-taking? What historical and economic factors shape these different attitudes?
- The idea of ‘having a career’ is relatively new in human history. Most people used to simply do whatever work was available. How has the expectation that work should be fulfilling changed the way people feel about their jobs, for better and for worse?
- Some people change careers completely in their 30s or 40s, starting over in a new field. What does this say about how our relationship with work changes as we get older?
- Many people say they ‘hate Mondays’ or ‘live for the weekend.’ What does this common attitude reveal about how modern societies have organized work, and could it be different?
- When companies lay off thousands of workers to increase profits, they often say it’s ‘just business.’ Where is the line between smart business decisions and responsibility toward the people who work for you?