How to handle a job interview in Spanish
An interview is the most demanding everyday conversation in this set: you have to talk about yourself at length, in the past tense, while someone listens for gaps.
The scene
- Who you talk to
- A hiring manager interviewing for a junior position. An AI character, speaking Spanish.
- Your goal
- Talk about your experience, handle the follow-up questions, and ask a question of your own.
- How it opens
- “Buenos días, gracias por venir. ¿Le importa contarme un poco sobre su experiencia antes de empezar?”
Phrases to have ready
- Tengo dos años de experiencia en atención al cliente.I have two years of experience in customer service.
- En mi último trabajo me encargaba de los pedidos.In my last job I was in charge of orders.
- Aprendo rápido y trabajo bien en equipo.I learn quickly and work well in a team.
- ¿Cómo es un día normal en este puesto?What's a normal day like in this role?
What can go wrong
So no two conversations are the same, the character may bring in one of these, unprompted, once things are under way. This is exactly how the scene describes them to the character:
- You ask a follow-up question that gently challenges a gap or inconsistency in what they just said.
- You mention a requirement of the role that was not in the job listing and ask if that would be a problem.
- The learner gives a very short answer, and you push them to give a concrete example.
- Near the end you ask about salary expectations, which they need to handle diplomatically.
Tú or usted?
Spanish workplaces vary. Many Spanish companies, especially younger or tech ones, use tú from the first minute; more traditional sectors keep usted. The safe rule is to follow the interviewer. In this scene the hiring manager opens with usted — “¿le importa contarme un poco sobre su experiencia?” — so answer in usted and let them switch if they want to.
Whichever form you use, keep it consistent. Sliding between tú and usted inside one answer is the most noticeable register slip learners make in interviews, far more than a wrong verb ending. And if the interviewer invites you to switch — “puedes tutearme” — take the offer; holding on to usted after that can sound stiff rather than polite.
Talking about your experience
Two past tenses do most of the work. The imperfect describes what you used to do in a role — “me encargaba de los pedidos” (“I was in charge of orders”), “trabajaba con clientes” — while the preterite reports things you did and finished — “organicé un evento”, “aprendí a usar el programa”. Interviewers notice when the tenses land correctly, and the end-of-call corrections are a good place to see which one you reached for.
Have a concrete example ready for every claim. “Trabajo bien en equipo” is fine, but the follow-up will be “¿me puede dar un ejemplo?”, and this interviewer pushes for one if your answers are short. A quick story beats a list of adjectives.
Salary and the things Spain does differently
Salaries in Spain are usually discussed as a gross annual figure — “treinta mil euros brutos anuales” — and are often paid in fourteen instalments (catorce pagas), with two extra payments in summer and at Christmas, rather than twelve. It is worth knowing, because the same annual figure gives a different monthly amount depending on whether it is paid in twelve or fourteen.
When the question comes — “¿cuáles son sus expectativas salariales?” — a range, backed by a reason, is the diplomatic answer: “busco algo entre… y…, en línea con el mercado”. And always ask a question of your own at the end; “¿cómo es un día normal en este puesto?” shows interest without sounding rehearsed.