in, at, or on a job interview (2025)

Google has hundreds of thousands of results for all three prepositions ("in/at/on a job interview").

Which sounds the most natural? I've always said "During a job interview" to get around the issue, but I'm tired of running.

PetroniusArbiter said:

Google has hundreds of thousands of results for all three prepositions ("in/at/on a job interview").

Which sounds the most natural? I've always said "During a job interview" to get around the issue, but I'm tired of running.

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Could you put it, or them, in a sentence (or more than one) you've read (or that you'd like to use)? We always ask for context; it's hard to comment otherwise, because answers can vary depending on how a phrase is used.

Hello, Petronius. I think this is one of those rare occasions when you can trust Google. I've heard speakers use all three for decades; I can't come up with any good reason to avoid any of them.

Generally, I prefer "in" and "at". If you can come up with a particular set of circumstances, I could perhaps make a suggestion about which one sounds best to me for that sentence.

We didn't get any examples for context. It's hard for me to think of a circumstance in which "on a job interview" wouldn't sound like a preposition error by a non-native speaker/writer. Prepositions are very idiomatic, it's easy for a non-native to use the wrong one, and as a consequence there are many threads here about preposition use in very specific circumstances.

I would not at all want to encourage PetroniusArbiter to suppose that he or she may place any of "in," "at," or "on" before "a job interview" at random and without regard to context, and sound like someone who has mastered English.

I found 80 hits for "on an interview" in COCA,* which is a reasonably large number for that corpus. Typical examples seem to be governed by the preceding verb:

Every time I go on an interview...
...the article was based on an interview...
...because every time I go on an interview people ask...
...he recently collaborated on an interview with Richard Matheson...

* Corpus of Contemporary American English

I agree with Parla that it really depends on the context, and with Owlman5 that there is no reason to avoid any of them. And like Fabulist I would not recommend choosing in, at, or on at random.

I think more context is in order.

That's fine, but I don't think "on" may be substituted willy-nilly for "at" or "in."

Some examples:

In an interview, President Obama said . . . [Definitely not at, and on does not sound idiomatic to me; during does sound idiomatic to me.]
I was at an interview yesterday, and the applicant made the most extraordinary statement. [I don't think either in or on can be substituted here, and neither can during. owlman, do you or COCA have an alternative to at?]

I also would not substitute "on" for "during," which was the original question. "In" would be the closest substitute; "at" might work, but I think it would depend on the particular circumstances.

Since PetroniusArbiter has not honored us with any particular extended context, besides the brief phrase, "during an interview," I do not think we can tell him when to use "in," "at," or "on" with "interview," except not to substitute "on" for "during."

I can imagine either during or on being used with the meaning "while on an interview":

It is important to speak clearly on an interview.
~= It is important to speak clearly during an interview.

Ilyana said:

Which preposition should I use in this context:
​Yesterday at/on/in a job interview they said that my level of English is intermediate.
I was interviewed for some position, and during the interview they tested my level of English.

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"In a job interview" = when or where the interview took/was taking place.
"At a job interview" = where the interview took place.
"On a job interview" = being interviewed at/in a job interview.

"On" does not fit this context because "they" were not being interviewed: you were.
"At" does not fit because you mean "during the interview" (when the interview was taking place).

So, only "in" fits here. Thank you!

Let's see if I got it right:
On ("in" is possible too) a job interview I was intimidated by my future boss.
In ("on" is not possible) a job interview they asked me whether I'm married.

Ilyana said:

So, only "in" fits here. Thank you!

Let's see if I got it right:
On ("in" is possible too) a job interview I was intimidated by my future boss.
In ("on" is not possible) a job interview they asked me whether I'm married.

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That seems right to me.

The subtitle is "at",

You have ot be at your interview now.

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But the sound like "in".

Hello, I don't want to start a new thread. So, do you think this sentence of mine is right? Thanks.

A/ Cannot you wear fancier clothes at a job interview?
B/ Cannot you wear fancier clothes in a job interview?
C/ both
D/ other

Encolpius said:

Hello, I don't want to start a new thread. So, do you think this sentence of mine is right? Thanks.

A/ Cannot you wear fancier clothes at a job interview?
B/ Cannot you wear fancier clothes in a job interview?
C/ both
D/ other

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You've given no context. But with or without context, the "Cannot you?" is odd, I'm afraid.

at a job interview
in a job interview

for a job interview

But the rest of the sentence is odd.

I agree with heypresto.

Another possibility:
to a job interview.