Interviewer: What was your biggest mistake and what did you learn from it?
Learn Intermediate German #43: German Job Interview Questions & Answers
Interviewer: What do you know about our company?
Applicant: In 2012 two brothers from Berlin founded this company.
The biggest competitors of this company are Papagei.tv, LinguaTV, Babbel, and Lingorilla.
You differentiate yourself with the native speaking teachers, the teaching style, and the class size.
This online language school is in my opinion the best option for language learners.
Interviewer: What do you know about our locations?
Applicant: You have four locations, one for each of the language, that you teach.
Berlin, London, Madrid, and Paris.
At each location, they work on the teaching materials for the language of the country.
In Berlin they not only work on the teaching materials, but also the IT, the website, and the marketing.
Interviewer: In what are you interested in at our company?
Applicant: I have been a foreign language teacher since 2009.
I took a few courses with your company.
I believe the same as the mission statement of this company.
Everyone can learn a language and I believe that one of the best methods to do this is your website.
Interviewer: How did you find out about this job opening?
Applicant: I have wanted to work for this company for years.
Every month, I search on your website for job offers.
Finally I found a position for which I am qualified.
Interviewer: Tell me something about yourself.
Tell me something about yourself that in your opinion I should know.
Why should we hire you?
Applicant: I take everything in my life very seriously,
but I believe that in order to take something seriously, you have to have fun with it.
Without fun the heart isn’t in it.
How can you take something seriously, if your heart isn’t in it?
Interviewer: What are your large life dreams?
Applicant: I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was.
To catch them is my real test. To train them is my cause.
NO!
My life’s dreams revolve around family, work and my personal interests.
I would like to have a family with children and a small house outside of the city.
I also carve sculptures and sell them online.
Someday I will open a small store and sell my sculptures there.
Interviewer: What do you regret the most? Why?
Applicant: I wish I would have learned a foreign language.
I am a salesman.
I can only sell things to German speaking people, however,
because I can’t speak any other languages.
Interviewer: When did you do something wrong?
How did you correct it?
Applicant: Shortly before a party I burned the cake.
I called the bakery and had a new cake delivered.
The cake looked like I had made it
and my guests really liked it.
Interviewer: What was your biggest mistake and what did you learn from it?
Applicant: I am often a perfectionist.
In my personal life, this is often not so good,
but at work this can be very helpful.
Interviewer: Name five words that describe your character.
Applicant: Persistent, ambitious, optimistic, strong willed, and humble.
I am the first of my family to study at a university.
My parents never understood why one would want to study at a university.
I had the best grades in my field of study, but I always had time in order to help the other students.
Interviewer: What are you especially proud of?
Applicant: I have only missed two deadlines since 2009 and my work is always top notch.
Interviewer: Who shaped you most decidedly in your life? How?
Was there a person in your career, who changed you?
Applicant: My grandfather was the most influential person in my life.
He worked for 50 years.
Sometimes 2 or 3 jobs at a time in order to have enough money for the family.
Interviewer: Why do you want this job?
Applicant: This company has a good reputation
and I believe that you are the best option for customers who want a product such as yours.
Interviewer: Why do you want to leave your current job?
Applicant: I want a new challenge.
I want to develop myself further.
I believe I can realize my potential in this company.
Interviewer: What were you responsible for in your last job?
Applicant: I was the sales manager for the southeastern region.
I was responsible for ten salespeople.
If there was a problem with a customer, I went there in order to put everything back in order.
I also worked with the most important and largest customers.
Interviewer: What will you miss from your current job?
What will you miss from your last job?
Applicant: The coworkers.
There are so many wonderful coworkers at this company.
I will miss them, but I look forward to getting to know new coworkers.
Interviewer: What do you think about your last boss?
Applicant: He has a lot of good ideas and is a very inspiring boss.
He fosters the personal growth of the employees in the company.
Interviewer: What was the most important lesson of your studies?
What was the most important lesson that you learned in school?
Applicant: I learned, if I really want something, I can achieve what I want.
I might have to fight and work hard for it,
but I will eventually reach the goal.
Interviewer: What can you do for us that no one else can?
Applicant: I inspire other people to find the best in themselves.
If you hire me, the other employees will improve.
Interviewer: How would you describe your work style?
Which three character traits would you friends say about you in order to describe you?
Applicant: I am independent.
When I know what needs to be done, I do that.
I am a perfectionist.
Every project has to be perfect and finished on time.
I am a leader.
I don’t only do my work, but also inspire other team members.
Interviewer: What are the central characteristics of a good leader?
Applicant: A good leader has to be firm, but also fair and encouraging.
If there is something to do, the leader has to lead all of the employees together.
With these three characteristics, you can be sure that the goals of the project will be met.
Interviewer: And a bad one?
Applicant: A bad leader is exactly the opposite.
If you aren’t firm, some team members will not listen to them.
If the leader prefers one person without a reason, the other team members will be discriminated against.
That’s how tensions begin.
If the leader is not encouraging, the team members won’t want to do anything.
Interviewer: What is better: Should a boss be loved or feared?
Applicant: No really feared, but respected.
In my opinion, one must find a mixture.
If you are only feared, the members will only work enough not to get caught in the crosshairs.
If you are only loved, some people will take advantage of that.
The employees have to like their leader in order to want to listen to him.
He also has to speak with authority.
Interviewer: What is the difference between good and exceptional?
Applicant: If you are good, you do what needs to be done.
You are exceptional if you surprise someone with the results of the project.
Interviewer: What are your strengths?
Name three positive things that your former boss would say about you.
Applicant: He would say I am efficient, punctual, and independent.
I don’t do my work “as fast as possible”, but rather, “as fast as everything functions the best.
I arrive early and I stay until the work is finished.
After I have a task, I can work alone or with my team in order to tackle the task or project.
I simply have to have a goal and I will put the other parts together in order to develop my full potential.
Interviewer: And what would he say that is negative about you?
What are your weaknesses?
Applicant: Sometimes I want to do everything without bringing in other team members.
In the past few years, I have learned to delegate responsibility.
Interviewer: How do you motivate yourself?
Applicant: I like to solve difficult tasks.
The more difficult the task, the harder I work.
When others can’t find a solution, I double down on my effort so we can find solutions.
Interviewer: Which goals are you looking to accomplish with this new job?
Applicant: I would like to develop myself further.
I believe that I can realize my potential in this company.
Interviewer: How does the ideal company look for you?
What would be the ideal work situation for you?
Applicant: I would like to work where I can reach big goals.
I would like to set a big goal and work towards it for months.
I would like to bring together a lot of small parts.
I would like to work independently and autonomously in order to reach these goals.
I would also like to work with a small team in order to make ideas better.
Interviewer: To where would you like to further your career?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Applicant: I would like to be a team leader. I would like to work together with five to ten employees of my choice
in order to solve problems that no one else can.
Interviewer: Would you be prepared to move?
Applicant: I would have to talk about something like that with my family, of course, but it is a possibility.
Interviewer: What did you earn before?
Applicant: I earned about €50,000 at my previous job.
Interviewer: What salary do you imagine for yourself?
Applicant: I am more interested in a position that can challenge me.
I am sure that you offer a competitive salary for the current market.
Interviewer: Do you have questions for me?
Applicant: Yes. I have a few questions for you.
Interviewer: How would you describe the leadership style of my potential boss?
Applicant: He is firm, but also fair and encouraging.
His subordinates respect him and his superiors find that his leadership style is almost ideal for our company.
Interviewer: What can be the most frustrating thing about this job?
Applicant: As a salesperson, you will probably close fewer contract agreements than you search for customers.
Sometimes it feels as if you are spinning your wheels.
But that is completely normal for this market.
Interviewer: What do you expect from the ideal candidate in this position?
Applicant: We want motivated employees who do their best.
Interviewer: What depicts your best employee?
Applicant: They know what we want, what they themselves want and how we can both reach this.
Applicant: How do you define success in this position?
Interviewer: We want to expand this company.
If someone can bring us closer to this goal, that would be a success.
Applicant: How would you describe your company culture?
Interviewer: The company culture here is friendly, but professional.
Applicant: How are talents and strengths fostered with you?
Interviewer: There are not only opportunities for advancement, but also for professional developement.
Applicant: Why do you work for this company?
Interviewer: I believe that everyone can learn a language.
There shouldn’t be any barriers for learning a language.
This company overcomes these barriers and I am happy to take part in that.
Applicant: When can I expect your decision?
Interviewer: We still have a few interviews this week,
but we want to fill this position before next month.
Applicant: When can you start?
Interviewer: I have to give at least two weeks advance notice at my work.
I could start after the fourteenth.
If you want the script of this video in German and English, a worksheet with answer key, and an MP3 version of this video,
you can find these materials on my Patreon page.
Links in the description.
I hope you like this video. Until Friday. Bye.