Interviewing for a Job
In this lesson, you will learn useful vocabulary and expressions that you can use in a job interview. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel on the big day! Interview skills will help you get a
good job.
Part 1
Pre-Reading
Answer the questions
Do you feel comfortable answering questions in English?
What job skills do you have?
What are your best personality traits?
Match the words on the left with the correct meanings on the right.
personnel director ___
duties
hire ___
to manage, to be in charge of
resume ___
the usual pay for a certain job
qualifications ___
money paid for work
proficient ___
to get in touch with
position ___
to give a job to, to employ
responsibilities ___
open, ready to use, ready to do
supervise ___
skills, experience, education
salary ___
a person who can tell someone about you
benefits ___
a person in charge of hiring
contact ___
able to do something, skilled
going rate ___
a written summary of your skills, education, and experience
available ___
things you receive from an employer in addition to salary
reference ___
a job
Part 2
Dialogue Reading
Read the dialogue with your partner a few times. Take turns being each character. Practice your intonation and pronunciation.
Circle any new words or phrases that you need to practice.
The interviewer is interviewing the applicant.
Interviewer
Hello, Mrs. Stevens. My name is Jane Phillips. I’m the personnel director.
I’m pleased to meet you.
Applicant
Interviewer
Please have a seat.
Thank you.
Applicant
Interviewer
According to your resume, you have several years of office experience.
Yes. I’ve had over ten years’ experience.
Applicant
Interviewer
Tell me about your qualifications.
I can type over 100 words per minute. I’m proficient in many computer programs. I have excellent interpersonal skills, I am well organized, and I’m a very fast learner.
Applicant
Interviewer
I see that you have excellent references.
Do you have any questions about the position?
Yes. What are the responsibilities in this position?
Applicant
Interviewer
We’re looking for someone to supervise two office clerks,
handle all the correspondence, arrange meetings, and manage
the front office. Have you had any supervisory experience?
Yes. I supervised three administrators in my last position.
What are the office hours, Mrs. Phillips?
Applicant
Part 3
Dialogue Reading cont.
Interviewer
8:30 to 4:30, with an hour off for lunch.
What are your salary expectations, Mrs. Stevens?
I expect to be paid the going rate for this type of position.
Can you tell me about the benefits you offer?
Applicant
Interviewer
Yes. We provide full medical and dental coverage,
a pension plan, and a three-week holiday per year.
That’s very generous. When is the position available?
Applicant
Interviewer
We’re hoping the successful applicant can start at the beginning of next month. We’ll finish our interviews tomorrow and make a decision by the weekend. We’ll contact you next week.
Thank you very much. It’s been a pleasure meeting you.I hope to hear from you soon.
Applicant
Interviewer
Thanks for coming in to see us, Mrs. Stevens.
Part 4
Practice
Work with your teacher. Role-play the dialogue on pages 2 and 3, substituting the different expressions below. Then switch roles.
My name is Jane Phillips.
- I’m Jane Phillips.
I’m the personnel director.
- I’m the manager of Human Resources.
- I’m in charge of hiring.
I’m pleased to meet you.
- I’m happy to meet you.
- It’s nice to meet you.
Please have a seat.
- Please sit down.
According to your resume, you have several years of office experience.
- Your resume tells us that you have several years of office experience.
Tell me about your qualifications.
- What are your qualifications?
- What qualifications do you have?
I can type over 100 WPM.
- I’m able to type over 100 WPM.
I’m proficient in many computer programs.
- I’m able to use many computer programs.
I have excellent interpersonal skills…
- I get along very well with people…
Do you have any questions about the position?
- Would you like to ask anything about the job?
What are the responsibilities in this position?
- What are the duties?
We’re looking for someone to supervise two office clerks…
- We want someone who can manage two office clerks…
Have you had any supervisory experience?
- Have you ever been a supervisor?
What are your salary expectations, Mrs. Stevens?
- What salary do you expect?
I expect to be paid the going rate for this type of position.
- I expect to get the usual salary for this type of work.
Can you tell me about the benefits you offer?
- What benefits does the company give?
We provide full medical and dental coverage…
- We give health and dental insurance…
That’s very generous.
- That’s great.
When is the position available?
- When does the job start?
We’ll contact you next week.
- We’ll get in touch with you next week.
It’s been a pleasure meeting you.
- I’ve enjoyed meeting you.
I hope to hear from you soon.
- I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Part 5
Listening Practice
You and your teacher will read the dialogue from pages 2 and 3. Fill in the missing words as you listen. Listen again with two new speakers. Now look back at pages 2 and 3, and check your work.
Did you fill in the correct words? Did you spell everything correctly?
The interviewer is interviewing the applicant.
Interviewer
Hello, Mrs. Stevens. My name is Jane Phillips. I’m the ________ director.
I’m pleased to meet you.
Applicant
Interviewer
Please have a seat.
Thank you.
Applicant
Interviewer
According to your ________, you have several years of office experience.
Yes. I’ve had over ten years’ experience.
Applicant
Interviewer
Tell me about your ________.
I can type over 100 words per minute. I’m proficient in many computer programs. I have excellent interpersonal ________, I am well organized, and I’m a very fast learner.
Applicant
Interviewer
I see that you have excellent ________.
Do you have any questions about the position?
Yes. What are the responsibilities in this ________?
Applicant
Interviewer
We’re looking for someone to ________ two office clerks,
handle all the correspondence, arrange meetings, and manage
the front office. Have you had any supervisory ________?
Yes. I supervised three administrators in my last position.
What are the ________, Mrs. Phillips?
Applicant
Part 6
Listening Practice cont.
Interviewer
8:30 to 4:30, with an hour off for lunch.
What are your ________, Mrs. Stevens?
I expect to be paid the going rate for this type of position.
Can you tell me about the ________ you offer?
Applicant
Interviewer
Yes. We provide full medical and dental ________,
a pension plan, and a three-week holiday per year.
That’s very generous. When is the position ________?
Applicant
Interviewer
We’re hoping the successful ________ can start at the beginning of next month. We’ll finish our interviews tomorrow and make a decision by the weekend. We’ll contact you next week.
Thank you very much. ________ meeting you. I hope to hear from you soon.
Applicant
Interviewer
Thanks for coming in to see us, Mrs. Stevens.
Part 7
Write Your Own Dialogue
Write a dialogue with your teacher using phrases from page 4. One of you will be an interviewer and one of you will be an applicant. Practice and present the dialogue.
Part 8
Review
Listen to the conversation and answer the questions.
Your teacher will tell you if you have to write or say the answers.
What type of experience does the applicant have?
What does the interviewer mean when she says, “I see you have excellent references”?
What type of supervisory experience does the applicant have?
Describe the health benefits that come with this position.
When does the position begin?
Write down five questions that any interviewer is likely to ask any job applicant.
Pretend you are the job applicant and your teacher is the interviewer. Ask five questions that an applicant might ask an interviewer.