What they are really asking

This is a chance for the interviewer to see the person, not the résumé. They're curious what gives you energy, whether you have interests outside the job, and whether you'd be pleasant to sit next to. It's also a break in the interview, so treat it as friendly conversation rather than a test.

The weak answers are the empty ones. "I relax, watch TV, hang out with friends" is true for almost everyone, so it says nothing. Pick one or two real interests and give a detail or two. Stay away from anything that invites a debate, like politics, and don't list ten hobbies. A single interest you care about is more memorable than a long list.

A shape that works

One interest, one detail, one line about why. Name the thing you really do, add a specific detail, and say what you get out of it. If it connects to the job in a natural way, mention it lightly. If it doesn't, that's fine. People like hearing about interests that have nothing to do with work.

Model answers

Listen to how each answer is built, then make it yours.

Answer 1: a bank teller in Osaka who cooks
Answer 2: a marketing assistant in Nairobi who volunteers
Answer 3: a nurse in São Paulo who plays music

Check yourself

1Why is "I relax and hang out with friends" a weak answer?
2What does the lesson say about hobbies that have nothing to do with the job?

Practice · 3 min

Pick one real interest outside of work or study. Record a thirty-second answer: what you do, one specific detail, and why you enjoy it. Listen back. If your answer could be said by anyone, add a detail that only you could say, like a place, a number or something that went wrong, and record again.

Your recording stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.