English for Career Development by Mareta Fauziah (Week 5)

 

Overview of Week 5 Materials.

Job seekers need to present themselves well by describing their skills effectively. Another important skill is asking and answering questions in a job interview. In this last week, I learn about different types of questions used in job interviews and how to answer an interview question briefly and clearly.

In job interview, we can answering the questions the interviewer asks you in an honest and detailed way. Honest, because the interviewer wants to know if you are the same person you say you are in your resume and cover letter. And detailed because you want to give enough information in your responses. During an interview some questions will be direct, and some will be indirect. An example of a direct question is why are you a good fit for this job, or why do you want to work for this company. An example of an indirect question is, so tell me a little bit about yourself. It's called an indirect question, because the question doesn't begin with a wh word, like what, where, when, why, who, and how, which direct questions often use. However, it is still a question, and you need to listen carefully during the interview for these types of indirect questions.

Apart from those, I learn about how to asking for clarification and repetition in an interview too. There are 3 (three) useful expressions we can use to either ask the interviewer for clarification or repetition.

1. The first expression is, I'm sorry, I didn't understand your question. Could you repeat that please.

2. The second expression is, I'm not quite sure I understood you correctly. Did you mean …?

3. The last expression is, If I understand you correctly, you're asking …

Last but not least, there are some interview tips are as follows:

1. Look at common interview questions. We can find lists of questions online. Practice answering these questions with someone or in front of a mirror. Prepare examples. These should show we have the skills that the company wants.

Make sure to talk about our:

• Strengths.
• Flexibility (how we react to new or tricky situations).
• Skills as a leader.
• Interest in learning new things.
• Contributions to places where we have worked or volunteered.
• Problem-solving skills.
• People skills.

2. Make a list of questions to ask. Pick questions that show our interest in the job and the company. Ask about the job we will be expected to do. Some sample questions are:

• What will I do day-to-day in this job?
• How will my work be reviewed? Who will review it?
• Could you explain how the company is organized?
• What computer software do you use?
• What is the company's plan for the next five years?

3. Be prepared. Remember to bring these things to the interview:

• Notebook and pens.
• Extra copies of our resume.
• A list of people who can speak about our skills if the company asks for a reference (someone who will say we are a good fit for the job).
• Any special paperwork the interviewer said we should bring.
• Samples of our past work.

4. On the day of the interview, remember to:

• Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early.
• Go alone.
• Dress in a way that fits the job.
• Leave extra things, like coffee or our backpack, at home or in our car.
• Turn off our cellphone.
• Make sure to SMILE!

5. During the interview, show that we feel good about ourself. Let the interviewer start the conversation. We can send a strong message with our body language.

• Shake hands firmly, but only if a hand is offered to us first.
• Look the person in the eye.
• Listen carefully. Welcome all questions, even the hard ones, with a smile.
• Give truthful, straightforward answers.
• Have a complete answer ready in our head before we say it aloud. It's OK if we don't understand a question. Ask for it to be repeated. We don't have to rush, but we also don't want to seem uncertain.

6. End the interview well. A good end to the interview might help we get the job.

• Respect the interviewer's time and allow the interview to end on time.
• Restate any strengths that we might not have mentioned earlier.
• Share an example that shows we are a good match for the job.
• If we want the job, say so!
• Ask if there will be more interviews.
• Ask when the employer will decide if we get the job.
• Ask for the phone number or email address of the interviewer. Make sure to send a thank you note afterward.

Result of Week 5 Quiz.

A lot of new knowledge that I got overall from this course. Also from this course, I could imagine how the world of work is, how a job seeker looks for a job, etc. Of course, all of this will be very useful for me in the future. Thank you ^^