Unit 8: Job Interview

Lead-in
Ask the students to watch the video and pay attention to what an interviewee should say or do
during the interview:
1. What is the required attire?
1 What should the interviewee and interviewers tone be?
2 How to sit in front of the interviewer?
3 How to ask the interviewer questions?

Situational Dialogues
Model Dialogue 1
Johnson: Good morning.
Zheng:
Good morning. Im Zheng Ming. Im coming here for an interview as you requested.
Johnson: I have been expecting you. Im manager of the Human Resources Department. Please
make yourself comfortable. Take a seat.
Zheng:
Thank you. Im pleased to meet you.
Johnson: Now lets start our talk. Would you mind telling me something about yourself and
what you have learned in the university?
Zheng:
Of course not. Im from Jiangsu Province. Im 22. I have been studying in Shanghai
Teachers University and I major in English Secretarial Studies.
Johnson: What subjects have you learned?
Zheng:
I have learned many courses such as office management, business English, public
relations, file-keeping, secretary principles, psychology, computer programming,
accounting and so on.
Johnson: What about your shorthand skills and typing?
Zheng:
I think Im quite good at both. I can type about 70 words per minute, and take
dictation in English at about 100 words per minute.
Johnson: Good. But can you handle office machines?
Zheng:
Yes, I can. I once attended a secretary training course. During the course, I learned
how to operate a telex machine, photocopier, and fax machine. So I can say I am able
to operate almost all office machines.
Johnson: Your qualifications seem to satisfy our needs, but you dont have any working
experience.
Zheng: Thats true. But I dont think experience is a problem. I can try my best to put what I
have learned into practice.

Johnson:
Zheng:
Johnson:
Zheng:
Johnson:
Zheng:
Johnson:
Zheng:

What salary would you hope to get?

Its up to you. You can make your decision after the experience of my capacity.
Well, how about 2,000 yuan a month at the start?
Im quite pleased.
When can you begin to work for our company?
As soon as possible.
Well, Ill let you have our decision in two days. Thank you for coming. Good luck!
Thank you. Im looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Model Dialogue 2
Interviewer: What kind of personality do you think you have?
Applicant: I am quite active and energetic. I approach things enthusiastically and I
dont like
leaving things half done.
Interviewer: Do you think you are introverted or extroverted?
Applicant: I am quite outgoing, I think. I enjoy mixing and doing things with others.
Interviewer: What do you think is the most important thing for you to be happy?
Applicant : I maintain that the most important thing is having good friends. A person can't live
all by himself, I think. A friend in need is a friend indeed. So the more really close
friends I have, the better.
Interviewer: Do you have any people you'd call really close friends?
Applicant: Yes, I'd call several of my former classmates really close friends. We often get
together and talk with each other. Whenever I meet with difficulties, they're always
ready to lend me a hand.
Interviewer: What kind of people do you like to work with?
Applicant: People who are honest, dedicate to their work and have integrity.
Interviewer: What kind of people you find difficult to work with?
Applicant: Slackers and those who violate working procedures and ignoring deadlines.

Useful Words and Expressions

(,)
chairman/chairlady
stockholder
(CEO) Chief Executive Officer
(CFO) Chief Financial Officer
(CMO) Chief Marketing Officer
president
consultant
sales-manager
personnel manager
public relations manager
director

 section chief
Match the words with their definitions.
1.
2. /
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

a. Sales Department
b. Production Department
c. Administration and Management Department
d. Personnel Department
e. Purchasing Department
f. Export/ Import Department
g. Accounting Department
h. Financial Department
i. Branch Office
j. pull one's weight
k. Joint Venture
l. work overtime
m. qualification
n. career development
o. expected salary
p. teamwork spirit
q. meet deadline
r. compensation and benefit

Typical Sentence Patterns

Translate the sentence patterns into Chinese.
1. What is your strongest trait
2. I've come to apply for the office clerk.
3. It is a great pleasure for me to have this opportunity for interview
4. My major subject is Economics and my minor subject is English.
5. Would you tell me the essential qualities a secretary should maintain?
6. Do you do a second job in addition to your full-time job?
7. I'm leaving the present situation just because of expiry of my employment contract.
8. Thank you for your interest in this position. Why do you consider yourself qualified for this
job?
9. I wouldn't call myself introverted though sometimes I'm reserved and enjoy staying all by
myself, often and often I like sharing activities with others.

10. My educational background and professional experience make me qualified for the job.
11. I can start to work whenever it is convenient for you.
12. I like to work with people who are honest, dedicate to their work and have integrity.

Practical Skills
Typical Process of Job-hunting?
Analyzing yourself

Analyze what you have and what you want

Analyzing job advertisements

Preparing job search tool

Interviews

Search information you can learn about job vacancies

Prepare application letter, resume, etc.

Handle job interviews

1. The following tells you how to assess yourself.

The first step of the job-hunting process is self-assessment. It may include identifying what you
want, like your interests, values and career goals as well as what you have, like your skills,
accomplishments, experience, personality and educational background.
What do you want?
An awareness of what you value and what you are interested in will aid you in exploring career
goals and attaining greater satisfaction in your work. The following aspects are things you need to
consider carefully by yourself.
What type of employer or employers do you want to work for? For example, do you
prefer to work in a bank, school, law firm, hospital, factory, retail store, restaurant,
etc.?
What are your values? What factors in life are most important to you? High salary,
high sense of achievement or space of self-development?
What working environment do you prefer? A competitive environment or a cooperative
one?
Whom do you like to work with? With products, machines, people, ideas, figures, or
some kind of combination?
What kind of work do you prefer? Physical work, mental work, or a mix?

What kind of position do you prefer? Secretary, assistant, sales representative, or other
position?
What do you think of the work hours? Regular, predictable hours or a flexible,
unpredictable schedule?
What are your general career goals? What ultimate positions do you like to attain?
Do you have a preference for a particular city, state, region, or country?

What do you have?

What are your skills? What tasks are you most skilled at completing?
What is your educational and training background? You may also include specific
courses that relate to your intended career.
What work experiences do you have and what accomplishments do you gain from
these experiences?
What kind of person are you? Careful or careless? Open or conservative? Ambitious or
preferring routine work? Outgoing or preferring working alone?

In a word, self-assessment can help you determine what you want to do, what you have to offer,
and what career is right for you.
2. The following tells you how to search information from job advertisements.
It is crucial to read and understand recruitment advertisements when you search on the Internet or
newspaper looking for a job. Usually, a recruitment advertisement mainly consists of five parts:
brief introduction of the company, job titles being offered, job responsibilities, qualifications for
application, methods of application, etc.
Company Introduction In order to offer the job seeker a clear idea of the company, most
companies will start their ads with a brief introduction to themselves, e.g. when and where is it
founded? What are the major businesses? How are the employees of the company? What is the
scale of the company and what are the major achievements?
When you read the introduction to a company, you may know more about that organization. The
important information includes what activities the employer carries out, how financially stable the
employer is, etc.
Position and Job Description Identifying job titles of the positions being advertised and job
description is necessary in the ads. Job description is a summary of responsibilities a vacancy
should carry. It is listed in details for the job seekers so that they can understand whether they are
capable for the positions.
Qualification for Application Qualification for application means the requirements needed for
the position, e.g. age, sex, educational background, training, work experience, specialties, skills,
personalities and living areas, etc.

Methods of Application Company usually state clearly in their ads the methods of application.
Special requests would be listed like sending resumes by mails or emails, closing date, details on
how to reply and to whom.
Task Read the following application letter and finish the following note.
Dear Sir:
I would like to apply for the job of summer sales-person, which you advertised in todays
Daily Mail. I have just graduated from Catskill High School with good grades in English and
History. I was editor of the school newspaper. I read a lot in my spare time and last summer I even
worked in the Main Street book-store in my grandparents home town of Putney, Vermont. I was
born in Putney on October 22, 1964, and I have been living at the above address for twelve years.
I am 58 tall and weigh 145 1bs. I was a member of my school swim team, so I am very
strong and healthy.
If you require a letter of reference about my work and ability, please write to Mrs. Nancy
Adams, the manager of the Main Street bookstore in Putney.
Yours truly,
Deborah Johnson

Position needed
Requirements

__________
_____________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Method of application ______________________________________

Role Play
Situation: Suppose you are the Human Resources Manager of the company. An applicant comes
to ask you for information about your company. Be prepared to his or her questions about your
company.
Now you see a job advertisement.

A Fortune 500 company established in March 1996

World's largest manufacturer, seller and distributor of beverages
Operates in the United States, Canada, Spain, Greece and
Russia
Generates nearly $8 billion in annual sales
Join Us!
Were seeking talented candidates
For details please visit www.rj.com

Applicant:

I heard from my friends about your recruitment. Can you tell me some more
information about your company?

Manager:

________________________________________________________________.

Applicant: When was R&J founded?

Manager:

________________________________________________________________.

Applicant: In what geographic areas do you have business operations?

Manager:

________________________________________________________________.

Applicant: What qualifications are needed for a candidate?

Manager:

________________________________________________________________.

Applicant: Which office should I be working with?

Manager:

________________________________________________________________.

Applicant: Where can I get the details of your recruitment?

Manager:

________________________________________________________________.

Applicant: Is it necessary for me to make frequent business trips to different places?

Manager:

________________________________________________________________.

.
.
Applicant: I see. Thank you very much for your attention.
Manager:

________________________________________________________________.

Case Study
Another experience for me. This time, different from other occasions, it is the first time that I
joined a group interview. And it is the first time that I can talk face to face to the manager and get
feed back from him.
Going to GE was not a good sign. I got stuck in an accident and had to take a taxi. On my way
there, I try to reach HR (she called the day before), but the number did not exist. But, luckily I was
on time leaving no time to calm and prepare.
8 of us group together with the only one post-graduate and girl there speaking poor English. The
process was like many of its kind I guess, expect that we discussed in Chinese.
I guess from the beginning, I was doom to be a failure. I did not get much chance to speak up and
when I was speaking, the manager was busy doing other things. For me, that experience is just an
experience not a chance to grab something.
Anyway, experience is for people to learn. The manager discussed with us after the presentation
and which can be a lesson for us:
(1) We were supposed to talk about project, but in the presentation, we nearly mentioned it. And
as I see it, during the group discuss we did not know it clearly.
(2) The interview was supposed to pick up a leader, but none of us volunteer to be the leader.
Though some one volunteered, he did not act like it. One of us said we acted like coordinator,
but this is not they want.

(3) Besides, the time controller did not control the time and note taker (unfortunately it was me)
did not do his job either. (I meant to give my notes to the presenter, he did not take it, so I
gave up.)
(4) do not hesitate if you are wrong, just say it out
(5) You may tell your boss there is a problem, but be sure to do your home work first and bring
alternative solutions to him. You may disagree about your task with your boss, but be sure
that you bring a well- planned solution to him for permission or help.
For myself, I do have to improve myself too.
Task Analyze the case above from a students blog and finish the following note.
Points I Should Improve
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
____________________________
Points Group Members Should Improve
_____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
____________________________
____________________________

Extended Exercise
Translate the following into English.

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________.

Related Information
Task It is very important to practice answering anticipated questions before an interview. Here are

some frequently asked questions with some suggestions on how to answer them. Read them first
and work out your suggested answers in pairs.
1. We all have weaknesses. What are some of your major weaknesses?
Suggested answer:
I would say my greatest weakness has been my lack of proper planning in the past. I would
over commit myself with too many variant tasks, then not be able to fully accomplish each as
I would like. However, since Ive come to recognize that weakness, Ive taken steps to
correct it. For example, I now carry a planning calendar in my pocket so that I can plan for
my appointments and to do items. Here, let me show you how I have this week planned
out.
2. What are your strengths?
Suggested answer: My strengths are interpersonal skills, and I can usually win people over to
my point of view. Also, I have good judgment about people and an intuitive sense of their
talents and their ability to contribute to a given problem. These skills seem to me directly
related to the job. I notice that you require three years working experience for this job.
Although my resume shows Ive only two years experience, it doesnt show that I took two
evening college courses related to my field and have been active in one of the professional
societies. I also try to gain knowledge by reading the industrys trade journals. Im certain that
my combined knowledge and skill level is equivalent to that of other people who do have
three years working experience. Im also currently enrolled in a time-management course; I
can already see the effects of this course at work on my present job.
8. Tell me about your most difficult work or personal experience.
Suggested answer: One time my co-worker went through rehabilitation for six months after a
wreck, and I picked up a lot of additional work to help him out. I know he would have done
the same for me, and its important for me to have that kind of trust along the members of my
work group.
9. Give an example of a time when you were asked to accomplish a task but werent given
enough information. How did you resolve the problem?
Suggested answer: At my last internship, my supervisor, an account executive, asked me to
assemble five hundred press kits for a mailing. I wasnt sure in what order the pages and press
releases should go, but my supervisor had already left for a client meeting. Afraid of putting
the information together in the wrong order, I managed to track down her cell phone number
and called her in her car. She explained the order of the materials over the phone, and in the
end I managed to prevent a mistake that would have cost hours of work and a delay in the
mailingnot to mention a few headaches.
10. How do you manage stress in your daily work?
Suggested answer: I try to get out for lunch at least once a week to clear my head. I also have
a personal rule that stops me from reacting to a problem until I feel calm about it. Ive learned
to think before leap.
11. What personal characteristics add to your effectiveness?
Suggested answer: I always keep in touch with my network. If I see an article that might be
of interest to someone I know, I clip it and send it to that person. Then, when I need help and
make a phone call to that person, the phone call gets returned promptly.

12. Why do you want to work in this industry?

Suggested answer: Ive been fortunate in my own schooling because I had wonderful
teachers. I want to be that kind of teacherwho not only encourages kinds to learn but also
sets an example that inspires others to be a teacher. In the long run, thats our best chance of
turning around the quality of education in this state.
13. Tell me what you know about this company?
Suggested answer: I served as an intern to a restaurant analyst last summer, so I followed all
the steak-house chains closely. What youve done especially well focuses on a limited menu
with great consistency among locations; the business traveler trusts your products anywhere in
China. Im particularly interested in your real estate finance group and expansion plans.