“I chose economics because I kept wondering why prices change the way they do.”
B1 · Intermediate9 minInterview
What they are really asking
When an interviewer asks why you picked the subject you studied, it sounds like small talk about the past. But it's a question about how you make decisions. The interviewer wants to hear that you chose with some thought, that the choice connects to the work you're applying for, and that you can talk about it without sounding bored by your own subject.
The trap is being too honest in the wrong way. "My parents wanted it" or "My grades were good enough" might be true, and plenty of people chose that way. You don't have to hide it, but don't stop there. Say what you found in the subject once you were in it.
A shape that works
Reason, discovery, connection. Give the reason you started, in one sentence. Then say what you found interesting once you were studying it, with one specific topic or project. Finish by linking that interest to the job. If the major and the job don't match, keep the link to a skill: analysis, writing, working with people.
Model answers
Listen to how each answer is built, then make it yours.
Answer 1: an economics graduate in TorontoAnswer 2: a nursing graduate in ManchesterAnswer 3: an engineering graduate in Osaka
Check yourself
Practice · 3 min
Write three sentences: why you started your major, one topic or project that interested you, and how it links to the job you want. Record your answer. Listen back and check that the middle sentence has one specific detail, like a course name or a project.
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.