According to the Bundesagentur für Arbeit’s own guidance for apprenticeship applicants, Ausbildung interviews focus less on technical knowledge and much more on motivation, personality, and fit with the company. Official guidance identifies the recurring themes employers ask about: your motivation for the training, what you know about the company, understanding of the day-to-day tasks involved, teamwork, and your strengths and weaknesses. Here’s how to prepare, with simple, accurate German phrases you can practise.
Question 1: Why do you want to do this Ausbildung?
German: “Warum möchten Sie diese Ausbildung machen?”
What they’re really asking: Whether your interest in this specific trade is genuine, not just “any job in Germany.”
How to answer: Be specific about the trade itself — what part of the day-to-day work appeals to you — rather than talking generally about wanting to work in Germany.
Question 2: What do you know about our company?
German: “Was wissen Sie über unser Unternehmen?”
How to answer: Official guidance stresses researching the employer beforehand — its size, what it makes or does, and how it presents itself on its own website — before the interview. A specific, accurate answer here signals genuine interest.
Question 3: What are your strengths and weaknesses?
German: “Was sind Ihre Stärken und Schwächen?”
How to answer: Choose strengths relevant to the trade, and back them with a real example — official written-application guidance applies here too: show where you gained and used the skill, don’t just claim it. For weaknesses, pick something genuine and briefly mention how you’re working on it.
Question 4: Tell us about yourself
German: “Erzählen Sie etwas über sich.”
How to answer: A short, structured summary — background, why you’re interested in this trade, and what you hope to get from the training. Keep it under two minutes.
Question 5: How would you describe your teamwork skills?
German: “Wie würden Sie Ihre Teamfähigkeit beschreiben?”
How to answer: Give one concrete example of working with others — a school project, sports team, or part-time job — rather than a general claim.
Question 6: Do you have any questions for us?
German: “Haben Sie noch Fragen an uns?”
Why it matters: This is a real test of interest, not a formality. Prepare one or two genuine questions in advance — for example, “Wie läuft die Berufsschule neben der praktischen Ausbildung ab?” (“How does vocational school run alongside the practical training?”) or “Wie viele Auszubildende betreut das Unternehmen aktuell?” (“How many trainees does the company currently have?”).
Simple, correct phrases to have ready
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Guten Tag, mein Name ist [Name]. | Hello, my name is [Name]. |
| Vielen Dank, dass Sie sich Zeit für mich nehmen. | Thank you for taking the time to meet me. |
| Ich freue mich sehr über die Einladung zu diesem Gespräch. | I’m very glad to have been invited to this interview. |
| Könnten Sie die Frage bitte wiederholen? | Could you please repeat the question? |
| Das ist eine gute Frage, lassen Sie mich kurz überlegen. | That’s a good question, let me think for a moment. |
| Vielen Dank für das Gespräch. | Thank you for the interview. |
How to prepare, practically
- Practise out loud, more than once — official guidance specifically recommends rehearsing live, ideally with someone else reading you the job description so you prepare together.
- Write down your own questions in advance so you don’t blank when asked.
- If your German is still developing, it’s fine to say so honestly and note your current level and study plan — employers assessing Ausbildung applicants from abroad generally expect this to be a work in progress, not already perfect.
Before the interview stage, make sure your Lebenslauf and Anschreiben are solid, and see the full Ausbildung application process for what comes next. Browse programmes on our Ausbildung programmes page, or contact us for interview preparation support.
Where this comes from
Interview themes and preparation guidance are based on the Bundesagentur für Arbeit’s official interview guidance for Ausbildung applicants, published across arbeitsagentur.de/bildung/bewerbung/bewerbungsgespraech and related planet-beruf.de application resources.
