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Lesson 215 of 238

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The interview in Spanish

Justin has been in El Laurel long enough that people ask what he does. Today Alex sits down with a notebook and turns small talk into a real interview.

You'll learn how to talk about yourself for a job: your story, why you want the role, what you've done, and when you can start.

Plus two polite questions that close any interview well.

By the end of this lesson

Talk about yourself for a job, say why you want it, and say when you can start.

  • Cuéntame de tiTell me about yourself
  • Me interesa el puesto porque ___I'm interested in the role because ___
  • Puedo empezar el ___I can start on ___
  • Tengo experiencia en ___I've got experience in ___
  • ¿Cuál es el horario?What's the schedule?
  • ¿Cómo sigue el proceso?What happens next?

Scene — a notebook and two chairs

Café Laurel, late afternoon. Alex arrives with a notebook and sits across from Justin at the usual table.

Yako pulls his second chair a little closer, because interviews at the café are a neighborhood event, and Michael is already warming two cups.

Café Laurel, late afternoon. Alex arrives with a notebook and sits across from Justin at the usual table. Yako pulls his second chair a little closer, because interviews at the café are a neighborhood event, and Michael

Learn — your story, your reason, your start date

These six lines carry a whole interview: the opener, the reason, the experience, the start date, and two questions back to the interviewer.

Notice how the blank lines let you say your real answer instead of a memorized one.

  1. justin is the one speaking. The moment means: Tell me about yourself

    Cuéntame de ti

    Tell me about yourself

    When to use it: An interviewer opens with this to invite your story.

    It's informal tú; a more formal interviewer would say cuénteme de usted.

    Say it: Say it kwen-TAH-meh deh TEE.

  2. justin is the one speaking. The moment means: I'm interested in the role because ___

    Me interesa el puesto porque ___

    I'm interested in the role because ___

    When to use it: Give your reason for wanting the job right after porque.

    Puesto is masculine and is the standard word in Mexico for a job opening.

    Say it: Puesto sounds like PWEHS-toh.

  3. justin is the one speaking. The moment means: I can start on ___

    Puedo empezar el ___

    I can start on ___

    When to use it: State the day you can begin work; finish with a weekday.

    Days of the week are masculine, so they take el: el lunes, el martes.

  4. justin is the one speaking. The moment means: I've got experience in ___

    Tengo experiencia en ___

    I've got experience in ___

    When to use it: Name your field or industry right after en.

    Experiencia is feminine, so say mucha experiencia, never mucho.

  5. justin is the one speaking. The moment means: What's the schedule?

    ¿Cuál es el horario?

    What's the schedule?

    When to use it: Ask this to learn the days and hours of the job.

    Cuál picks from possibilities; it sounds more natural than qué before es here.

  6. justin is the one speaking. The moment means: What happens next?

    ¿Cómo sigue el proceso?

    What happens next?

    When to use it: Ask this at the end of an interview about the next step.

    Seguir aquí means how the process continues; it's a polite, common closer.

Story — Justin's turn to answer

Watch a real interview happen at the café table. The highlighted lines are the ones you just learned, and the old greetings come back too.

Yako listens from the next chair, and Michael makes it an occasion. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Alex sits down with a notebook. Yako pulls his second chair closer to listen.
  2. AlexBuenas tardes. Mucho gusto, Justin. Gracias por venir.Good afternoon. Nice to meet you, Justin. Thanks for coming.
  3. JustinIgualmente. ¿Un café antes de empezar?You too. A coffee before we start?
  4. MichaelYa voy con los cafés. Buena suerte.The coffees are coming. Good luck.
  5. AlexEmpecemos. ¿A qué te dedicas?Let's begin. What do you do?
  6. JustinTrabajo en una tienda de ropa en Chicago, pero ya vivo aquí, en El Laurel.I work at a clothing store in Chicago, but I live here now, in El Laurel.
  7. AlexCuéntame de ti.Tell me about yourself.
  8. JustinSoy de Chicago. Me mudé aquí hace unos meses y me gusta mucho la colonia.I'm from Chicago. I moved here a few months ago and I really like the neighborhood.
  9. YakoYo lo presenté aquí en el café. Es buen vecino.I introduced him here at the café. He's a good neighbor.
  10. Alex¿Y por qué quieres este puesto?And why do you want this role?
  11. JustinMe interesa el puesto porque me gusta la colonia y quiero trabajar con la gente de aquí.I'm interested in the role because I like the neighborhood and I want to work with the people here.
  12. Alex¿Tienes experiencia?Do you have experience?
  13. JustinTengo experiencia en tiendas y también en atención a clientes.I've got experience in stores and also in customer service.
  14. Alex¿Y cuándo puedes empezar?And when can you start?
  15. JustinPuedo empezar el lunes.I can start on Monday.
  16. Justin¿Cuál es el horario?What's the schedule?
  17. AlexDe lunes a sábado, de nueve a seis, con una hora para comer.Monday to Saturday, nine to six, with an hour for lunch.
  18. Justin¿Cómo sigue el proceso?What happens next?
  19. AlexTe llamo esta semana para la segunda entrevista.I'll call you this week about the second interview.
  20. Yako¿Ves? Lo dije: eres el candidato perfecto para El Laurel.See? I said it: you're the perfect candidate for El Laurel.
  21. MichaelLos cafés van por mi cuenta. ¡Buena suerte, Justin!The coffees are on me. Good luck, Justin!

Practice — the whole interview

Ten quick exercises cover the interview from the first greeting to the last question.

You'll listen, pick, build, and put a whole chat in order, so the lines come out without thinking.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    Spanish

    Cuéntame de tiDrop the English here
    Puedo empezar el ___Drop the English here
    ¿Cuál es el horario?Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its Spanish, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    Alex asks if you have any experience for the job. You worked in stores for years.

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm interested in the role because ___

    Me interesa el ____ porque ___

  5. Pick the reply

    Alex says:

    ¿Y cuándo puedes empezar?

    And when can you start?

    And you reply with:

  6. What does it mean?

    ¿A qué te dedicas?

  7. What do you say?

    Alex asks where you work. You work at a clothing store in Chicago.

  8. Build the line

    What's the schedule?

    ¿ ?

    Tap the words in order.

  9. Put the chat in order

    1. AlexWhat comes first?
    2. Justin…
    3. Alex…
    4. Justin…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

  10. Which one doesn’t belong?

  11. What did you hear?

Say it — you're the candidate

Now you're the candidate, and Alex runs the interview. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and answer with the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the model line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. Alex¿Por qué te interesa el puesto?Why are you interested in the role?
  2. Justin (you)Say you want the job because you like the neighborhood and its people.

    Me interesa el puesto porque ___

    I'm interested in the role because ___

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

SpanishEnglish
Cuéntame de tiTell me about yourself
Me interesa el puesto porque ___I'm interested in the role because ___
Puedo empezar el ___I can start on ___
Tengo experiencia en ___I've got experience in ___
¿Cuál es el horario?What's the schedule?
¿Cómo sigue el proceso?What happens next?
Next: lesson 216About the pay

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want these interview lines ready before a real conversation? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and practice anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your interview answers sharp.

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