Warm up

10

Discuss these questions in groups.

a) Have you ever had a job interview? If so, describe to the other students in the
group what happened and how you felt before, during and after the interview.
Describe the experience in as much detail as you can.
b) What advice would you give to an interviewee about dress and body
language?
c) What else can an interviewee do in order to create the best possible
impression at the interview?

d) Have you ever had a job interview? If so, describe to the other students in the
group what happened and how you felt before, during and after the interview.
Describe the experience in as much detail as you can.
e) What advice would you give to an interviewee about dress and body
language?
f) What else can an interviewee do in order to create the best possible
impression at the interview?

Presentation
1 Below are some typical interview questions.
Do you like routine tasks / regular hours?
Why do you think you would like this type of work?
What is your general impression of your last company?
How interested are you in sport?
Do you make your opinions known when you disagree with the views of your
supervisor?
f) What kinds of decisions are most difficult for you?
g) What is your greatest strength?
h) Do you prefer working with others or alone?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

With a partner, discuss how you think it would be appropriate to answer these
questions if you were at an interview for a job:

In middle management in a supermarket chain

As a driving instructor
As a chef
Of the kind that you would like to apply for.

Look at the possible answers. Match the answers (1-8) to their questions
(a-h).
1 Always answer positively. Keep your real feelings to yourself whatever they
might be. Your answer is Very good or Excellent. Then smile and wait for the
next question.

2 Your answer in part might be: I believe in planning and proper management of
my time and yet I can still work well under pressure.

A trick question. The interviewer knows from experience that most graduates
3 are hopeless employees until they come to terms with such facts of life. You
could say: Theres no problem there. A company expects to make a profit, so
the doors have to be open for business on a regular basis.
4 If you can, state that you come from an environment where input is encouraged
when it helps the teams ability to get the job done efficiently.

5 A recent survey of management personnel found that the executives who listed
group sports among their extracurricular activities made an average of 3,000 a
year more than their sedentary colleagues. Dont you just love football
suddenly?

6 This question is usually asked to determine whether you are a team player.
Before answering, however, be sure that you know whether the job requires
you to work alone.

7 You are human, admit it, but be careful what you admit. If you have ever had to
fire someone you are in luck because no one likes to do that.

This is a deceptively simple question because there is no pat answer. It is

8 usually asked to see whether you really understand what the specific job and
profession entail on a day-to-day basis.

Do you think the advice provided is appropriate for the kind of job that you might
consider applying for?

Production

The interview
Divide the students into pairs. Each pair is sitting at a table, and has to interview a
classmate, who wants the job. The interview various classmates in turn. The jobs
offered are: nurse, journalist, teacher, dancer, flight attendant and secretary, etc.
At the end, each pair decides who is going to get the job.