Learn English for interviews with our interview English lessons. Get ready for your next English job interview with. Learn how to answer questions in interviews in English and achieve success in your next English interview.
English interview lessons by Business English Pod. Ace that next interview in English with our business English job interview lessons. Practice your English for interviews with lessons on all types of job interviews.
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on doing an online interview in English. Today, we’re going to look at how to talk about a gap in your resume or employment history.
It’s actually not that unusual to have a gap in your resume. Many people get laid off and then spend several months trying to find a new position. Other people have a gap because of family or health issues. And others require time to find a job after relocating.
While a gap in employment isn’t unusual, many job-seekers feel it looks bad and is hard to explain. But it doesn’t have to be. And it doesn’t have to become the only focus of an interview. So how can you ensure a gap doesn’t overshadow your upsides?
For one thing, it’s good to explain a job loss concisely. Secondly, it’s a good idea to show how you developed yourself while you were unemployed. If you can do these things, then you can move on to other aspects of the interview. That might include explaining why you like the company where you’re applying, and asking diplomatically about work flexibility. It may also mean asking for clarification when you don’t understand a question clearly.
In today’s dialog, we’ll continue listening to an online interview with Rachel, who’s applying for an operations manager position at a property management company. In this part of the interview, she has to explain a gap in her employment. Let’s hear how she answers questions and asks some good ones of her own.
Listening Questions
1. What is the basic reason Rachel lost her previous job?
2. How did Rachel develop her skills while unemployed?
3. What two things does Rachel like about the company where she’s applying?
Welcome back to Business English Pod for today’s lesson on doing an online job interview in English. Today, we’re going to look at some tips for online interviews, especially how to relate your experience to a new field of work.
Just a few years ago, you might have been surprised if a prospective employer requested an online interview. After all, we often think of interviews as a good chance to meet face to face. But these days, in many sectors, online interviews are completely normal. In fact, with the move toward remote work, many newly hired people have never met their colleagues or boss face to face.
This is part of a shake-up in the world of work brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the pandemic, millions of people lost their jobs. Now, more and more of those people are getting hired for new positions, often in different industries. And to get those jobs, they likely had to talk about how they would transfer their experience to a different line of work.
One of the things you’ll have to deal with in an online interview is, of course, possible technical issues. It’s a good idea to be able to deal with such problems calmly and confidently. Another important skill in any interview is talking about how you added value in your previous position.
When it comes to transferring experience, you’ll need to consider how to discuss similarities between the industry you’re leaving and the one you’re hoping to find work in. And given the uncertainty of the pandemic, it’s a good idea to talk about how you’ve adapted to change and demonstrated learning.
In today’s dialog, we’ll listen to part of an online interview for the job of operations manager at a property management company. Rachel is applying for the job after working for many years in operations at a hotel chain. Let’s hear how she answers the interviewer’s questions, deals with technical issues, and talks about transferring her experience.
Listening Questions
1. What accomplishment does Rachel feel demonstrates her value at her last job?
2. What did Rachel focus on during the transition to remote work?
3. What kinds of learning did Rachel focus on in her last job?
Welcome back to Business English Skills 360 for today’s lesson for the final part of our series on English interview skills.
In previous lessons, we’ve gone over some of the fundamental questions about who you are and what you’ve done. Today I want to take a closer look at talking about your career goals and researching prospective employers. Interviewers don’t just want to know whether you’ve got the skills, personality, and qualifications. They also want to know that you’re a good fit, and that they are a good fit for you.
One important question you need to be ready for in an interview in English is “why are you leaving your current position?” This question makes a lot of people squirm. But it’s actually an opportunity to talk about growth and change. Nobody stays at the same job their entire life. And this question isn’t necessarily fishing for problems in your past.
Welcome back to Skills 360 for today’s lesson on tips for succeeding in a job interview in English.
In our last lesson, we talked about preparation for introducing yourself and questions about strengths and weaknesses. That’s all about you as a person, or your character. In this lesson, I’d like to home in on what you’ve done, or your actions and behavior.
The first big question you’ll get about what you have done pertains to achievements. As in, “what achievements are you most proud of?” Or “tell us about a recent achievement?”
Now, when you think back on your accomplishments, what should you choose to discuss? Well, rather than boasting about purely individual accomplishments, think of something that connects to the bigger picture. Or state why your accomplishment helped the company.
Welcome back to Skills 360 for today’s lesson on how to look at how to prepare for an interview in English.
When I say “prepare,” I’m not talking about making an appointment at the hair salon or picking out a clean shirt. I’m talking about doing some research, anticipating what you’ll be asked, and practicing how to respond. Yeah, I know I’m always going on about preparation, but this time it’s not just a suggestion, it’s essential. If you do it right, you’ll be able to head into the interview feeling relaxed and confident. And that will increase your chances of landing the job.
Now here’s the thing: most interviews cover the same basic territory. Sure, you might get a couple of curveballs, but for the most part you can predict what questions you’ll be asked. And that means you can plan your answers. I don’t mean script your answers. It’s pretty tough to appear authentic and natural while delivering a memorized response. But you can outline your answers and practice your delivery.
So how do we go about doing that? Well, let’s start by talking about how to introduce yourself in an job interview in English. The old “tell me about yourself” question. It’s amazing how many people are thrown by this question, or fumble through an awkward response as they wait for the real interview questions. But first impressions are important! And you need a good answer for “tell me about yourself.”
