|
Job Interview
Discussion
1) How would you answer the following interview questions?
1. Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
2. How would you manage working with someone who doesn't like you?
3. How do you motivate people to do their best?
4. What are your weaknesses?
5. Can you give an example of a situation you found stressful, and how you coped with the stress?
Listening
2) Listen to extracts from five job interviews A-E. Which candidate(s):
Audio A
Audio B
Audio C
Audio D
Audio E
1. express the wish to make a long-term commitment?
2. give concrete examples from their experience?
3. ask questions to make sure they answer the interviewer's question?
4. structure the answer in two parts?
5. turn a question about a negative point into an opportunity to emphasize a positive quality?
3) Listen again and complete the useful expressions for answering job interview questions.
| Asking for clarification / reformulating |
I'm sorry, could you expand on what you mean by ...
Do you ____, how do I ...?
|
| Playing for time |
That's a very interesting question. I would say ...
That’s a ____ question to____; let's ____ ____ that ...
|
| Structuring your answer |
I'd like to answer that in two ways: firstly, ... secondly, ...
I think ___ important ____to this
|
| Giving concrete examples |
Let me give you an example of what I mean.
Take... , for ____ .
|
| Validating your answer |
Is that what you wanted to know?
Does that ____ your ____ ?
|
4) The candidates in 2 used these expressions. Put the words in bold in the correct order.
1. I applied what learned I.
2. I'm able being unpopular with to cope.
3. I see myself performing as lop a a employee company in leading.
4. I plan experience to gain new and skills learn.
5. I would be ready more a move to position up with to responsibility.
6. I realized that knowing well you're how motivated essential doing is to staying.
7. I'm aware there that on that areas are can I improve.
8. I don't feel weaknesses I any have that significant.
9. I would say my organization is that one of strengths.
10. I managed on finish to the time project.
5) Read the quotation and mark the interview questions a)-h) as type 1 or type 2 questions.
'The good news is that there are only two interview questions. That is, regardless of what you're asked, the employer really only wants to know:
1. What value can you add to my enterprise as an employee (and can you prove it)?
2. Why do you want this job?'
a) What are your strengths and weaknesses?
b) Why do you want to work for us?
c) What is your greatest achievement?
d) How do you make sure things get done?
e) Why do you want to leave your present job?
f) Tell me about a time when you successfully handled a difficult situation.
g) What sort of environment would you prefer not to work in?
h) What are the most difficult kinds of decisions far you to make?
With a partner, ask and answer the questions using expressions from 3 and 4, inventing any details as necessary.
Roleplay
5) With a partner, roleplay interviews for one of the jobs below.
Interviewer
Interview the candidate for the job they have chosen. Invent further information about the job as necessary. For each of your questions, note whether the answer is satisfactory or not. At the end of the interview, give the candidate feedback on how well they performed.
Candidate
Let the interviewer lead the conversation initially, but try to develop an exchange by asking questions about the job and the organization.
Source: “The Business” by Paul Emmerson
|
