If you're like most people, the prospect of a job interview alone is enough to make you nervous. But a job interview in English? That can really give you the jitters – especially if you don't know what to expect. It's vital to dress professionally, research the company and follow up with a personalized thank-you note, but it's even more important to know how to best answer common questions. Use these tips to get the edge in an English interview.

Tell me about yourself.

This will probably be the first question you hear. No need to recount your life history. Instead focus on your qualities that relate to the position, such as discussing work-experience, skills and accomplishments.

What are your three greatest strengths?

It's important to know who you are and what makes you a good fit for this job. Share your qualities that would make you an asset to the company, and back them up with examples from your past. For example, you could share how your excellent communication skills help you resolve customers' problems and frustrations.

Your three greatest weaknesses?

While you need to be honest here, it's not the time to reveal all your shortcomings – especially those which will make you seem incompetent. Instead, choose weaknesses that can also be viewed as strengths, such as saying you sometimes spend more time than others completing projects because you pay careful attention to detail.

Tell me about a time when...

If your interviewer asks a question beginning this way, he or she is looking for a specific example from your past, not a generalization of what you would do in that situation. It's a good idea to be prepared with a list of previous accomplishments that you can use for examples for questions like these.

Do prefer working individually or with a team?

Employers are looking for team-players who are capable of doing their work on their own. It's important to state your preference, but also to mention that you can function easily in either situation.

Why do you want to work here?

Here, your interviewer isn't just looking for compliments about his company. Rather, detail how your previous experiences make you a good fit and can help you contribute to the company. The more research you have done about the position and company values, the more equipped you'll be to answer this.