Jobs interview conversation practice
1. Tell me about yourself
After greeting, shaking hands and introducing yourself, the next thing that
interviewers are probably going to ask you to do is to talk about yourself.
Now, this might seem easy for you – you’ve practiced it in your English class
so much, but they don’t want to hear every single detail. Avoid saying
something like: I was born in Beijing. I love playing the computer and surfing
the net. or I have two sisters. They don’t want to know everything about you.
They want to know about you and your career growth; they want to know
about you related to the job you’re applying for.
For example:
I’ve been working as a junior chef at a small Italian restaurant for 2 years and
my duties included assisting the head chef and preparing salads. I have
always been interested in food and cooking which was why I chose to follow
this career path. I studied at ******* college, where I gained my first level
cooking diploma.
2. What are your strengths?
When your interviewer asks you this question, they want to know all your
positive qualities. These positive qualities need to relate to what they want
and are looking for.
So before you head into your interview, make sure you do your research as to
what kind of person suits this job, especially if you’re a newbie (new) and
entering the workforce for the first time. Treat this question as a chance to
advertise yourself – you are the product, now market yourself. The thing to
remember here is not to just list a number of adjectives (anyone can do this).
Instead, use examples to support your point.
For example, you could 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 (time when you must finish something
by) and I made sure that I was organized and adhered to (respected) all my
jobs.
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 myself
goals 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 be get anywhere in life, you need this
quality.
To be proactive – To do things and make them happen. 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:
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?
3. 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 and they also want to know how self-aware (how much
you know about yourself) you are.
Another trick here is to turn those weaker qualities into positive qualities. For
example, your weakness is that you spend too much time on projects which
makes you work slower. Turn that into a positive by saying: I sometimes am
slower in completing my tasks compared to others because I really want to
get things right. I will double or sometimes triple-check documents and files to
make sure everything is accurate (correct).
Another great trick is to talk about a weakness (like being disorganized) and
mention some methods that you are using to help overcome this: e.g. I have
created a time-management system, which allows me to list all my duties
and organize my deadlines so I have a clearer idea of what I need to do.
4. 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? (Resign – Did you choose to stop working?) Or were you laid off?
(Made redundant – no longer needed because the job is no longer available?)
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.
5. 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.
Your: Degrees – 3-4 year qualification from university/college.
Diploma – A short-term qualification (e.g. 1 year) from college/university/polytechnic.
Certificate – A piece of paper showing your participation in a course. NB: 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.
6. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Here, they are 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…I would have liked to…
Improved my skills
Created more of a name for myself in the industry (become more known for what you
do).
Become more independent in what I do and productive (doing more).
Enhanced (improved) my knowledge.
Achieved a higher position.
Become a team leader…
7. What kind of salary do you expect?
Here, they are 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. Do
not 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.
8. Do you have any questions for me/us?
Yes, you do! This is how an interviewer will usually finish the interview. They are 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 (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? Here, this is a way of asking what is 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.
Job interviews don’t have to be scary. Remember first impressions count, think before you
speak, and show your great English skills and give awesome answers to win that job. Good luck!
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Conversation about a job interview
What's the conversation about?
Lintel is a computer chip manufacturing company that currently has a job opening in its
Finance department. John Miller is the first applicant to be interviewed this morning by
Lintel’s Finance Manager Mike Gates.
Job interview conversation
Mike: Good Morning, John. I am Mike
John: Good Morning.
Mike: How are you doing?
John: I am doing fine. Thank you.
Mike: How was the traffic coming over here?
John: I am so glad that the traffic was light this morning. No traffic jam and no
accidents.
Mike: That is good. John, let’s start the interview. Are you ready?
John: Yes, I am.
Mike: First of all, let me properly introduce myself. I am the Finance Department
Manager. As you know there is an open position in my department, and I need to fill this
position as soon as possible.
John: Please, tell me a little bit about the position.
Mike: It is an entry-level position. The new employee will have to work closely with the
Accounting department. He will also have to deal with the bank on a daily basis.
John: What type of qualifications do you require?
Mike: I require a four-year college degree in Finance. Some working experience would
be helpful.
John: What kind of experience are you looking for?
Mike: Doing office work is good. However, since this is an entry-level position, I do not
require a lot of experience. I am willing to train the new person.
John: That is great!
Mike: John, tell me a little bit about yourself.
John: I was a student at West Coast University, and I just graduated with a Bachelor
degree in
Finance. I have been working part-time as a payroll clerk for the last two years.
Mike: What are you looking for in a job?
John: The job should help me see what Finance is all about. I have learned a lot of
Finance theories at school, and now it is time for me to put them into practice.
Mike: Anything else?
John: I also hope that it will help me grow in my field.
Mike: What are your strengths? Why should I hire you?
John: I am a hard-working person and a fast learner. I am very eager to learn, and I get
along fine with people.
Mike: OK. Now, let me ask you a few quick questions. You do not mind working long
hours, do you?
John: No, I do not.
Mike: Can you handle pressure?
John: Yes, I can. When I was going to school, I took quite a few courses each semester
while working at least twenty hours every week. And, I handled that situation very well.
Mike: Do you still have any questions for me?
John: No, I think I have a pretty good understanding of the job. I believe that I can
handle it with ease, and I hope to have the opportunity to work for you.
Mike: John, nice meeting you. Thank you for coming.
John: Nice meeting you too. Thank you for seeing me.
Expressions used in the conversation
I am so glad
Let’s start the interview
First of all:
As soon as possible
Entry-level position
On a daily basis
I am willing to
That is great!
Work part-time
What are you looking for in a job?
Put into practice
Hard-working person
Fast learner
I get along fine with everybody
I do not mind
Work long hours
I can handle the situation
Have an opportunity
Nice meeting you
