Sit.
Job interviews can be a nerve wracking experience for both native and non-native speakers alike.
But it's especially challenging if you're being interviewed in a foreign language. However if
you prepare and anticipate the different scenarios that you'll likely encounter during an interview
and you make sure to practice the necessary language skills you'll need for the occasion
your chances of succeeding will increase significantly. Trust me I've conducted over 100
interviews at this point for Real Life English so I know what can make or break an interview.
So in this lesson I'll share with you tips and strategies that you can use to pass your next
job interview in English with flying colors. So watch until the end if you want to learn the most
common questions to expect in an interview, how to answer them authentically and confidently, what
not to do in a job interview and finally useful vocabulary and of course true to our style you
will have a stress-free learning experience with real authentic English from movies and tv series.
Some of these clips are sure to make you laugh, I mean you don't want to be like this guy
All right so let's get started but just a quick reminder first every week here on Learning with
TV Series we help you to understand fast speaking natives without getting lost,
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Alright so let's start out by looking at some tips that will help you get ready for that important
job interview focus on technique not just vocabulary an important thing to keep in mind is
that when it comes to interviews in english it's not just about knowing the right vocabulary to use
technique is equally important for example when asked the typical "can you tell me a
little bit about yourself" you might know all the necessary words to answer that question
but you need to be able to provide a satisfactory and honest answer by structuring your response in
the correct way which we'll look at today. Research and prepare for common questions
as I said earlier it's important to anticipate the different situations that you'll encounter in the
interview. So begin by predicting the possible questions you'll be asked
and think of what your answers will be. A Google search will bring up many articles written on the
subject. So depending on how much time you have you can really prepare yourself for anything.
Practice with a mock interview you could even conduct a mock interview which means that
you can ask someone to do a fake interview with you so you're better prepared for it.
Seize every opportunity to practice. Another tip can be to accept any and all interviews for jobs
even if you are not interested in it and see it as an opportunity to practice
and receive feedback. If you do it right you'll be able to head into the interview feeling relaxed
and confident and that will definitely increase your chances of landing the job.
All right so in the rest of the lesson we're going to prepare for some of the most
common interview questions that you can expect. We will look at what you should do
and what you should not do. Let's play a little game. We'll show you an answer
and then some questions and you'll have a few seconds to match that answer to the question.
Now at a job interview you'll almost always be asked about your background
previous experience, your accomplishments, your weaknesses,
etc. You want to make sure that you make a good first impression.
Keep in mind that there is no perfect answer to interview questions. The interview process really
is about sharing your story and experience with the representative of the company.
Interviewers usually have a lot of experience and can see right through dishonesty. And this is why
it is so important to practice so you can actually help them to get to know you and show that you
really are the best person for the position. Now even if you don't encounter these exact questions
in an interview, preparing for them will help you answer most questions that you could be asked.
So let's start with one of the most classic questions
The key to nailing this question is speaking briefly and relevantly to the job. You don't
want to give a 10-minute summary of your life. So focus on things related to the work and especially
your career objectives. In this clip she actually does a good job of structuring her answer,
but she needs to focus on the positive parts of her previous experience.
Never offer negative information. Instead sell yourself using positive words or what's known as
power phrases. A players know what their objectives are and can communicate them
clearly. So to show that you are an A player in your answer you could say things that
highlight your ability to: show initiative Solve problems, control or manage a budget
Achieve objectives, motivate colleagues, create ideas and meet deadlines.
If you need a formula, try present past future. So first you start with the present,
where you are right now. Then talk about your past. Mention some of the experiences you've had
and finally finish with the future why you are really excited for this particular opportunity.
You can even use this formula to create a script that you can practice. So you'll be able to nail
this part of the interview. If you need more suggestions on this I highly recommend this lesson
that I made on our Real Life English Channel that will help you to make a perfect introduction.
I'll link that in the description below so you can watch it next. Alright so once you master the tell
me about yourself pitch you can think about your answer to the next most common interview question:
I can't tell you the amount of times I've had to pass on a candidate
who might have been a great fit for the role but failed to sufficiently show me this by
being able to talk competently about their strengths and weaknesses. Don't be this person
When you're asked to describe your strengths I recommend that you don't
just give them a list of random skills like Instead, do your research on the position
and choose two or three important strengths that relate directly to the position that
you're applying for. Choose the ones that will set you apart from others
and it's crucial to give some evidence or examples.
Some good examples of strengths that you can include in your answer are:
Now you're also likely to be asked about your weaknesses.
Don't be afraid of this question because if you prepare for it it is actually an opportunity to
make yourself look good in the eyes of the employer on the other hand no one is perfect
so if you can't think of any weaknesses it shows a lack of awareness and it may even make you look
like you are not a very trustworthy person. Any qualified interviewer will see right
through this. This will actually be seen as if you're dodging the actual question.
Like in this example we saw before you don't want to over share or add in details that are not
relevant. It wasn't necessary to say for example that they are living again with their mother.
Instead you should share real weaknesses that have been
difficult or caused issues in the past and then Here's a funny demonstration of what not to do
when asked about this question: So these are some examples of good
weaknesses to mention. However remember that it's essential that when you mention
any of these also say what you've done plan to do or are currently doing to overcome them
and by the way two things that I often see that mess up non-native speaking candidates for
position are: first of all not having good enough comprehension and making me repeat myself several
times or rephrase the question and two, not having the words necessary to answer a question
in a clear way. Now, you don't want this to happen to you. The lessons on our channel
can help you a lot in building your colloquial vocabulary and improving your listening. And if
you really want to take these skills to the next level I recommend our Fluent with Friends Course.
In just a few months you will notice that you have more of the everyday vocabulary that you
need to speak and that you even understand natives more effortlessly. So you can try it
for free! Join our free Master Class. Just click up here or down description below to learn more.
Now the next couple of job interview questions are the ones that fall into
the category of behavioral questions. The main one to be expected is something like:
You definitely need to prepare for this question because nothing says hire me better than a record
of achieving amazing results in past jobs or projects. A few things you should keep in mind
are: while this is an opportunity for you to be boastful about your past success don't go for too
long without connecting it to how it actually helped the company or other people that were
involved in the process. Find the link to how it helped the company reach its goals. Also remember
to give credit where credit is due. If it was a team effort you should not make it sound like
you did all the work. You need to communicate that you're a good team player, so say something like
So you could use the star technique to actually answer this question which will help you to
organize your thoughts and communicate them in a clear way. So first off describe the situation
in which the event took place. Then describe the task you were asked to complete. If there
was a particular problem or issue that you were trying to solve describe that here.
Follow it up with an explanation of what action you took to complete the
task or solve the problem. Finally explain the result of your actions.
Try to focus on how your actions resulted in a success for the company. Here's an example:
Besides questions about your achievements you're likely to face questions about past behavior.
For example leadership, problem, solving or creativity. Again you don't want to be in a
position where you are asked this and you have to actually think about a situation on the spot.
Preparation is key. So a good idea is to have some situations in mind before your interview.
Think about a particular time when your leadership problem solving and creativity all came into play.
So if you're asked about a time where your leadership skills shine through you can mention
that specific circumstance. But if the question is about your problem-solving skills you can explain
the same thing while putting more focus on how the situation required solving that problem.
Here you can use the star technique once again or even a simplified version of it.
The situation, what you did and the result.
Another type of behavior question involves your ability to deal with conflict. So you may be asked
With questions about conflict interviewers want to see that you can communicate that you care
about relationships. It's important to let your interviewer know that you are a good listener and
that you can accept that someone has a different view on something without getting upset. So if
you're prompted to talk about a past experience with a question like tell us about a time that
you had to deal with conflict with a co-worker. Remember the star technique or the more simple
method where you describe the situation, what you did and the result. Now a big don't is
to never throw someone under the bus or sound bitter. This will reflect very poorly on yo.u
Instead, explain how you approach the conflict with a mindset of listening understanding
and growth mindset. Spin the conflict as a constructive experience. Here's an example:
Alright so to wrap up remember that preparation for the interview is key.
For the tell me about yourself question, keep it short but impactful with power phrases. You can
use the present, past, future method. When you're asked about your strengths don't just list random
skills just two or three that are relevant to the position will do the trick. When asked about your
weaknesses say how you're working on overcoming them. Use the star technique to describe past
situations at the workplace like achievements and moments that put your skills to the test.
When talking about a conflict in the past never criticize your co-worker.
Let them know that you care about relationships. So all the best of luck to you on your next job
interview I hope this has helped a lot and now it's time to go beyond the classroom and live
your English. Aw yeah! So if you like many English learners out there are interested in
applying to a University or getting a job in an English-speaking country,
then oftentimes it is not enough to simply state on your resume that you are an intermediate or
advanced speaker of English you're going to actually need to certify your level of English
and this is exactly what the IELTS exam does for you it accurately.