A unit 4 ‘© Preparing for the interview © Making a positive first ‘impression © Dealing effectively with interview questions Talking about yourself Avoiding common mistakes Proving you've done your research © Demonstrating you've got what ittakes WE Preparing for the interview Congratulations! If you have been invited to an interview, you have passed a significant test. Your CV and cover letter have made a strong first impression. You have been selected in front of your rivals, and made it to the short list. Preparation is the key to a successful interview. The other candidates may have similar qualifications, skills and experience. The interview is your opportunity to prove you are the best candidate for the job, Ensuring you are well-prepared will help you to reduce stress, increase your confidence and improve your chances of being offered the job, 1 a In pairs, discuss the following questions, Have you ever been Interviewed for a job in 2. How do you feel about going for an interview? 5. How can you prepare for an interview? glish? How aid it go? b in pairs, discuss the following tips for preparing for an interview. Which ones do you think are more important? Which ones would you do first? © Try to predict the questions you are likely to be asked curing the interview. * Do some research into the company you are applying for a job with. © Find out exactly what the job involves. © Analyse your skills and experience and identify areas where they match the job requirements and the company needs. © Rehearse the interview. © Decide what you're going to wear © Prepare a list of questions to ask at the end of the interview. Unit 4 Successful interviews 47GEE Making a positive first impression Before you arrive You never get a second chance to make a first impression, People start forming their impression of you immediately, locking at the outside and making assumptions about the inside. It is your responsibility to ensure that you send out the right message about who you are, through your physical appearance, your clothes and your body language 2 a Imagine you met somebody new today. After a few minutes talking to you, what might they say about you, for example how successful or wealthy you are, your level of education, or your professionalism? In pairs, discuss what you can do to create a postive first impression with an interviewer. Think about the following points © your appearence © body language © how to break the ice" witn the interviewer © Inpairs, discuss the following interview tips. Write do or don’t next to each tip. 1 Arrive ten minutes early. 2. Speak English with a friend before the interview. 3. Bring a close friend or relative with you for support. 4 Take a copy of your CV and examples of your work with you, 5. Learn some impressive words and phrases to use in the interview. 6 Memorise long answers to questions that you anticipate being asked. d_ D>41 Silvia Carnali has been invited for an interview at the communications agency, Futerra, Before her interview she meets Nina, a human resources manager, for some interview preparation tips. Listen to the conversation and write Nina’s opinion (do/don’t) next to the tips (1-6) in Exercise 2c. Do you agree with Nina? What tips does Nina mention that are not included in the list above? Small talk The outcome of an interview can be decided in the first five minutes, From the moment you arrive for an interview you are being assessed, Even before the interview itself begins you will be communicating a message about who you are, In order to create a positive impression, ic's important that from the moment you arrive what you Say is Clear, confident and enthusiastic, 3° a D2 Listen to extracts from the beginning of Silvia's interview at Futerra and Alex Mencken's interview at a London theatre. Answer the following questions. Why is Mr Lewis late for the interview? What does Silvia read while she’s waiting? What useful information does Silvia get from the receptionist? How does Silvia create a positive first impression with Mr Lewis? What do Alex and Karl chat about before the interview? How does Alex create a positive first impression with Kari? 48 Unit 4 Successful interviewsIn pairs, discuss the following questions. 1 Silvis is very polite to the receptionist. Why is this important? 2. What does Silvia ask the receptionist? How could this help her application? 3. Alex mentions that a friend of his who works at the theatre suggested he applied for the job, Do you think this was a good idea? P42 Match the conversation openings (1-8) to the responses (a~h). Listen to the extracts again and check your answers. 1. Tmafrad Mr Lewis i ina resting at 2 Gri etyovanting wile ou att \| © %o Sankyo Tm i oe highly recommended to me ‘ semvecegenae tage (Margie ee fh That’s okay. I was just admiring the 8 How did you find out about us? = In pairs, practise the small talk in Exercise 3c. Look at the following examples of interview small talk. Match the ‘beginnings (1-10) to the endings (aj), Would you say these to the receptionist (R), the interviewer (I) or both (B)? 1 boyou think cel have got cought inthe vein — 2 Do youve «company boche\ 1 yur le to fashen up? — 3 Ymvery sory Pm late. {¢ a glass of water while Tm waiting? 4 oyou thik cold use 4 Tags pansy ts be hee ever an hour oo $ Tyas jst acing you off, bailey eda wg cede & Arethee nay ther candidates ¢ Teal have a eo while Tn wating? 7 Thad tel problems patting = here ft isieataye tis buy? Trai not fecting very wel, q. Tell lots very modern knew? — 9 The ote somal then T 1 degeunen ney poole nonin bcd wine 10 Tew svewhereTcouldlenve | i Could st down fora few wits? — my unbrela? i Scheded for intersted? Having some small talk helps to build a positive rapport with the Interviewer. In the UK the weather and transport problems are very ‘common and appropriate small talk topics. In pairs, discuss the following questions, 1 What smal! talk topics are commonly discussed in your country? 2. Are there any things you would avoid talking about? In pairs, role play arriving at an interview and making small talk with the receptionist Student A, you are the candidate. Try to get some useful information from the receptionist which you can use later in your interview. Student B, you are the receptionist. ‘Swap roles and practise again. Unit 4 Successful interviews 49,Body language ‘Much of the impact you create at an interview is based on your body fanguage, and getting this right is essential. The way you walk, sit and act may influence your interviewer's opinion of you as much 2s what you actually say. In pairs, discuss the following questions. 1. How could your body language let you down in an interview? 2. How can you avoid these problems? D3 Listen to five people speaking about body language and bad first impressions in interviews. Write the extract number (15) next to the problem it mentions. Then match each problem (ae) to the advice on how to avoid it (A-E). Problem Advice a Trembling voice — ‘Make eye contact, but remember not to stare, A Sweating B Palitely dectine tea or coffee Bod posture Breathe slowly and deeply. Shaking hand Sit up straight and lean farwaed when speaking, E No eye contact Make sure you know in advance how to fird the interview venue. What tips on body language would you give someone being interviewed for a job in your country? Dealing effectively with interview questions Responding to questions at an interview is your opportunity to give evidence of your skills and experience, prove you know what the job entails, and demonstrate that you are the best person for the job. In pairs, discuss the following questions. 1. What questions might you expect to be asked in ary job interview? 2 What advice would you give someboay about dealing with interview questions? Look at the following common interview questions. Write the type of question {ac} next to each question (1-12). ‘@ Questions that require you to talk about yourself, your ambitions, your personality, your hobbies and interests Questions that require you to prove you have researched the job and company you have applied for work with € Questions that require you to demonstrate you have the skills and experience required for the job Can you tell us something about yourself? 2 What experience do you have that is relevant for this position? _ ‘What did you leam during your time at university? What do you see as your strengths? _ ‘What do you think about our website? What attracted you to the position? How would your colleagues describe you? —_ ‘What sorts of projects did you work on in your last position? 9 What university did you attend and why did you choose it? — 10 How do you typically approach new projects? __ 11 What do you know about our company? — 12. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time? Unit 4 Successful interviews @VOnRWN=€ In pairs, try to think of some more questions for each category (2~<). Which questions would you welcome in an interview? Which questions ‘would you not like to be asked? din pairs, take turns to ask and answer the questions in Exercises Sb and Se. Which questions are easiest to answer? Which are the most difficult? @ Di Listen to three extracts from an interview. Which three questions in Exercise Sb is the candidate responding to? £ Dai Listen again and, in pairs, discuss how each answer could be improved. J Match the advice on how to answer questions (1~5) to the practical tips {a-e). What were the specific problems with the three extracts in Exercise Se? 1 Beclearand Ifyou personally did something say‘ athe han we di elicit oe vas Nv Nost lies or exaggerations get clscavered and suggest bad jacgert on your pa 2 Beaudible € Do not essume interviewers know what yeur previous job involved, even if they work in the same organisation, It is alo i Beate impartant not to use jargon or acronyms that the interviewer ‘night not be famiiar with. 4 Dont talk for too long, oF ft away from the point. Be 4 Be trithiul alent to any signs from the imerviewer of boredom, loss of concentration, of signals thst you are talking too much. However, algo ensure that you say encugh, 5 Focus.on action e Answers that can't be heard denorstrate poor interpersonal ‘you have taken and communicative sells. | Look at the first interview extract from Exercise Se. Rewrite the candidate's answer and improve it b © deleting any sections which drift away from the point; ‘# trying to make the remaining sentences more dynamic, Wel, "ve never really thought about it. | suppose I'd lke to be married with kids, perhaps. My sister's got three kids, and they're really great. I'd aso like to be doing a job | enjoy. There's nothing worse than being stuck in a boring job where you have the same routine every day. it'¢ be a job with lots of responsibility, but | suppese not too much. I wouldn't want to get strossed. I Iwas icky enough to get this job, it'd be great, but ! suppose five years is @ long time without a change, s0 I'd try to get o promotion, if could. Lsee myself Acing job | really enjoy, 4 Dus Listen to an improved answer and compare it with your ideas. What techniques did the candidate use in the improved answer? Unit 4 Successful interviews 51J Look at the third interview extract from Evercice 5 Rowrita the candidate's answer and improve le by: trying to make it more action focused — make every sentence focus on what the speaker actualy does or di © adding speciic examples Well, usuaily there needs to be a clear picture of what the aims of the project are. So it's essential to speak to everyone involved before taking any action, In my current job we use project management software to help us keep track of what we have to do and when we have to do it, Of course, it’s important that someone keeps an eye on whether people are actually doing what they're supposed to be doing, and obviously you also need to deal with unexpected situations as they come up The first thing | do is make sue I've got a really cleay pictuve of what | ned be achieve, Let we give you on exawvle . _ kD e4s Listen to an improved answer and compare it with your Ideas. (in pairs, take turns to ack and answer the three questions In Exercise Se HEE Talking about yourself t 2 In all interviews you will be required to talk about ‘ - yourself. The interviewers want to find out whether you're the type of person who would be able to do the job and ‘also whether your personality would fit in with the rest of the company, 6 @ impairs, aiscuss how you would answer the following jet questions. 1 Can you tell us something about yourselt? 2) What did you learn during your time at university? 3 What kinds of things do you worry about? 4 Would you say youre an ambitious person? b 47 Alejandro is a recent Economics graduate, practising for an interview at an international bank. Listen to his answers to the four questions in Exercise 6a. In pairs, discuss what you think of Alejandro’s answers, and suggest ways in which he could improve them. € Das Listen to a recruitment expert, Grace, commenting on each of Alejandro’s answers. Do you agree with her? d_ Pas Listen to the answers Alejandro gives in the real interview. How has he improved his responses? 52 Unit 4 Successful interviews© Dscompiete Alejancro’s improved answers using the correct form of the verbs in the box. Listen again and check your answers. apsly communicate develop gain get (x2) lead make meet motivate put work Interviewer: Can you tell us something about yourselt? Alejandro: Wel, m motivated and 1 (1) 24+ @ lot of effort into everytning I do, whether Im studying at university, at work or even when I'm playing sport. During ‘my ast year at university | was captain ofthe basketball team. | had to organise matches and (2) the players. As captain it was essential that | vas able to 6) effectively and get along with everybody in the team ...and for the first time in years our team managed to reach the regional final. We didn't win, Unfortunately, but (4) the team to the final nas a big achievement for me. Interviewer: What did you learn during your time at university? Alejandro: Oh, lots of things. My Economics degree was very practical, ond there were many elements of the degree that could be (5) to the business world hed a number of challenging assignments, which often had to be completed within a short period of time. This helped me to (6) ‘my priortising stills ‘and ability to (7) to tight deadlines. Interviewer: Hvnat kinds of things do you worry about? Alejandro: | worry about normal things, the same as everybody else, | think. 1 worry about (8) deadlines and (9) everything done on time. | used to worry about data on my computer quite a bit. Now | back up all my data on ‘on external hard drive, so that everything is protected. This way I've got one less thing ta worry about. Interviewer: Would you say you're an ambitious person? Alejandro: Yes, | would say that I'm ambitious. I’m very keen to (10) ajob with a company such as yours where I can (11) full use of my degree and professional experience. 1am a dedicated werker and would hope to (12) internal promotion based on my performance at work, f Underline useful phrases from Alejandro's answers in Exercise 6e which you could use to answer the same questions. For example, put a fot of effort into everuthina | do, whether I'm ... or even when I'm... Plan your own answers to the questions. In pairs, take turns to ask and answer the questions. HB Avoiding common mistakes Whatever job you're applying for, there are some questions that you will nearly always get asked, Preparing for these questions will help you to use them to demonstrate effectively why you are the best candidate for the position. 7 @ In pairs, discuss how you would answer the following questions. Then, take turns to ask and answer them, 1 What do you see as your strengths? 2 What university did you attend, and why did you choose it? 3. What are your weaknesses? 4 What do you tike doing in your spare time? Unit 4 Successful interviews 5354 1b uateListen to two recruitment experts, Grace and Oliver, sharing tips on effective ways to answer these questions. Do you agree with them? What would you change about your own answers to make them more effective? >t Match the advice given by Grace and Oliver (a-h) to the questions (1-4) Exercise 7a. Listen again and check your answers. 2 Use examples from your experience to support your elaims. Don't say that you chose it because it was the closest one to home, € Mention what steps you have taken to tackle this problem. Focus on the educational/academic/professional reasons for your choice. r Don't use tentative language such as‘! feel’ or I think I'm quite good at — Mention anything that demonstrates you working as part of a team or group. Don't say that you have none, Talk about things that are unusual and memorable. D411 Lidia and Rafa are both applying for a marketing position with a magazine based in New Vork. Listen to their answers to the questions in Exercise 7a and decide who is the stronger candidate. D>i1i Complete the following extracts from Lidia's interview. Listen again and ‘check your answers. 1m also able to prioritise my work and work under eeestues if deadtines are moved forward. 2. {id @ lot of __ into universities, both abroad and in Spain. 3 In the end ( decided to yo to the University of Barcelona as it was clear that its Economics department had on excetlent 4 Well, my French is a bit rusty, so {have started evening classes to improve it. 5 [stil play for a local club and love going away with the team tor ‘matches against other clus. 6 I'm alsoa_____ traveller. 7 During the summer Jast year! _____ a month in Africa working with volunteers at a national reserve. Look at the following answer templates based on Lidia's answers. Complete the templates so they are true for you. 1 tam______an¢ apply a__ approach to my work. I believe in ____ This enables me to____ I'm also. able to For example, in my last job implemented a new system for _______. This way we were able to 2. I did a lot of research into __ In the end | decided to as it was clear that its___ had an excellent reputation. 3 Well, | feel that_____. sol have recently started = to improve ______. used to be _.. but Ive started _—________. which has enabled me to 4% Venjoy —_ I'm also a keen During the a = V'm currently In pairs, take turns to ask and answer the questions in Exercise 7a, using the templates in Exercise 7f. Unit 4 Successful interviewsMM Proving you've done your research Successful candidates are the ones who research the job and the company. They are able to walk into an interview confident they have exactly what the company is looking for. Dets2During her interview with Futerra, Sivia Carnall is asked what she knows about the company, and why she wants to work there. Listen to the extract from the interview and answer the following questions 1 What da Sivia do before appying forthe position at Futerra? 2 What attracted Silvia to Futerra? 5 what experience will Sivia be able to use in the job? % What da silvia ike about Futerra’s webste? 5 Would Sita prefer to work for a large or small organisation? D112 complete the following extracts from Sivis's interview using the phrases in the bon. Listen again and check your answers. atracted me to dynamic place to vark fron eveything Te leant reste intrthe market Its dear from look at your website vwel-established reputation 1 Well, before applying for this position | did some veteavc ine the wavket and Futerra came out on top. 2 Thad a—__ and could see that you work with a variety of people Well, its really something that _—— Futerra. The Junior Consultant post combines these two areas at a company with a You came across online as an exciting, ; a your website that Futerra is @ quite a small company | definitely feel, about Futerra, that this is the type of ‘organisation I'd like to work for. sou 13 Listen to the interviewers, Matt and Dan, discussing Silvia's performance in the interview. Do you agree with their comments? When demonstrating that you've researched the company, you should mention positive things that attracted you to the company. Find examples of positive expressions in audioscript 4.12 on page 90. Can you think of any more examples of positive language of your own? Cross out the word in bold that cannot be used to complete each of the following sentences. 1 thad a look at your website. It's really impressive/innovative/chaitenging! eye-catching. 2. Iwanted to work with this company because you have a really strong/ enjoyable/outstanding/excellent reputation, 3. The work you do seems to be very fulfilling/worthwhile/satisfying/first-class. 4 Iwas impressed by your fulfiling/innovative/first-class/best-selling, products. 5. I think working for you would be very enjoyable/challenging/fantastic! fulfilling, Unit 4 Successful interviews 55,56 Think of a company you would lke to work for. Plan your answers to the following questions. In pairs, roleplay the Interview. Student A. you are the Interviewer. Student B, you are the candidate. Swap roles and practise gain ‘© ~What do you know about ______? And why would you like to work: here? © Can tellus why this impressed you? © Can you tell usa bt more about what attracted you to the postion of s ‘© You mentioned that you looked at our website, What did you think of it? © Wouldn't you prefer to work for a____ organisation? EEE Demonstrating you've got what it takes In every interview you will be asked to talk about your transferable skills and experience and how these meet the requirements for the job. @ Dstsusana Cilveti is a recent graduate. Listen to an extract from her interview for a sales assistant position and answer the following questions. 1 What skills does Susana think are necessary for a sales assistant? 2. What was she doing before she moved to England? 3 What evidence does she give of her financial experience? 4 Susana claims to be 2 highiy effective communicator. Do you think she provides enough evidence to support this claim? b DarsListen again and complete the following sentences so they are true for Susana by underlining the correct words in bold. 1 Inmy last ob | was responsible for implementing new strategies / slling ‘souvenirs / negotiating deals, 2 1am used to dealing with customers / managing big budgets / coping with problems 3 can speak ltalian reasonebly well little / fluently 4. This period of employment gave me experience of managing people / networking / organising events, 5. When | was at university | used to be editor of the university magazine (a member of the student council / captain of the volleyball team. 6 {feel | am a well-organised person / highly effective communicator / reliable and efficient employee 7 \ can work well under pressure | well autonomously / best as part of a team. 8 |amable to be firm but fair | delegate effectively / use my initiative to solve problems. € Choose the best ending for each sentence in Exercise 9b so they are true for you. You can invent your own endings. din pairs, take turns to ask and answer the following questions, using your answers in Exercise 9c to help you. 1 What languages can you speak? 2. How would you describe the way you work? 3 What shills did you develop at university / at your last job? Unit 4 Successful interviews@ Duisin ner interview at Futerra, Silvia Carnaii is asked how her skills and experience match the requirements for the position. Listen to the extract and make a note of the skills she mentions, £ DssSilvia uses a range of phrases to organise her answer. Complete her answer using the phrases in the box. Listen again and check your answers. ‘also when eversince finally Firstly Following For example Formy dissertation for three reasons ‘EthinieFrr-sutablefor the postion st Futermr because. Secondly Se Sotosumup That's really when When Eas at years ago Well, (1) | think I'm suitewle for tine position at Futerra because | understand the issues you deal with and am passionate about them. Four (2) _________I joined Greenpeace and have been on active member 8) (4) —_ ____ my BA | found out about an exciting project in Kenya and spent six months there educating local people about the need for reforestation. (5) __I started getting interested in sustainability and (6) — I started learning about differen ‘communicetion strotegies. (7) __ our team found that simply putting up posters didn't really have much of an impact, but going and talking to respected members of the community and getting thom to talk to others was much more effective. (8) —____ university was tne communications officer of the student union and | was responsible for dealing with suppliers and other student organisations, (9) ——___ 've got quite a fot of communication experience. | know you're also looking for someone who's good at research. (10) — for my MA I'm researching how best to communicate reforestation issues, building on my own practical experiences gained in Kenya, a) —__ | think I'm suitable for the position at Futerra 12) ___.. (13) _____, Ive done a lot of communication work. (14) _______., Im a good team worker, and (\5}______, because have a good understanding of the sustainability issues this agency deals with J Underline useful phrases from Silvia’s answer which you could use in an Imterview of your own. For example, (think I'm suitable for the position at because I |h Put the following stages in the same order as Silvia's answer. 1 Talking about your exoerience, providing backeround information for an anecdote 2. Summarising how the various examples have fully answered the question 5 Giving specific details from previous experiences ana showing how these experiences relate to the requirements of the job 4. Expressing enthusiasm for the joo and briefly relating your character to the jod 5. Giving a second example of experience that relates to the job requirements Unit 4 Successful interviews 57,58 Think of a job that you would like to apply for. Pian your answer to the question, ‘How do your shills and experience match the requirements for this position? using the structure in Exercise 9h. Complete the following sentences so they are true for you. 1 [think Pm suitable for the position of because. 2 Following my degree | 5. I started getting interested in 4 When | was at university | = ae 5. Soto sum up, | think I'm suitable for the position at ___for three reasons. Firstly, Secondly, —, and finally —__ Look at the following table and add two more common interview questions. Think of a job you would like to apply for. Prepare your answers to all the questions using words and phrases from this unit. id ees Va Concise ‘Truthtut Action Can you tall us somothing about yourself? What do you see as your strenaths? What do you like doing in your spare time? What do you know about our company? How do your skills and experience match the ‘equirements for this position? In groups of three role play a job interview using the table in Exercise 9k. ‘Student A, you are the interviewer. You should ask a selection of questions from the table in Exercise 9k. Student B, you are the candidate, You should answer the questions honestly, using your notes in Exercise 9k. ‘Student €, you are the observer. You should make notes on the candidate's ansners in the table in Exercise 9k, using v and x symbols. If possible, record the interview, as this will help you to identify your Individual strengths and weaknesses. When you have finished, the observer should give feedback on the candidate's performance. Swap roles and practise again, ‘Unit 4 Successful interviews