Week 11: Interview Questions

Line Up Get in a line starting with who spent the most time traveling this holiday. End the line with whoever spent the least time traveling this holiday. *Going home counts as travel. Longest Travel Time Shortest Travel Time

Small Talk Greet your partner How was your holiday? Did you do anything special?

Please put away everything except for a pen or pencil. Vocabulary Quiz

Employee Promotion Employer Maternity leave Apprentice Salary Intern Wage Full-time job Sign a contract Part-time job Resume Shift Cover letter Overtime Bonus Occupation Commission Profession Medical benefits Earn your living Application Get a raise To be fired

JC: Hello, I am Nancy Wright. I: Hi Nancy, I’m Tom Alexander JC: Hello, I am Nancy Wright. I: Hi Nancy, I’m Tom Alexander. JC: It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Alexander. Thank you for interviewing me today. I: It’s nice to meet you too. Won’t you sit down? JC: Thank you. I: Do you have a copy of your 1) _____________ that I can look at? JC: Yes. (hands him a piece of paper)

I: Thank you. (looking at the paper) Tell me about yourself Nancy I: Thank you. (looking at the paper) Tell me about yourself Nancy. JC: Sure. I graduated from Sias International University in 2008. My major was Business English. After graduation I worked in Shanghai for two years as a sales representative for an international company. I: (Looking at the paper) I see here that you were an 2)_____________ for Apple Company before that. JC: Yes, it was an extremely valuable experience. Although I didn’t earn any pay, I learned the value of working with a team and greatly improved my communication skills.

JC: Can you tell me more about the position JC: Can you tell me more about the position? I: It’s a position for a salesperson. You would work at our main branch in Beijing. JC: Is it a 3)______________ or 4)_____________ job? I: The position is 40 hours a week. Your 5)_____________ would be from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. Would you be willing to work 6)______________? JC: Possibly. But I can’t work too many extra hours because of my family responsibilities. What is the 7)______________? I: 3,000 RMB a month. In addition to your monthly 8)___________, you will also earn 9)_____________. (a percentage of what you sell) During the holidays, if business is good, you will receive a holiday 10)_____________. (extra money)

JC: Are there opportunities for advancement. I: Absolutely JC: Are there opportunities for advancement? I: Absolutely! After you’ve been here for a year, if your performance is good, you may get a 11)_______________. JC: Does the company provide 12)_______________? I: Yes. Doctor and dentist appointments are covered for you and your family. JC: I am not planning on having another child soon, but do you offer 13)_______________? I: Of course. After your baby is born, the company will pay for up to 4 weeks off.

JC: Wow, sounds great. I: Actually Nancy, based on your interview, your resume, and the 14)_________________ you turned in, I can see you are a perfect fit for our company. I would like to offer you the job right now. JC: Really? That is awesome! I would love to work for your company. I: Ok, wonderful. Do you have time to 15)_________________ and fill out some paperwork right now? JC: Sure!

In between “Tell me about yourself” and the job candidate’s questions…

Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why do you want this job 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why do you want this job? Why do you want to work for this company? 3. Why do you think you’re a good fit for this job? What makes you the best choice for this company? What sets you apart from others who are applying for this position? 4. What qualifications do you have for this position? What special skills do you have? What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?

5. Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? What are your professional goals?   6. What mistakes have you made in previous jobs and what did you learn from it? Tell me a story about a time you have worked as a team.  How do you like team work? Explain a time when you faced a stressful situation.  What did you do? What has been your greatest accomplishment?  What has been your greatest failure?

2. Why do you want to work for this company? 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why do you want to work for this company? 3. What sets you apart from others who are applying for this position? 4. What qualifications do you have for this position? What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness? What are your professional goals? Explain a time when you faced a stressful situation.  What did you do?  

5. Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? What are your professional goals?   6. What mistakes have you made in previous jobs and what did you learn from it? Tell me a story about a time you have worked as a team.  How do you like team work? Explain a time when you faced a stressful situation.  What did you do? What has been your greatest accomplishment?  What has been your greatest failure?

Act it out With your group, think of good and bad examples for the questions you are given. You will act out a bad example and then a good example in front of the class.

Name: Mr. or Miss Taylor (Manager) Company: California Tours Location: San Francisco, California Looking to Hire: Tour guide for Chinese tourists Qualities you want: Excellent communication skills and spoken translation skills Outgoing and friendly Hardworking Flexible

2. Why do you want to work for this company? Interviewer: Mr. or Miss Meyers (Human resources manager) Company: Dragon Corporation International Location: Shanghai Looking to Hire: A translator for business documents Qualities you want: Excellent written translation skills Professional Organized Willing to travel 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why do you want to work for this company? 3. What sets you apart from others who are applying for this position? 4. What qualifications do you have for this position? What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness? What are your professional goals? Explain a time when you faced a stressful situation.  What did you do?

Interviewer: Mr. or Miss White (CEO, China branch) Company: London Tea Company Location: Beijing Looking to Hire: Administrative assistant Qualities you want: College graduate with business experience Organized and detailed Good at multitasking Good computer skills Excellent written communication skills

Name: Mr. or Miss Lee (Company founder and owner) Company: Kids First Elementary School Location: Xinzheng Looking to Hire: An English teacher Qualities you want: Has experience working with children Fluent in English Fun Creative Outgoing

Your turn.

Remember your PEACH… Posture Eye contact Attitude Confidence Handshake

1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why do you want this job 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. Why do you want this job? Why do you want to work for this company? 3. Why do you think you’re a good fit for this job? What makes you the best choice for this company? What sets you apart from others who are applying for this position? 4. What qualifications do you have for this position? What special skills do you have? What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?

5. Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years? What are your professional goals?   6. What mistakes have you made in previous jobs and what did you learn from it? Tell me a story about a time you have worked as a team.  How do you like team work? Explain a time when you faced a stressful situation.  What did you do?

Questions the Job Candidate Asks

Questions the Job Candidate Asks Can you tell me more about the position? The position is part-time. You will teach 9 classes a week. The classes are about 2 hours each. You will also be required to attend weekly meetings. Is it a full-time or part-time job? Part-time. 20-30 hours a week. What is the salary? The starting salary is 35,000 RMB/year.

Are there opportunities for advancement? What are the hours? You would work 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. We also may need you to work weekends occasionally. Are there opportunities for advancement? Yes. After a year, if your performance is good, you may be considered for a supervisory position. Do you offer medical benefits? We offer medical and dental coverage. Do you offer maternity leave? We offer up to 6 months off for maternity leave at half pay.

Next Week Job Fair Assessment