The Interview Process

A typical job interview has a single candidate meeting with between one and three persons representing the employer; the potential supervisor of the employee is usually involved in the interview process. A larger interview panel will often have a specialized human resources worker. While the meeting can be over in as little as 15 minutes, job interviews usually last less than two hours.

The bulk of the job interview will entail the interviewers asking the candidate questions about his or her job history, personality, work style and other factors relevant to the job. For instance, a common interview question is “What are your strengths and weaknesses?” The candidate will usually be given a chance to ask any questions at the end of the interview. These questions are strongly encouraged since they allow the interviewee to acquire more information about the job and the company, but they can also demonstrate the candidate’s strong interest in them. When an interviewer asks about the weaknesses of a candidate, they are acknowledging the fact that they are not perfect. However, the interviewer is not really interested in their weaknesses but how they may make up for them. It also displays the skill of self-reflection and the pursuit for self-improvement.

(The text is retrieved from the Internet at http://www.acetheinterview.com/interview/

as of 5 March 2012 and modified as compared with the original)

2. Discuss in groups of three or four students the following issues: 1) What are person’s strengths and weaknesses? 2) Is the interviewer really interested in candidate’s weaknesses when he asks him about them? 3) Why is it important for the candidate to ask questions at the end of the interview?

Step 3 (Listening –Speaking-Writing)

1. Listen to the dialogues in the video piece “Describe Your Greatest Strengths and Weaknesses” and make up the list of candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. Discuss these lists in groups of two-three students. Compare each candidate’s first and second attempt to describe their strengths and weaknesses. Was the second one really better than the first and in which way? (you have ten minutes for discussion).

2. Using the list of candidates’ strengths and weaknesses from video piece in exercise 1 make up the list of your own strengths and weaknesses. You have time until the end of the class to do the assignment.

3. Home Assignment:

1) Make up the list of your personal strengths and weaknesses (you may use the lists made by you in previous class activities).

2) Do exercises 1, 2 from Unit 4 in the Workbook.

3) Find out in the Internet more information on Job Interview. Be ready to present your findings to other students next class.

Workbook

Unit 4 Job Interview

1. In response to your letter with a resume you may be invited to have an interview at the Personnel Department. It is very important to make a good impression in the course of interview. It’s up to you to choose reading the text A, B or C. Write out all the words you do not know the meaning of. Pay special attention to the underlined words and word combinations.