Intermediate Level Conversations- Series 1- Lesson 5
Landing that dream job can be a little nerve-wracking, but don’t worry, a job interview doesn’t have to be scary! It’s just a chance for you to show off your awesome skills and personality. In this article, we’ll dive into the top questions you might face, and give you some killer phrases to impress those interviewers. Let’s get ready to smash those job interviews!
Previous Conversation Lesson
Conversation Questions about Future
English Lesson about Job Interviews
Here’s a quick overview of things to keep in mind during a job interview, along with some tips on what *not* to do.
Interesting Vocabulary
- Opportunity: A chance to do something you’ve been wanting to do.
“I had the opportunity to travel to Japan for my new job.”
- Applicants: People who applied for a job.
“There were hundreds of applicants for the position.”
- Qualified: Having the skills and experience to do a particular job.
“My friend is a qualified accountant.”
The Best Questions And Answers For Job Interviews
It’s super important to prepare for those classic interview questions! Don’t stress, it’s a normal part of the process. Think of it as a chance to “brag” about your awesomeness and make a great first impression!
- Greetings and Introductions:
Always start with a friendly greeting:”Hello” or “Good morning” is always a good choice. You can even try “How are you doing today?”
Be honest when asked how you are: Show your personality! For example, you could say “I’m great! I’m really excited to be here.” Or, “I’m a little nervous, but I’m really excited about this opportunity.”
- “Tell Me About Yourself”:
After the greetings, you’ll probably be asked to talk about yourself. Don’t worry, it’s not a time to share your whole life story! They want to know about you in relation to the job.
What not to say:
“I was born in… I like to play video games…”
What to say:
“I’ve been working as a web developer for the past 3 years. I have a passion for user experience and creating websites that are both visually appealing and easy to navigate. I’m really interested in working with your company because of your innovative approach to…”
- “What Are Your Strengths?”
Interviewers want to know what makes you an awesome employee! Before you go into the interview, research the company and the job description to see what they’re looking for.
How to answer:
Don’t just list adjectives: Be specific! Use examples to showcase your skills.
Tie your strengths to the job: Show how they benefit the company.
Example:
“I’m a strong communicator and a team player. In my previous role, I led a team of developers to create a new website. My communication skills were vital in ensuring everyone understood their roles and worked effectively together. The website was a huge success, and it led to a significant increase in online sales.”
You could also answer with any of the following:
- To be punctual (to be on time)
I’m a punctual person. I always arrive early and complete my work on time. My previous job had a lot of deadlines and I made sure that I was organized and adhered to all my jobs.
A deadline is the time when you must finish something by and to adhere to means to respect something.
- To be a team player (to work well with others)
I consider myself to be a team player. I like to work with other people and I find that it’s much easier to achieve something when everyone works together and communicates well.
- To be ambitious (to have goals)
I’m ambitious. I have always set goals for myself and it motivates me to work hard. I have achieved my goals so far with my training, education and work experience and now I am looking for ways to improve myself and grow.
- To take initiative (to do something without having to be told to do it)
When I work, I always take initiative. If I see something that needs doing, I don’t wait for instruction, I do it. I believe that to get anywhere in life, you need this quality.
- To be proactive (to take action to prevent problems or grab opportunities)
I’m proactive. When I think about things, I do them. I like to see results and it’s important in this industry to be proactive and responsible for your own actions.
- To keep your cool (To stay calm in all kinds of situations)
I think it’s really important to be able to stay calm when you’re working as a reporter. It can get really stressful, but one of my greatest qualities is that I can keep my cool and I don’t allow the pressure to get to me, which helps me achieve all my goals and remain focused.
Here are a number of other words that can help you answer this question:
Word or Phrase Meaning
- Focused (Adj) To concentrate well
- Confident (Adj) Not shy
- Problem solver (N) Someone who can find answers to problems easily
- Team building skills (N) The ability to take the lead and be the leader of the group
- Negotiate (V) To work to get a better deal that is favorable to you
- To have a good work ethic (V) To work hard, follow the rules and respect your duties of the job
Remember: It’s really important that you give good, solid answers and back them up with evidence. Otherwise, it’s just going to sound like you’ve memorized what you’re saying.
Some companies won’t directly ask you what your strengths are. They could ask the same thing, but using different words, such as:
Why do you think we should hire you?
Why do you think you’re the best person for this job?
What can you offer us?
What makes you a good fit for our company?
Watching sample interview videos is a great way to get comfortable with the process and get an idea of the type of questions to expect.
- What are your weaknesses?
What? I don’t have any weaknesses! Of course you do—no one’s perfect.
Everyone has weaknesses, but what they’re checking for here is how you try to fix your weaknesses. They also want to know how self-aware you are (how much you know about yourself).
Interviewers can ask you about your weaknesses in different ways, such as:
What would you say is your greatest weakness?
What would your coworkers say they dislike about working with you?
What would your former boss say your biggest opportunities are?
The word opportunities means that you need to improve in these areas. You have the opportunity to get better. This is not a typical use of the word, but it’s a business term you should know.
A trick here is to turn those weaker qualities into positive qualities. Always begin with frequency. Your weaknesses occur “sometimes,” “occasionally” or “at times.” You should use these words to show that your weaknesses aren’t happening and causing problems all the time. This lessens the severity (harshness, impact, seriousness) of your weakness.
Example 1:
Weakness: “I can sometimes be too detail-oriented, which can slow me down on projects.”
Positive Spin: “I’m very focused on accuracy. I take the time to double-check everything, which ensures the final product is perfect. I’m working on improving my time management skills to make sure I can deliver quality work efficiently.”
Another great trick is to talk about a weakness (like being disorganized) and mention some methods that you’re using to help overcome this:
Example 2:
Weakness: “I used to struggle with public speaking, but I’ve been working on improving it.”
Positive Spin: “I’m always striving to be a better communicator. I recently joined a public speaking group to gain more confidence in presenting my ideas. I’m also actively seeking opportunities to speak in front of others.
- Why did you leave your last job?
If you’re applying for your first job, this question is not for you. However, if you’ve worked before, the interviewer wants to find out why you left your old job.
Did you leave because you were fired (your old boss asked you to leave for doing something wrong)? Did you quit or resign (choose to stop working)? Or were you laid off (dismissed from the job) because you were made redundant (no longer needed)?
If you chose to leave your old job, avoid saying anything negative about your old workplace or boss (even if this is true). The person or people interviewing you will just look at you in a negative way. You can say the following:
I’m looking for new challenges.
I feel I wasn’t able to show my talents.
I’m looking for a job that suits my qualifications.
I’m looking for a job where I can grow with the company.
- What were your responsibilities in your previous position?
Your interviewers will want to hear what you’ve actually done in the past. This is the most accurate way to understand what you can do in the future.
Possible interview question:
What were your responsibilities in your previous position? How did you tackle them?
Your previous position refers to your most recent work experience (or the job you held before the interview). Your responsibilities (also called job tasks or duties) were the kind of work you needed to do there.
Tackling your responsibilities refers to how you did your job. How did you manage your work? How did you handle daily tasks?
Possible answer:
“I was a social media manager, responsible for creating engaging content, managing our community, and analyzing our engagement metrics.I used a content calendar to plan posts, interacted with followers to build community, and used analytics to track our performance. We increased our follower base by 20% in just 6 months!”
Not every question is so straightforward. Interviewers want to surprise you. They want to make you think and see if you’re good at solving problems. Other questions about your past might ask about your feelings. They might want to know when you felt the most proud or most disappointed at work.
Sample question:
When were you most disappointed at work? How did you feel? What did you do?
A good way to answer this question is to use this common formula: PAR. P for problem, A for action, R for result.
What was the problem?
A major project deadline was pushed up unexpectedly, and we had limited resources. It felt overwhelming.
Common problems or challenges are: working within tight deadlines (very limited time to complete work) and working with limited resources (the resources might be time, money and/or staff).
What was the action?
I quickly prioritized tasks, communicated with team members to delegate effectively, and worked overtime to meet the deadline.
What was the result?
We successfully delivered the project on time, even with the tighter timeframe. It taught me the importance of clear communication and efficient resource allocation.
PAR takes a negative situation, when you were most disappointed, and turns it into a challenge that you conquered (mastered). This shows that you can solve problems and be successful with responsibilities.
- Tell us about your education
Here they want to know everything you’ve studied related to the job. For example, your training and further education (e.g. university, polytechnic, college). You don’t need to tell them everything you’ve done since elementary school, just the important things.
You’ll want to tell them about any of the following if you have them:
Degrees: 3-4 year qualification from university/college
Diploma: A short-term qualification (e.g. 1 year) from a college/university/polytechnic
Certificate: A piece of paper showing your participation in a course
Make sure you take all the necessary documents with you, as they may need proof!
If they ask you the question: tell us about your scholastic record, they want to know what kind of grades you received.
- Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Here, they’re asking about your goals. Again, it’s related to your career, not your personal life. So if having a family is on the list, don’t mention it.
Be careful what you say here. You need to be ambitious, but not too ambitious as those interviewing you may see you as a threat (competition).
You can mention: By then I will have… or I would like to have…
improved my skills.
created more of a name for myself in the industry (become more known for what you do).
become more productive and independent in what I do.
enhanced my knowledge. (To enhance means to improve.)
achieved a higher position.
become a team leader.
- What kind of salary do you expect?
Here, they’re asking you about how much money you would expect to earn from the job. Be reasonable. Make sure you do your research on the internet about what the average salary is.
Don’t say “I don’t know”—it makes you sound unsure. Be confident and name your price without selling yourself too short (going for less) or going too high.
The truth of the matter is, they already have a salary in mind, but this is their way of checking if you know the industry and if you’re aware of your own skills.
- Answering tough questions
As stated, interviewers want to surprise you. They want to see how you think. They want to know that you can solve problems, especially in stressful situations (such as an interview).
Lately, top companies are asking seemingly impossible questions such as “How many windows are there in Manhattan?” or “How many oranges are there in California?”
- Step 1: Think out loud.
- Step 2: Make a few assumptions and guesses.
- Step 3: Answer.
Take for instance the first question:
How many people are in the world?
- Step 1: Think out loud.
Okay, let’s start by thinking about the population of a city like New York…maybe about 8 million people.
- Step 2: Make a few assumptions and guesses.
And there are many major cities around the world, so let’s say there are 100 cities similar to New York. That would be 8 million x 100 = 800 million people. But of course, there are also many smaller towns and villages, so the number would be much higher than that.
- Step 3: Answer.
I’d estimate that there are probably somewhere between 800 million and 8 billion people in the world.
Your assumptions are almost guaranteed to be wrong. That’s okay. That’s also why we have step 1. Tell your interviewer what you’re thinking about. Let them hear your assumptions. This way your interviewer can see that you’re intelligent, thoughtful and can solve problems.
Refer to this Forbes or The New York Times article for perfect examples of how to answer these questions and more.
- Do you have any questions for me/us?
Yes, you do! This is how an interviewer will usually finish the interview. They’re not just being polite—they want you to speak.
Remember, they’re still judging you as you answer this question. So don’t ask anything that will make you sound silly, such as what kind of work does your company do? Or how much vacation time do I get each year?
You want to find out more, and if you don’t ask any questions, then they may view this as you being not very interested in the job. Ask questions like:
Do you have any examples of projects that I would be working on if I were to be offered the job? This shows that you’re interested in the actual job and not just being employed.
What is the typical day for this position? (Position is another word for job.) Find out what kind of duties are involved and what kind of things you would be expected to do on a day-to-day basis.
Does the company offer in-house training to staff? This shows your interest in not only getting the job, but also wanting to improve and grow.
What is the next step? This is a way of asking what’s next in the interview process. They will tell you how many days it will take to make their decision and will inform you if you need to come back for a second interview.
As Jon Youshaei, a contributor at Forbes, says that you should use this time to ask questions and share something about yourself. I love this example he provides:
- Weak question: “Will this job provide opportunities to work in foreign countries?”
- Strong question: “I’m passionate about languages and I studied Arabic in college. Will this job give me opportunities to work with markets in the Middle East?”
Rather than simply asking a question, you’re also sharing your interests and strengths at the same time.
How to Act Confident in an Interview
Using English as a second language can be terrifying, particularly in an interview.
Why? An interview is about more than language.
You need to know English well, yes. But you also need to use good body language. Act confident. Sure, you may be less confident in business English than in your native language. However, your ability to laugh about mistakes is positive. If you become nervous about making mistakes, then this will be more negative.
You’ll also feel more confident if you research the company and research the industry.
Applying for a finance position at Bank of America? Learn about the bank. Then learn about the current state of the financial industry in America and internationally.
You can easily learn about the company with the following resources:
- Financial statements — Formal reports of a company’s finances.
- Press releases — Official statements that share the latest news affecting the company.
- Earnings calls — Public calls discussing finances within a specific period.
Your interviewer might ask you specific questions about the company. Researching the above information will help you answer these questions. Those are a few good ways to boost your confidence for your interview.
Here are some other questions you might be asked:
- What is your greatest weakness?
- Do you have any questions?
- Can you tell me about yourself?
- What do you know about our organization? Explain.
- Why do you want to work for us? Explain.
- What can you do for us that someone else can’t? Explain.
- What do you find most attractive about this position? Explain.
- Why should we hire you? Explain.
- What do you look for in a job? Explain.
- Please give me your definition of the position for which you are being interviewed.
- Your resume suggests that you may be over-qualified or too experienced for this position. What’s your opinion?
- Have you ever had to fire people?
- What were the reasons?
- Why are you leaving (did you leave) your present (last) job?
- In your current (last) position, what features do (did) you like the most? The least?
- What are your long-range goals? Explain.
- What would you like to do in the future? Explain.
- What do you do in your free time? Explain.
- How well do you work with people? Explain.
- What is a good working environment for you? Explain.
- How successful have you been so far? Explain.
Useful Phrases to Smash Your Job Interviews in English
Here’s a list of phrases you can use to show your personality and skills:
- Talking about your PERSONALITY
Hard-working, Honest, Proactive, Dependable, Resilient, Persistent, Resourceful
- Talking about your STRENGTHS
Organized, Teamwork, Energetic, Problem-Solver, Critical Thinker, Analytical Skills, Dedicated, Patient, Determined, Leadership Skills
- Talking about your WEAKNESSES
Being unfamiliar with …
People pleaser
Too critical of myself
Too detail-focused
Procrastinate, Lack Confidence, Multitasker, Impatient, Lack Experience, Perfectionist, Disorganized, Competitive
- Talking about your EXPERIENCE
I studied at …
I have a master’s degree in …
I completed a course on …
I graduated from … in …
I worked as a / an … for …
I have … years’ experience in …
- Talking about your FUTURE
I would be a perfect candidate for this job because …
I believe that I can grow both personally and professionally at your company because…
I believe your company plays a big part in this industry.
I trust that I could be an asset in your company because …
I’m thrilled about this opportunity because …
I always look for ways to develop my skills and I trust that I would be able to do so at your company.
The reason I would like to work here is …
I will be delighted to work for your company because …
The things that I can contribute to your company are…
Conclusion
Remember, preparing for a job interview is like practicing for a play – you want to be ready for anything! With a little planning and a positive attitude, you’ll be able to showcase your talent and land that incredible job. Good luck! And remember, keep those smiles bright and your confidence high!
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