Successfully passing a job interview in English requires training and preparation in two key areas: language skills and interview technique.
Being in a stressful communication situation can have a negative effect on your ability to speak English well, but role-playing job interviews before the big day provides an excellent opportunity to practise real questions and answers. Online job interview preparation classes with native English teachers will give you a competitive advantage.
One of the biggest mistakes is to leave your preparation until the last minute when you are under the most pressure. This approach often leads to disappointment at interview. Start preparing in advance by learning essential job interview vocabulary and expressions. Make sure you are able to communicate freely about your profession, work experience and previous education. Do a Google search for “typical job interview questions” and get started with your Q & A. If you plan to take online sessions with a native speaker, sign up for those as soon as you have an approximate interview date on the horizon.
Employers like candidates who take an interest in their firm and what they do. Taking the time to do a little homework on your potential future company makes you look professional and motivated. Find and read information on the internet in English – the company’s history, slogan, mission, latest press releases, etc. Then think of several interesting questions to ask your interviewer based on this new knowledge. The chances are that if you make the effort to dig, you will find some genuinely interesting facts about your future employer.
If you want to perform well at interview, you have to practise through role-play, using questions that are likely to be asked by your interviewer. These can be broken down into two categories: traditional and behavioural. The first are fact-based questions, while the second are more psychological and seek to predict future performance through the analysis of past behaviour (and your thoughts on it). In western companies, it is now common to hire HR specialists with backgrounds in psychology and sociology so be prepared.
Examples of traditional questions:
“What was your reason for leaving your previous place of work?”
“Why did you choose to study Accounting at university?”
Examples of behavioural questions:
“Give me an example of a mistake you made at work and what you did to resolve it.”
“How do you handle personal disagreements with colleagues in the office?”
ONLINE JOB INTERVIEW PREPARATION
A Skype English teacher can help you prepare for a job interview, polish your CV and covering letter, and offer insights into how interviews are conducted in western companies. Native input from British or American teachers can make the difference between success and failure at interview and help you gain a head start on the competition. Sessions of this type are a good investment in your future career. To sign up for an online job interview preparation course, visit the OTUK homepage for a free consultation!
Alex Jude is the Founder & CEO of Online Teachers UK. He holds a BA hons degree in Linguistics from The University of Manchester and is a life-long English teacher. Following graduation, he spent 2002-2012 living and teaching in Russia, where he lectured in General Linguistics and Translation Studies. Alex is a fluent Russian speaker and worked with the BBC at the World Cup in 2018. In his spare time, he enjoys camping/bushcraft, playing guitar and watching rugby league.
