Long Listening · Section 5

Job Interviews

This is an extremely important topic because usually, in order to get a job,

Level: A2 · 67 sentences

Transcript

1. This is an extremely important topic
2. because usually, in order to get a job,
3. you need to pass a job interview.
4. Many people get nervous when they have to interview for a job
5. because it can be intimidating or even scary.
6. So why don't we discuss some of the different elements of job interviews
7. And maybe I can give you some tips
8. that might help you with future interviews.
9. First of all, let's talk about the different types of job interviews.
10. For example, there are one-on-one interviews and there are group interviews.
11. Most interviews are typically conducted one-on-one,
12. but I've actually had one or two group interviews before.
13. Also, there are phone interviews, video interviews, and in-person interviews.
14. And there are general interviews, behavioral interviews, and technical interviews.
15. The type of questions you're asked
16. can be really different depending on the type of interview,
17. and the feel of the interview can also be really different.
18. So, for example, Preparing for a behavioral interview
19. is different than preparing for a technical interview.
20. You might be able to answer all the technical questions well,
21. but maybe you don't know how
22. to answer questions about your personality or your attributes.
23. I help many English learners prepare for job interviews in English,
24. and usually it's hard for them to answer general and behavioral questions.
25. They can answer technical questions easily, but not the more general ones.
26. So, let me teach you a good structure
27. that you can use to answer general questions during interviews.
28. Remember though that I'm not an expert.
29. This is just my opinion, okay?
30. So for general questions in job interviews with American employers,
31. you can structure your answer like this.
32. First, restate the question. Next, introduce your main points.
33. Then, explain each point in detail.
34. And lastly, restate the question again.
35. Let me give you a clear example of this.
36. Let's say they ask you the question, why should we hire you?
37. Here's how you can answer using the structure I showed you.
38. First, restate the question. You should hire me because blah blah blah.
39. Then, introduce your main points.
40. You should hire me because I'm a responsible worker
41. and because I'm a creative problem solver.
42. Next, Explain each point in detail.
43. Explain how you're a responsible worker and give evidence for that.
44. And explain how you're a creative problem solver and give evidence for that.
45. And lastly, restate the question again.
46. So, this is why you should hire me.
47. This structure might seem simple, but it's effective.
48. If you follow this structure when answering general questions,
49. you'll sound more prepared and more professional.
50. Of course, if they ask you other types of questions,
51. the structure will be different.
52. For example, if they ask you a behavioral question like,
53. tell me about a time when you overcame a difficult challenge,
54. you should use the STAR method to answer these types of questions.
55. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result.
56. So first, you explain the situation
57. and give the context regarding the difficult challenge you faced.
58. Then you describe the task, what your responsibility was in that situation.
59. Next, you talk about your actions,
60. what you did to overcome the difficulty.
61. And lastly, you talk about the result, the outcome of your actions.
62. This formula is a great way to answer behavioral questions.
63. And my last advice for you regarding job interviews is to be confident.
64. Believe in yourself and in your skills.
65. And if the job interview is in English,
66. Make sure you prepare and memorize some set phrases
67. that you know you're going to use. Good luck! Alright,