Interview: Future Plans & Careers
Four questions, one theme. For each: hear the question, answer in ~45 seconds using the recorder below, then compare with the model and run the checklist.
Question 1
Some people choose a career mainly for the salary, while others choose work they love. Which approach do you think is wiser?
Useful phrases: Wiser in the long run · Although salary can't be ignored · Passion is what sustains...
Model answer — open AFTER recording yourself
I believe choosing work you genuinely enjoy is wiser in the long run, although salary can't be ignored. A career lasts decades, and doing something you hate every day slowly destroys motivation and health. Interestingly, people who love their work often end up earning more anyway, because they keep improving. Money matters for security, of course, but passion is what sustains a whole working life.
Question 2
Tell me about a goal you set for yourself and how you worked toward it.
Useful phrases: One goal I set was... · I broke the goal into daily pieces · The goal felt earned
Model answer — open AFTER recording yourself
One goal I set was to improve my English enough to study abroad. I gave myself one year and broke the goal into daily pieces: thirty minutes of listening, ten new words, and one short speaking practice. Some weeks I failed, honestly, but I never let a bad week become a bad month. By the end of the year, my test score had improved dramatically, and the goal felt earned.
Question 3
Why do many young people today expect to change careers several times during their lives?
Useful phrases: The main reason is that... · Within a single decade · No longer a failure
Model answer — open AFTER recording yourself
The main reason is that the economy itself keeps changing. Technology eliminates some jobs and creates entirely new ones within a single decade, so a skill learned at twenty may be outdated at forty. Also, people live and work longer than before, and one career may not satisfy fifty years of life. Changing careers is no longer a failure; it's becoming a normal response to a changing world.
Question 4
Would you rather work for a large company or run your own small business one day? Why?
Useful phrases: I'd rather..., even though it's riskier · Being my own boss would... · So my plan is to...
Model answer — open AFTER recording yourself
In the future, I'd rather run my own small business, even though it's riskier. Being my own boss would let me make decisions quickly and build something that reflects my own values. A large company offers stability and training, which is valuable early in a career. So my plan is to gain experience in a company first, then use that knowledge to start something of my own.
Record your answer, play it back, and compare it with the model. Recordings stay in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Self-evaluation checklist (after each recording)
This checklist is a self-study tool. It is NOT an official TOEFL score and no browser tool can give one — use it to find the one thing to fix next time.