2026 Interviews: What Has Changed? 10 Questions You Must Prepare For

Hello, everyone!

Vijob here. 👋

If you are preparing for jobs in Korea, interview preparation is just as important as your resume.

But interviews in 2026 are a little different from before. Rather than simply showing a good educational background or certifications, questions that check what kind of work you have actually done, how you work on a team, and how you use AI in your work are becoming more important.

Especially for foreign job seekers, it is necessary to practice explaining your own experience in detail rather than just memorizing Korean answers.

🔎 Interviews in 2026: What has changed?

In recent hiring, it is important to pay attention to the following three changes.

According to a survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (대한상공회의소), employers consider AI skills, communication and collaboration skills, and job expertise to be important hiring competencies.

In other words, it is now much more important than saying, “I am diligent,” to explain concretely “in what situation → what I did → how the result changed.”

📌 10 key questions that often come up in interviews

Q1. Please introduce yourself

This is a representative question that determines the first impression in an interview.

Rather than simply listing your name, school, and major, it is better to first show experience connected to the position you are applying for.

• Answer structure: job you are applying for → 1–2 key experiences → how you will contribute to the company

For example, you could answer like this.

안녕하세요. 마케팅 직무에 지원한 ○○○입니다. 대학 프로젝트에서 SNS 데이터를 분석해 콘텐츠 전략을 개선한 경험이 있고, 인턴 기간에는 캠페인 전환율을 높이는 업무를 담당했습니다. 이런 경험을 활용해 귀사의 마케팅 성과 향상에 기여하고 싶습니다."

Hello. I am ○○○, applying for a marketing position. I have experience improving content strategy by analyzing SNS data in a university project, and during my internship I was responsible for work that increased campaign conversion rates. I would like to use these experiences to contribute to improving your company’s marketing performance."

Q2. Why did you apply to our company?

Interviewers use this question to check whether you are truly interested in the company.

Rather than giving an answer anyone could say, such as “Because it is a well-known company” or “Because the salary is good,” mention the business or projects the company is actually doing.

• Company features → my experience → contribution after joining Connecting these three points makes for a much more persuasive answer.

Q3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

When talking about your strengths, do not end with just one word.

Rather than saying, “I am responsible,” it is better to explain real experiences that show that responsibility.

The same goes for weaknesses. It is not simply about revealing your weak points,

• Weakness → how you are improving it → what has actually changed show this as well.

Q4. Why did you choose this role?

Interviewers are trying to see not just whether you are interested, but whether you truly understand the role and can stay in it for the long term.

So rather than saying, “I applied because it looked interesting,”

• Connect your understanding of the role + related experience + the reasons you can do it well and explain them together.

Q5. Do you have experience with teamwork or resolving conflict?

This is a question that has become especially important in 2026 interviews.

What companies want is not only someone who works well alone, but someone who can solve problems together within a team.

For this kind of question, it is good to answer in the STAR format.

• S – Situation: what the situation was

• T – Task: what problem had to be solved

• A – Action: what I actually did

• R – Result: what the outcome was

If possible, include numbers or achievements in the result.

Q6. Have you overcome a difficult situation?

What the interviewer wants to see here is not “how hard it was,” but how you act when a problem arises. Rather than describing the problem situation at length,

• Problem → judgment → action → result → lesson learned it is better to answer in this order.

Q7. What kind of person do you want to be in 5 years?

The company wants to see what direction you hope to grow in over the long term.

Rather than speaking too grandly, at the beginning,

• Acquire role skills → then strengthen expertise → in the long term it sounds natural to explain that you want to contribute to the team.

Q8. Do you have any questions you would like to ask at the end?

Rather than ending with “No,” prepare one question related to the role in advance.

For example, a question like the following can show interest in the role and a willingness to prepare.

입사 후 첫 3개월 동안 가장 중요하게 배우면 좋은 업무가 무엇인가요?'

What tasks are most important to learn well during the first 3 months after joining?'

Q9. What do you think about overtime or additional work?

Rather than answering with a simple “I can work overtime,” it is better to show both efficiency and responsibility.

For example, you could answer like this.

주어진 시간 안에 효율적으로 업무를 끝내는 것을 중요하게 생각합니다. 다만 팀이나 프로젝트에 꼭 필요한 상황이라면 책임감을 가지고 유연하게 대응할 수 있습니다.'

'I value finishing work efficiently within the given time. However, if the team or project truly needs it, I can respond flexibly with a strong sense of responsibility.'

Q10. Why are your grades low?

If this applies to you, it may be a question that is hard to avoid. Rather than making excuses, acknowledge the facts and show what you prepared during that period.

For example, you can explain that although your grades were low, you made up for the gaps through projects, internships, certifications, and practical experience.

🤖 Also prepare for these questions in 2026!

In recent interviews, questions to assess AI usage skills and team fit are also increasing.

In particular, it is a good idea to organize your real experiences in advance for the questions below.

💡 What matters is not that you used AI, but how you used it

The mere fact that you used ChatGPT or another AI tool is not what matters.

In interviews, what matters more is explaining why you used AI → how you used it → how you verified the results → how it helped your actual work.

For example, instead of ending with “I used ChatGPT,” saying something like the following will make your answer much more specific.

시장 조사 초안을 만드는 데 AI를 활용했고, 이후 공식 통계와 기업 자료를 직접 확인해 잘못된 내용을 수정했습니다. 그 결과 조사 시간을 줄이면서도 자료의 정확도를 유지할 수 있었습니다.'

'I used AI to create a first draft for market research, then checked official statistics and company materials myself to correct any inaccuracies. As a result, I was able to reduce the research time while maintaining the accuracy of the materials.'

💙 Prepare for job hunting in Korea with Vijob!

What matters in an interview is not memorizing the perfect answer.

The most important thing is to explain, in your own story, what experiences you have had, what you learned from them, and how you can contribute to the company in the future.

If you are preparing for job hunting in 2026, start organizing your experiences one by one now. 🙌

And if you have any questions about interview preparation, finding a job in Korea, or working life at a company, feel free to leave a comment!

Or post on the Vijob community and ask your question directly. Senior foreigners who first prepared for jobs in Korea and have real company experience can share a variety of information based on their own experiences. 💬

Rather than worrying alone, ask the seniors directly on the Vijob community!