Job interview in English

job-interview-in-english

Job interview in English – how to prepare yourself?

 

Employers often want to check your English speaking skills before they employ you. You can write what you wish in your curriculum vitae, but if you cannot prove that in face-to-face conversation , then your claims end up to be solely wishful thinking. Speaking in English at a job interview can cause stress, which can lead to stuttering, uncomfortable pauses and short-term amnesia. Prepare yourself to prove how well you really know English.

Below you will find a list of 5 most commonly asked questions with helpful tips and some examples.

 

Tell me more about yourself.

This question does not imply you should tell the interviewer about your whole life starting with the time and place you were born in. Do start with short information about yourself – name, where you live, education. However the answer to this question should focus on your work experience. You can add some details from your private life if it somehow reflected upon your skills, like living abroad, attending courses, finishing a foreign school etc. Mainly talk about your previous jobs, skills you acquired and anything that can prove to be useful for the new position.

“My name is Anna Cooke and I live in Gdynia. I’m a sous chef and I have been working in the restaurant industry for the last 7 years. I have a degree in Culinary Arts and I finished a chef training program at the Culinary Institute in Cracow. I started my career in the industry as a kitchen assistant and during that time I learned the basics of how a commercial kitchen functions. Next I worked in a French restaurant as a sous chef where I broadened my horizons in cooking by learning French cooking methods and recipes. Recently I occupied the position of sous chef in a restaurant with an international cuisine offer, where I mastered the preparation of common dishes from all over the world.”

 

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

It’s best to start with your weaknesses and finish off with your strengths to leave a positive impression. Talk about your strengths, which will be especially useful for the position you are applying for. Use examples to prove your strengths. Take the opportunity to advertise yourself. Turn your weaknesses into a positive quality and explain how you deal with your weaknesses. Nobody’s perfect so don’t be ashamed of your negative qualities.

 “I’ll start with my weaknesses. I pay a lot of attention to detail so I can take a bit longer to finish a task. However my work is very organized which makes my work efficient therefore my attention to detail does not impact my work schedule. I can be too kind and sometimes people use that. In order to not let my politeness take over, I help people who really need it and in other cases focus on my own work. My strengths include being on time. I have never been late for work. I am well organized  and I plan my work so that every meal goes out on time. I am a good team member, as I said I like to help people, I know how to work as a team, which is necessary in a kitchen.”

 

Why would you like to work for our company?

Here is the chance to prove what you know about the company. So visit its website and find out everything that you need to know. Underline how you fit into the profile of this company’s employee and how the company can benefit by hiring you.

“It is my dream to explore new cuisines and I believe my experience could benefit the restaurant. Your restaurant is constantly developing and I would like to be a part of this development. You’re a strong contender for a Michelin star and I could help you achieve that with my recipe ideas and it would be an honor for me to participate in pursuing that.”

 

Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

This is a question about your goals, career-wise. Leave the goals in your personal life for yourself. Be ambitious, but don’t overdo it, don’t be a threat to the interviewer.

“I would like to improve my skills by participating in additional training and master new cuisines as well as learn new cooking techniques.”

 

What was your greatest accomplishment?

This is an opportunity to impress the interviewer. Let them know what you have achieved so far.

“I think my greatest achievement was having my recipe added to the menu while being a sous chef. It was a recipe I was working on for quite some time to reach the current state. I was experimenting with different methods of preparation and presentation.”

 

Before the interview, prepare the things you want to say about yourself in bullet points. This will help you put your thoughts in order. Don’t learn complete answers by heart. If you forget one word you might get stuck and be confused. During the interview remember to be confident, take a few seconds to think before you answer the questions.

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