You're listening to Business English Pod, the Business English podcast for professionals on the move.
Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod.
My name's Edwin and I'll be your host for today's lesson on dealing with difficult interview situations.
We all know that job interviews are stressful and we all know that one of the keys to reducing that stress is good preparation.
But sometimes, no matter how well prepared we are, we find ourselves in tough situations.
Maybe we are asked to talk about a weakness, or maybe we don't know important information about the company where we're interviewing.
Whatever interview difficulty we are facing, we need to take a deep breath, remain calm and show confidence.
Fortunately, we can learn language techniques to help us succeed in these tough interviews.
In today's lesson we'll look at showing how a weakness stems from a positive, how we've tried to change a weakness and how we are a team player.
We will also look at showing general industry knowledge and asking good questions.
We will hear two short dialogues today.
In the first, we'll hear Sarah interviewing for a position as a buyer at a large retail chain.
She's being interviewed by Nick.
In the second dialogue, we'll hear Simon interviewing for a position as a bank manager.
He's being interviewed by Charlene.
As you listen to the dialogue, try to answer the following questions.
1.
What reason does Sarah give for her stubbornness?
2.
What has Sarah done to change her stubbornness?
3.
What does Simon say he understands about the banking industry?
Yes, right.
What are my weaknesses?
Well, I guess I would have to say that I can be rather stubborn and insistent on my opinion at times.
Stubborn and insistent?
How do you mean exactly?
Well, I really think it's because I like things to be done right the first time, every time.
I have high standards, I guess you could say, and that can come across as stubbornness some of the time.
I see.
And other people have told you this?
Yes, I've heard it from time to time, including from my mentor at Fulton Enterprises.
So I made a conscious effort to follow his advice and in some of the minor issues I realize I just need to compromise.
Well, that's certainly a good thing.
In many ways, compromising is a skill in itself, don't you think?
Yes, and it's a skill that is crucial to good teamwork.
I mean, I believe we should all bring different work styles to the table and that different personalities can balance each other out.
But in the end, we need to find common ground through compromise.
Now let's go through the dialogue again and look at the language and techniques Sarah used in her interview.
We join the dialogue as Sarah responds to a very common interview question.
Tell me about your weaknesses.
Yes, right.
What are my weaknesses?
Well, I guess I would have to say that I can be rather stubborn and insistent on my opinion at times.
Stubborn and insistent?
How do you mean exactly?
Sarah admits to being rather stubborn or demanding.
Talking about your weaknesses is a classic interview situation.
You should notice right away that Sarah uses expressions that help to downplay or minimize the weakness.
She says, I can be, which means only sometimes, and rather, which means not completely.
Sarah also says that she's stubborn at times, which again means it's not how she acts all the time.
Using these minimizing expressions helps Sarah give the impression that her stubbornness and insistence are not serious problems.
But Nick probes for more details about these weaknesses.
So how does Sarah respond?
Well, I really think it's because I like things to be done right the first time, every time.
I have high standards, I guess you could say, and that can come across as stubbornness some of the time.
Sarah has been asked about her weakness, but she is actually talking about her own positive qualities, such as wanting to do things right and having high standards.
She shows confidence in her answer by saying I really think, but she avoids sounding overconfident with the expression.
I guess you could say
And you may notice that she is careful to add some of the time, once again to emphasize that she doesn't always appear stubborn.
In the end, Sarah skillfully turned a question about her stubbornness into an answer about her high standards, which is a good thing.
In an interview, it can be very effective to show how your weakness stems from a positive quality.
So let's practice a few more examples.
Well, I think I can be a bit impatient because I like work to be done on time.
I believe that I avoid scheduling duties because I want to have the flexibility to respond to situations as they come up.
Multitasking may be a weakness because I like to focus all my attention in order to do things well.
I might take too long with some tasks because I really want the work to be perfect.
Now, let's listen as Nick probes further.
I see.
And other people have told you this?
Yes, I've heard it from time to time, including from my mentor at Fulton Enterprises.
So I made a conscious effort to follow his advice and in some of the minor issues I realize I just need to compromise.
Sarah doesn't just show she knows about her own weakness.
She explains how she's tried to change it.
She has made a conscious effort or tried very hard to follow her mentor's advice and to compromise more.
In other words, she has tried to be less stubborn.
What are some other ways we can explain steps we've taken to change a weakness?
Let's run through a few more examples.
I've taken some courses in leadership so that I can motivate teams better.
With my assistants help, I've created a system to prioritize tasks and stay organized.
To improve my writing, I now have an editing checklist I use after every draft.
Rather than saying later, I now set appointment and meeting times right away.
Now back to the dialogue as Nick digs deeper into Sarah's attitude to compromise.
Well, that's certainly a good thing.
In many ways, compromising is a skill in itself, don't you think?
Yes, and it's a skill that is crucial to good teamwork.
I mean, I believe we should all bring different work styles to the table and that different personalities can balance each other out.
But in the end, we need to find common ground through compromise.
Nick has asked Sarah whether she believes compromising is a skill, and Sarah sees an opportunity.
She agrees, saying that compromising is crucial or necessary for good teamwork.
Teamwork is the key here.
Talking about our weaknesses might make it sound like we don't work well with others, but Sarah emphasizes that different work styles and personalities can create balance on teams.
She's really saying that.
Because she tries to compromise and because teams need balance, her stubbornness won't have a negative impact.
Let's run through some more ways of showing that you're a team player.
I think changing the way I work has really helped the groups I've worked with.
With open communication, I think we can all help each other overcome these kinds of weaknesses.
I think I can recognize how my habits affect the group and that's a really good reason to find ways to change them.
Sarah has done a great job of taking a question about her weaknesses and turning them around to talk about her positive qualities.
Now, let's practice some of the language we just learned with a role play.
Imagine you are being interviewed for a job as a salesperson.
You'll need to respond to questions about a weakness.
First, you'll show how the weakness stems from a positive.
Then, you'll mention what you've done to correct the weakness.
And finally, you'll show you're a team player.
At each step, you'll hear a prompt spoken by the interviewer.
Then, I'll give you some suggestions for the language you can use to respond.
We'll guide you through each step in the practice and play an example answer for each response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
So, you say that you often hesitate to speak up in group situations.
Start by saying that this weakness comes from thinking carefully before speaking.
Yes, but I think this comes from the fact that I like to think carefully before speaking.
And have you tried to change this tendency at all?
Now, tell the interviewer that you now prepare a list of ideas first so you feel more confident.
Answer.
Well, I now prepare my ideas before a meeting so I feel more confident.
And has this worked for you?
Now, tell the interviewer that it has really helped you to be a more active part of Teams.
Answer.
Yes, and I've really been able to make a more active contribution to teams.
Great work.
Now, let's move on to our next tough interview situation.
Remember, you'll hear Simon interviewing for a job as a bank manager.
During the interview, Simon shows that he didn't know important information about the company.
So how does he handle it?
Let's listen and find out.
Oh, really?
Well, no.
To be honest, I wasn't aware that you had bought out both Harris and Riptide.
Oh, I would have thought you'd have heard about that.
It was all over the news.
Yes.
Well, I certainly understand there's been a lot of MA activity in the banking sector over the last few years.
It's really a different landscape today, particularly with moves into Latin America by the big players.
Yes, the industry is changing quite rapidly.
Very rapidly, for sure.
And I'd be curious to know, if you don't mind me asking, what sort of impact this might have on your long-term strategy.
Will the focus on growth continue?
So, how did Simon deal with the fact that he didn't know important company information?
Let's go through the dialogue again.
Oh, really?
Well, no.
To be honest, I wasn't aware that you had bought out both Harris and Riptide.
Oh, I would have thought you'd have heard about that.
It was all over the news.
In this interview, Simon uses the expression to be honest, to admit that he didn't know that the bank where he's applying bought out or purchased two other banks.
The interviewer sounds surprised, and so Simon is now in a tough situation.
He just showed that he doesn't know important information about the company.
So how does Simon deal with this situation?
Yes well, I certainly understand there's been a lot of MA activity in the banking sector over the last few years.
It's really a different landscape today, particularly with moves into Latin America by the big players.
To make up for his lack of knowledge of the company, Simon shows his overall knowledge of the industry.
He uses language common to the industry, such as M&A activity, or mergers and acquisitions.
And he gives some specifics about his understanding, mentioning Latin America and the big players, meaning big banks.
In this way, Simon is showing that he understands the industry, even if he wasn't up to date on the company's news.
Let's practice some more ways of showing we understand the industry in which the company operates.
Well, I understand that increased transportation costs have affected a lot of manufacturers.
If the government tightens import controls, local producers may really benefit.
I really think there are opportunities in the mobile space that haven't been explored.
With so much more competition, it's not surprising prices have come down.
Now Simon is going to go one step further in dealing with his lack of company knowledge.
Let's listen.
Yes, the industry is changing quite rapidly.
Very rapidly, for sure.
And I'd be curious to know, if you don't mind me asking, what sort of impact this might have on your long-term strategy.
Will the focus on growth continue?
If Simon appeared to lack information about the company before, then it's smart for him to ask good questions to become better informed.
Notice he uses polite language to introduce his question, saying I'd be curious to know and, if you don't mind me asking,
And his question relates directly to what he appeared to lack information about.
Growth Strategy.
What are some other ways we can ask good questions to become better informed during an interview?
Let's try a few more examples.
I'm curious to know how the changes in reporting requirements have affected the company.
With technology changing so quickly, how does your company respond?
If I may ask, what's the company's approach to customer service?
Are you currently outsourcing a lot of your administrative functions?
Now let's practice the language we just learned with another short role play.
Imagine again that you're interviewing for a job as a salesperson.
The job is with an equipment manufacturer.
You'll need to show general industry knowledge, then ask a good question about the company.
Remember to listen to the prompt by the interviewer and my suggestions for language you can use in your response.
Ready?
Let's give it a go.
I'm surprised you didn't know we do most of our manufacturing in India.
Show that you understand that India is a great place for manufacturers because of the low costs.
Answer.
Yes, well, I understand that it's a very inexpensive place for manufacturing.
Yes, it is, and they have a really great skilled workforce as well.
Now ask if there are challenges to managing the workforce.
And do you find there are challenges to managing that workforce?
To finish off, let's practice some of the vocabulary and collocations we've covered in this lesson.
In a moment, you'll hear a series of sentences with the word replaced with a beep.
Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.
For example, if you hear, You can say, Bob, sometimes your seriousness comes across as anger.
After each response, we'll play the correct answer.
Let's begin.
I think we all need to make a conscious to keep the office cleaner.
Answer.
I think we all need to make a conscious effort to keep the office cleaner.
Unfortunately, our financial problems have been all over the... lately.
Answer.
Unfortunately, our financial problems have been all over the news lately.
If we want to reach an agreement, we both need to... a little.
Answer.
If we want to reach an agreement, we both need to compromise a little.
Answer.
I'm lucky to have a great mentor who has taught me how to be a good manager.
We've reached the end of this lesson, the first in our series on difficult interview situations.
We've learned how to show that a weakness stems from a positive quality, that you've improved on a weakness and that you're a team player.
We've also looked at how to make up for lack of company knowledge by showing general industry knowledge and how to ask good questions to become better informed.
In the next lesson, we'll see how Sarah and Simon handle some more difficult questions.
How will they recover from these situations?
You'll have to tune in to find out.
Thanks for listening, and see you again soon.
