Practical and  Easy English

Job Interviews

 
One of the things that people talk about is their jobs. People who have the same or related jobs may have a lot to talk about. They may want to share information, give each other tips about performing well on the job, or complain about the stress and frustrations of the job

When you meet someone new, it is only natural to wonder what line of work they are in. If you are in the same line of work you have a basis for a lengthy conversation. If you are not in the same line of work, you still have the opportunity for a lengthy conversation. You have the opportunity to learn all about their job. Look at the expressions below used when asking about some ones job.

Expression                                                            Response
What line of work are you in?                                I’m in engineering.
What do you do?                                                    I’m a housewife.
What do you do for a living?                                  I’m a civil servant.
What’s your occupation?                                       I’m a lawyer.
How do you earn your bread and butter?             I manage a grocery store.

Of course, before you can talk about your job you have to have one. And before you get a job, you have to experience the ordeal of a job interview (unless you are very, very fortunate and know important people in high places).

Job interviews can be very stressful and nerve wracking. However, if you are prepared for the interview things can go much smoother. One way to prepare is to anticipate the questions that may be asked and develop and practice giving coherent responses. There are several questions that are fairly standard in job interviews. Look at these examples.

Tell me about your past work experience, specifically related to this job?
Tell me about your educational background? (where you went college and your major)
What would you like to be doing in 10 years?
Why did you apply for this job?
What kind of computer experience do you have? (kinds of programs you can use, how long you have been using them, and in what capacity)?
Why do you think you would be good at this job?
Why should we hire you?
What do you like to do when you are not working?

Dialogue- Job Interview

Interviewer: Good afternoon, please have a seat.
Interviewee:Thank you.
Interviewer: How are you doing today? Did you have any trouble finding the office?
Interviewee: I’m fine thank you, and I had no trouble at all getting here.
Interviewer: Great. Well let’s get started. Could you tell me a little about your educational background?
Interviewee: Yes, I graduated from UCLA in 1995, with a Bachelors degree in journalism. NYU’s master’s
    program for journalism, graduating in 1998.
Interviewer: I see. Now, how about your work experience?
Interviewee: After I left NYU, I worked for a year at the Cincinnati Daily.
Interviewer: And after that?
Interviewee : From there I moved to San Francisco and was employed by the Bay Area Chronicle, covering
     state politics.
Interviewer: What was the biggest story you covered while you were there?
Interviewee: I covered several that I thought were important, but I would have to say the investigative piece
    I did on the cover-up of the governor’s staff involvement in the embezzlement of education funds
    was the biggest.
Interviewer: How did you like it at the Chronicle?
Interviewee: Overall, I liked it a lot. The people were great and my boss was supportive and understanding.
    However, I was a little disappointed with the editor. He was a bit too liberal for my thinking, and I had to
    adjust my pieces accordingly, or they wouldn’t be approved for publication.
Interviewer: Did that create unmanageable problems?
Interviewee: It created more than a few lively discussions that could have ended better for both sides, but
    nothing unmanageable. We were generally able to resolve our conflicts through compromise.
Interviewer: According to you resume, you left there three months ago. What have you been doing since
     then?
Interviewee: Mainly taking care of our baby, she just turned three months old. But now I’m ready to go
    back to work.
Intervewer: What brought you to Denver?
Interviewee: My husband’s company transferred him here last month.
Interviewer: One final question. Why did you apply here? Denver has three daily newspapers to
    choose from.
Interviewee: I felt that this paper is better suited for my conservative thinking, my unique writing style, and
    areas of interest when covering political news.
Interviewer: Well, thank you for your time. We’ll be making a selection in a couple of days and will call you
    one way or the other.
Interviewee: Thank you for seeing me. Have a pleasant day.

Conversation Activities- Job Interviews

1. Pair work- discussion
     Do you have a job? Tell your partner about it using some of the ideas for discussion below. Your partner
     should ask questions to get more information.

Where do you work
What is the job title
How long have you worked there
Do you like the job- why or why not
What other job would you like

2. Pair work- discussion
     When was the last time you interviewed for a job? Tell your partner about it using some of the ideas for
    discussion below. Your partner should ask questions to get more information.

Where did you interview
What was the job for
How long was the interview
How many people interviewed you
Were you prepared
Did you get the job

3. Pair work- Role Play