Name : Cicin Yaena Ceria Lase

NIM : 182108020
Class/ Semester : A/ II
Subject : Speakinng For Formal Interaction
Lecturer : Mr. Hasrat Sozanolo Harefa, M.Pd

How to Answer Job Interview Questions in English

Hi, I’m Gina. Welcome to Oxford Online English! In this lesson, you can
learn how to answer job interview questions in English.
Have you ever had a job interview in English? If English is not your first
language, answering job interview questions in English can add stress to the
experience.
However, there are some simple, effective tips you can use to give better
answers to job interview questions in clear, natural English. You’ll learn about
these tips and tricks during this lesson! You’ll see eight common job interview
questions and four different techniques you can use. You’ll see how to answer
these common job interview questions, using the techniques we’ll show you.
Let’s start with our eight common job interview questions. Tell me a little
about yourself. Where do you see yourself five years from now? What are your
strengths/weaknesses? What is your leadership style? Can you tell me about a
time when you demonstrated?
For example, can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated strong
leadership? Or, can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated excellent
customer service? Tell me about a time you dealt with a challenging situation at
work. Why do you want this job? Why should we hire you?
What does concise mean? It means that you don’t waste words. If you speak
concisely, you get right to the point and don’t add anything unnecessary to your
answer. Let’s look at two questions in this section: Tell me a little about yourself.
Where do you see yourself five years from now? These are very common job
interview questions, and they’re also very open questions. Open questions can be
dangerous. Do you know why? It’s because you might ramble.
 Ramble means to talk a lot without saying much. This won’t give the
interviewer a good impression! Let’s start by looking at a sample answer to the
question tell me a little about yourself. Well, I was born in a small town in
northern Italy, where I also went to school. I studied engineering at university and
then… So, after I graduated… I mean, I did a master’s degree first, but then I
worked for a small firm in my hometown for a few years, which was great fun.
After that…Okay, we can stop there.
Do you think this is a good answer? Why or why not? It’s not a very good
answer. Why not? There are three things the candidate does which you should try
to avoid:
One: the candidate includes lots of unnecessary details.
Two: he doesn’t speak in full sentences.
Three: he doesn’t have any clear direction.
If you do these things, your answer to this answer will be long and
unfocused. What’s the solution? You need to be more concise. But how? First,
avoid unnecessary details. Don’t give your entire work history; the interviewers
can get that from your CV if they want it. Secondly, speak in full sentences with a
clear beginning and end. This means you need to be thinking ahead while you
speak. Thirdly, think about what you want to highlight in your answer, and put it
at the beginning. This will give your answer a clear direction.
Let’s look at some examples of this: I’ve always loved designing and
building things, so I suppose it’s natural that I became an engineer. I’ve worked in
a variety of roles and companies, which I’ve learned a lot from, but now I’m
ready for a new challenge.
What do you think? Better? It’s much better. Let's look at the start.
Immediately, the candidate identifies a key feature (he loves designing and
building things), and links it to his engineering career. The candidate’s answer is
very concise: there are no unnecessary details, and it also has a clear end.
What about our second question? Here’s one possible answer: There are
many things I could be doing. I’d like to have, you know, some sort of progress…
What I mean is that I don’t just want to be doing the same things I’m doing now. I
like to be moving forward in my career, for example…Err… I definitely see
myself in a better position than I am now. Good answer? Bad answer? Okay, it’s
not terrible, but it could be much better.
The candidate is rambling. She doesn’t make her point clear, she doesn’t
speak in full sentences, and she wastes words on unclear and unnecessary ideas.
Here’s a better answer: I don’t know exactly, but the most important thing is that I
continue to learn and grow in my career. I’m the kind of person who needs new
challenges to stay focused. I might even start my own business, because that’s
something I’ve always wanted to do at some point in my life. This is much more
concise.
The candidate’s answer has a clear beginning and end, and doesn’t waste
words. So, what can you do to make your answers more concise? The best way to
practise is to record yourself speaking. You could record yourself answering these
two questions. Then, listen to yourself. Try to find sentences which you don’t
finish, or words which don’t add anything to your meaning. Then, try again. Keep
practising until your answer is clean and focused. Next, let’s look at another point
which will make your answers clearer and more structured: signposting language.
Signposting language means words and phrases which show your listener
where you’re going. For example, the words ‘for example’ are signposting
language. When I say for example, you know I’m about to give you an example.
Simple, right? Yes, but it’s also very important. Without signposting language,
longer answers can lose focus and be hard to follow.
You’ll see answers to two questions in this section: What are your strengths
and weaknesses? What is your leadership style? Let’s look at a sample answer to
the first question. I’m very good at working with other people. In my last job, I
always tried to encourage my colleagues and create a good atmosphere. I suppose
I can be a little bit careless sometimes. I’m not the kind of person who focuses on
details. I’m very calm, and I can keep a cool head in very stressful situations.
What do you think? It’s not bad, but it could be hard to follow.
The candidate jumps around a lot. Adding signposting language can make a
big difference. Let’s see how. Notice that the content is exactly the same. We
haven’t changed the candidate’s basic ideas at all. However, the answer is now
much clearer and easier to follow. Using signposting language like this can make
a big difference!
Let’s look at our second question for this section. What is your leadership
style? Look at a sample answer which doesn’t use signposting language. I’m quite
a hands-off manager. If one of my team has a project, I’ll keep an eye on things,
but I don’t need to be involved in every detail.
I’m very approachable. I make sure my team know they can come to me
with problems or questions at any time. I like to lead from the front. If everyone’s
working late to meet a deadline, I make sure I’m there with them. Now, look at
some signposting language you could use in this answer. Now, you have a job to
do! I want you to pause the video and put these signposting phrases into the
answer you just saw.
Go on, pause the video and do it now! Ready? Let’s look at the answers:
How did you do? Were you able to use the signposting language? Remember,
signposting language might seem very simple, but don’t forget about it. Using
signposting language well makes your answers much clearer and easier to follow.
Now, let’s look at another way to make your answers more structured,
clearer and more focused. You’ll see answers to these two questions in this
section. Can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated? Tell me about a
time you dealt with a challenging situation at work.
These questions are likely to need longer answers. With longer answers, it’s
really important that your answers have a clear structure. Otherwise, your
meaning might get lost! There’s a method you can use here; it’s called the STAR
method. STAR means situation, task, action, result. So, you start your answer by
giving the context: what was the situation, and what did you have to do?
Then, you talk about what you actually did, and what the end result was.
Let’s do an example together. Can you tell me about a time when you
demonstrated excellent customer service? Let’s use the STAR method.
There was one time when a customer’s order hadn’t arrived, and we didn’t
know what had happened to it. The customer was very unhappy, and I had to try
to solve the problem for him.
 I arranged for a replacement to be sent, thinking we could find out what
happened to the previous order later. In the end, the customer was happy that I
could solve his problem quickly and simply. You see how following this method
lets you build clear, structured answers? situation, task, action, result.
Let’s do another example. Think about our second question. Tell me about a
time you dealt with a challenging situation at work. This time, you’re going to try!
Pause the video and make an answer to this question. Your answer should be four
sentences long. Follow the STAR method, one sentence for each part.
How was that? Did you find it easy to make your own answer? Let’s look at
one way you could answer this question. Once, we realised three days before a
project deadline that two of our teams were using incompatible software tools.As
the project manager, I had to find a way to deal with this without causing any
delays. I talked to both team leaders and we made a plan for one team to convert
their work into a different format, with help from some staff from other
departments.
It was very close but we managed to get everything done on time. Again,
you can see the STAR method in action: situation, task, action, result. If you
combine this STAR method with the signposting language you learned about in
part two, you’ll be able to express yourself clearly in English, even in longer and
more complex answers.
Finally, let’s look at another tip you can use to impress your interviewer and
increase your chances of getting that job offer! You’re going to learn about
mirroring and how it can help you. What does mirroring mean? It means using
some of the same words and expressions as the person you’re talking to.
For example, if the interviewer asks you: How do you think your values fit
our company culture? You could start your answer by saying: I think my values
are a good fit for your company culture for two reasons. One, mirroring has
several benefits. First, it keeps your answers focused. By using the same words
and phrases, your answer will be relevant. More importantly, it shows the
interviewer that you’re listening and that you care about the questions and the
company.
 Mirroring is powerful. We unconsciously mirror people when we like or
respect them. Using mirroring consciously will help you to make a better
impression. You should start by researching the company you’re applying to.
How do they describe themselves? What adjectives do they use on their website
or in their advertising? Also, read the job advertisement carefully. Pay attention to
the words they use to describe the candidate they’re looking for. Use these words
in your answers.
Let’s think about this question: Why do you want this job? Imagine you’re
applying to a company which describes itself as ‘innovative’ and ‘forward-
looking’. In the job advertisement, they say they want someone who is ‘creative’
and ‘flexible’. Here’s a good sample answer: Creativity is very important to me,
and I’ve always wanted to work in an environment where I can innovate and find
my own solutions to challenges. I also feel that your company will continue to
evolve in the future, and I like the idea of contributing to that development. The
candidate doesn’t use all four words, but she does reference all four ideas.
For example, instead of ‘forward-looking’, she talks about the company
evolving in the future. In this way, she shows that she’s in tune with the
company’s values. Let’s do one more example. Imagine you’re applying to a
company which describes itself as ‘commanding respect’ and which talks with
pride about its long history. In the job advertisement, they say they want someone
who has ‘great communication skills’ and ‘passion for helping others’.
During the interview, they ask: Why should we hire you? Here’s a good
sample answer, using mirroring. I believe that great customer service starts with
good communication, which is a strength of mine. I also think that in customer
service, you need to care about what you’re doing. I care about helping others and
as such I believe you would find me to be a respectful and effective team member
who can fit with the established traditions of your company.
Again, the candidate doesn’t necessarily use the words directly, but he does
reference all four of the ideas. Be careful if you use mirroring; you don’t want to
sound like a robot! This is why you sometimes need to change words and phrases
slightly, instead of repeating them again and again.
 Now, you’ve seen four effective techniques you can use to give better
answers to job interview questions in English. Remember: be concise, use
signposting language, use the STAR method to structure longer answers, and
mirror key words and phrases. We hope it was useful. Good luck if you have a job
interview coming up soon!