How to Interview for a Job in American English, part 2/5

You’re hired! Two words everyone loves to hear. But before we hear those words comes

(dun dun duuuuhn!) “the interview”. Today’s video is part two in a series that’s all

about preparing for a job interview.

This is part two of a five-part series on preparing for an interview. Interviewing for

a job can be a huge source of stress and anxiety. And if you’re interviewing for a job in

a non-native language, the stress can be even higher. In this video you’ ll see me interview

for a job. Throughout the interview, we’ll discuss some of the most common interview

questions and how to answer them. You’ll also learn some basic information to get you

started creating your own answers to these questions. Let’s pick up where we left off

in the first video.

TK: That’s great. Can you tell me how you heard about this position?

Can you tell me how you heard about this position? This is a common question that you’ll hear

in interviews. It’s a chance to share a little bit about the research that you’ve

done in order to learn about the position you are applying for. It’s also a chance

to share if someone from inside the company let you know about the position. Here are

some example responses:

I heard about the position from one of your current employees, Bob Greene.

I heard about the position from my friend Liz Miller, who works in Accounting.

I saw this position on LinkedIn.

I read about the position on your website.

Since this is a simple question with a simple answer, think about your answer and practice

it out loud before your interview. Record yourself and listen. Are you easy to understand?

Are there any words that are challenging for you? Practice these words separately, slowly,

thinking about the mouth position. As it becomes more comfortable, speed it up. You’re going

to want to practice tough words 10, 20, 30 times in a row. Build your muscle memory,

so in the interview it will naturally be easier to pronounce.

TK: That’s great. Can you tell me how you heard about this position?

RS: Of course. A friend of mine saw the position listed on LinkedIn and forwarded it to me,

so I spent some time on your website learning about the position and the company. I also

read an article in Business Weekly about your work that really got me interested.

TK: What attracted you to our company?

Common Question: What attracted you to our company? This question gives you the opportunity

to share what you know about the company, and why you would like to work there. Some

ways to begin your response include the following. Notice that most responses show that you have

a strong feeling about what you learned. This will give the interviewer more information

about who you are and what you might bring to the position.

I was really impressed with your commitment to renewable energy.

I was very excited to learn that you support your research department so strongly.

I read that you encourage employees to spend time with each other outside the workplace,

and that is something I really appreciate.

Again, think about the answer to this question before your interview, and practice your responses

using recordings and repetition. Even if this question is not asked, the time spent practicing

the response will be helpful when you answer other questions during the interview.

TK: What attracted you to our company? RS: To be honest, what really caught my eye

was your focus on growth. I was really impressed with your ambitious goals and the clear plan

you have for achieving those goals. I also like the support you provide for your employees.

I love your continuing education initiatives, where you pay for employees to educate themselves

in new techniques and skill sets. I think that really helps to build employee satisfaction

and loyalty. TK: You’ve obviously done your homework.

What would you say is your greatest strength?

Common Question: What would you say is your greatest strength? This question gives you

the chance to talk about what you do really well as an employee, and as a person. You

can share what your greatest strength is, then explain how that helps you in your current

job or life. For example:

My greatest strength is _________. I find that this is very important when I _______.

My greatest strength is flexibility. I find that this is very important when I’m working

with lots of different people and opinions.

To practice answering this question, write down: My greatest strength is (blank). Then,

fill in your strength. Write down how this strength is demonstrated in your life and

work. You may come up with several different strengths you want to highlight. That’s

great, practice them all. But in the interview, you’ll only want to use one or two answers.

Practice answering the questions out loud, based on what you wrote down. But don’t

just memorize written text. Practice speaking freely on these ideas.

TK: What would you say is your greatest strength? RS: I would say, my greatest strength is a

combination of enthusiasm and persistence. My work ethic won’t let me settle for less

than my best. I’m able to persevere through challenges and setbacks without falling into

frustration or anger. I’ve noticed that this tends to keep those around me in good

spirits as well, which is a plus. TK: That’s very good.

To be continued! We’ll pick it up from here in the next video in this series, where we’ll

talk about some questions that could be tough to answer. Talking about setbacks and challenges

at work.

I hope this video on job interviews has been helpful. There’s nothing better than walking

out of an interview feeling that you were fully prepared!

If you have interview-related questions or stories, please post them in the comments

below. I’d love to hear them.

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That’s it, and thanks so much for using Rachel’s English.