How to ace a job interview in Spanish + 75+ interview questions

Key job interview vocabulary in Spanish

Before getting started with the Q&A part of the interview, we should introduce you to some essential vocabulary for acing any job interview in Spanish. Here are some of the most important words you’ll want to know, along with a handy pronunciation guide so you can walk into the interview room full of confidence.

Useful adjectives to use in your Spanish interview

In addition to learning job interview vocabulary, you should also take some time to learn some positive adjectives that you can use to describe yourself during the interview. The last thing you want is to come across as someone who doesn’t think of themselves as enthusiastic, passionate, or ambitious! Here are 20 positive adjectives in Spanish that you can use to describe yourself:

Most common Spanish jobs and occupations

Your past experience and any roles you’ve held in the past will surely come up in any job interview. To speak about it, you will have to know how to talk about your former occupation in Spanish. While the term licenciado (lee-sehn-see-ah-doh) is a common way of addressing anyone with a bachelor’s degree, you’ll want to be more specific than that in your interview.

Here are some of the most common jobs and occupations in Spanish:

Most common job titles in Spanish

If you’re still fishing for that job interview, then you might want to take a look at some of the most common Spanish jobs today. While knowing the occupations is important, you likely won’t find any job listings simply looking for an attorney or an engineer. More likely, the job title will be more specific to the responsibilities of the position, and a relatively wide range of professionals will be eligible to apply.

Here are some of the job listings you might stumble upon as you search through online job listing aggregators or your school’s job board:

Pre-interview questions in Spanish

More often than not, the interview questions actually begin way before the actual interview. When you get an invitation for an interview, you’ll likely be asked to share your availability or if you can make it in at a certain time. Here are some questions that you may be asked before the interview along with some possible answers:

At the same time, you may take the opportunity to ask questions about the position via email or phone before you have the interview. Perhaps you found the job listing online and want to inquire about the position, or maybe you simply want to get more specific details about where and when the interview will take place. Here are some questions you can ask the interviewer before the interview:

Interview questions in Spanish

Now, on to the meat and potatoes of this article. Although it may feel scary and stressful to have to justify why you deserve a position to a job recruiter, don’t forget that you’ve already made a great first impression with your resume. That’s why they’ve called you in for an interview!

All you need to do is provide strong answers that expand on the information you’ve already provided in your resume and you should be good to go. If that sounds like something easier said than done, we’ll cover dozens of possible interview questions in Spanish you might face along with detailed answers you can use as a model for your interview.

Talking about yourself in an interview setting

One of the most important things to do in a job interview is to let the interviewer get to know who you are as a person. Beyond your academic and professional qualifications, this usually also involves getting to know your personality traits and core values. After all, they’re not hiring a machine to perform a job, and they want to make sure that the person they’re going to be working with is an honest and upstanding citizen.

Here are some of the top interview questions in Spanish along with complete answers:

Interview questions in Spanish you might ask about the company or role

Many people fail to consider that a job interview is really a two-way street. You can also take this as an opportunity to ask questions about the position or about the company in general. After all, it has to be a good fit for both, and you also need to make sure that you want to accept the position should they extend an offer to you.

Here are some insightful and helpful questions you can ask the interviewer at the end of the interview:

Post-Interview questions in Spanish

After a job interview, you will be faced with one of two outcomes: either you will be moving forward or you won’t. However, the process doesn’t stop there. You may be required to provide further information or come in for another round of interviews if they liked your interview.

Even in the best-case scenario where you’re given a job offer immediately, you will want to ask clarifying questions or negotiate your salary and benefits. Remember that a job offer is just an offer, and there’s no harm in asking if there’s any wiggle room in the salary or benefits package!

Here are some questions you may want to ask if you will be moving forward with the hiring process:

Although it may be disappointing to hear that the interviewer won’t be moving forward with your application, a rejection can be a great chance to get some valuable feedback on your performance. While not all job interviewers will be willing or able to offer feedback, this may be a good chance to find any red flags or learn about any faux pas you made so you can avoid making them again in the future.

Here are some questions you may ask if you won’t be moving forward with the hiring process:

Interview etiquette in Spanish

Even if you’ve never had an interview in Spanish before, you don’t have anything to fear. Spanish interviews are remarkably similar to English interviews, so you’ve likely had some prior experience to them even if you don’t know it yet.

However, as anyone who’s read our ultimate guide to business Spanish will know, there are some special etiquette rules to consider when doing business in a Spanish-speaking country. Here are a few etiquette tips you should keep in mind during your Spanish interview:

1. Address the interviewer with the formal usted

If you already know the difference between tú and usted in Spanish, then you probably saw this one coming. You should always address the interviewer by the formal usted, even if they address you by the informal tú. Not doing this can come across as extremely disrespectful, which may or may not end up costing you your potential job. The only instance when

using the informal tú with your interviewer is okay is when they explicitly ask you to do so. Otherwise, stick to the formal usted in all cases.

2. Be punctual but expect a delay

You should always show up on time to your job interviews. However, you shouldn’t necessarily expect them all to start on time as well. It’s not uncommon for interviewers to schedule interviewees a little bit early, which may cause them to show up late. Don’t panic if your interviewer is running late and can’t see you until some time after your original appointment time.

3. Personal relationships are very important

If you know anyone who works at the organization or were referred by anyone, it’s acceptable to mention them as a way to show proximity to the company. If you don’t know anyone, you could also mention any important news you’ve heard recently read about the company to show that you’re familiar with it. You may also bring up any childhood memories you have of the company or any personal experience you have with the brand. The point is to show that you’re closer to the company than other candidates may be.

Your dream job is just one interview away

Job interviews can be nerve-wracking, and doing them in a foreign language can be even more daunting. However, there’s no reason to panic if you’ve been offered a job interview in Spanish and don’t know what to do. Just spend some time reviewing the 76 common Spanish job interview questions and answers in this article and you’ll be able to put your incredible experience into succinct and powerful words.

Plus, remember that being offered a job interview is a fantastic feat in and of itself, so you’ve already put in the groundwork to land this job. Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back, take a deep breath, and know that you’re already qualified and talented enough for the job!

And if you feel like you’re still up for picking up more Spanish skills, make sure to take a look at our Spanish blog, or book an appointment for a free of charge consultation to find out about your possibilites.