EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

DIALOGUE SCRIPT AND GLOSSARY

Jeremy: Good morning, Ms Ren. I’m glad to see you this morning.

Vivian: Yes, good morning. It’s nice to meet you, Mr Bonds. You have a lovely office.

Jeremy: Oh, well thank you. We’ve been in this office for about 3 years now.

Vivian: It has a fantastic view!

Jeremy: Yes, we’re very lucky. So. Why don’t we turn to you for a moment. I’ve reviewed your
c.v. and it looks impressive, indeed. I guess my first question is why you are looking to
leave your current job?

Vivian: It’s a good question! I guess for me it’s just a matter of personal fulfilment. I’ve been at
this job for over eight years now and while I’ve learned an enormous amount and I feel
really fortunate to have been given the opportunity at my current company, I suppose
after eight years it’s time to start thinking about a different course. I’m very much
interested in shifting a bit into a different industry. I like the airlines industry; it’s
something that interests me very much and would give me a whole new direction in
which to take my career in human resources.

Jeremy: Great. What did you find the most challenging in your current job?

Vivian: I would say that what was most challenging was simply managing the hectic schedule. I
had a large department and since I was the assistant manager, many of the day-to-day
tasks fell to me, things I had never done before like benefit allocation and dealing with
insurance companies. I suppose it was just those small things, many details I had to pay
close attention to. Though, having said all that, I do feel I managed very well considering
I had no prior experience in those areas. I had to learn fast!

Jeremy: And what interests you in particular about the airlines industry?

Vivian: I guess the movement it implies. The international aspects of it, the fact that I could work
with people from all over the world, have the opportunity to travel, be in a fast-paced and
competitive industry where things can change in a moment. All that seems very exciting
to me.

Jeremy: I’d like you to think for a moment and tell me about what you consider to be your two
greatest achievements so far.

Vivian: Wow. I will have to think about that one! I think advancing in my current company, from a
file clerk when I was going to school in the evenings and working all day, to becoming
the assistant manager of the department. I feel very proud about that, all the things I

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 learned and the people I met along the way. So many things I simply didn’t understand
about human resources when I started and being able to feel that I contributed an
enormous amount to the success of our company and the overall satisfaction of our
employees. So that would be the first thing. And the second achievement I’m most proud
of would be purely a personal matter: my family and their support. My kids and my
husband. They’ve always been there for me offering their support.

Jeremy: That’s great. And do you have any questions for me?

Vivian: Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. First, I guess, could you tell me what you like most about
working for this company?

Jeremy: My co-workers, of course. We are like a family here. And the feeling that the company
cares about each of us, that we aren’t just workers to them but human beings. That’s
really important to me.

Vivian: And what would you say are the qualities you associate most with the job you are
currently looking to fill?

Jeremy: Wow, you have some good questions yourself. I’d say we want someone who is
flexible, a hard worker, knowledgeable and with solid experience.

Vivian: OK…I think I have many of those qualities! Thanks. And just one more question: what’s
the next step in the interviewing process because I’m very interested in this job and
certainly want to be considered for the next stage.

Jeremy: I’d say it’s certain. We will narrow the list down to three candidates and have a second
round of interviews with the CEO and General Manager next week. Anything else?

Vivian: Just a thank you for your time. And have a great afternoon.

Jeremy: Thanks very much. You too!

Glossary:

fantastic (adjective)

extremely good, e.g.

You look fantastic in that dress.

We had a fantastic time.

They've won a holiday? How fantastic!

turn to (phrasal verb)

start a new topic of conversation, e.g.

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OK I think we've finish discussing the design plans. Let's now turn to the budget.

c.v. (noun) (abbreviation for curriculum vitae)

MAINLY UK (US USUALLY résumé) a short written description of your education, qualifications,
previous employment and sometimes also your personal interests, which you send to an
employer when you are trying to get a job.

impressive (adjective)

If an object or achievement is impressive, you admire or respect it, usually because it is special,
important or very large, e.g.

That was an impressive performance from such a young tennis player.

an impressive collection of modern paintings

There are some very impressive buildings in the town.

personal fulfilment (phrase)

a feeling of pleasure because you are getting what you want from life or some aspect of life, e.g.

She finally found personal fulfilment in motherhood.

enormous (adjective)

extremely large, e.g.

an enormous car/house

He earns an enormous salary.

I was absolutely enormous when I was pregnant.

You've been an enormous help.

fortunate (adjective)

lucky, e.g.

[+ to infinitive] You're very fortunate to have found such a lovely house.

He was fortunate in his choice of assistant.

[+ that] It was fortunate that they had left in plenty of time.

NOTE: The opposite is unfortunate.

course (noun)

direction, e.g.

Which course of action do you think we should take in this situation?

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Are we going to follow the same course?

shifting (verb)

(causing something or someone to) move or change from one position or direction to another,
especially slightly, e.g.

She shifted (her weight) uneasily from one foot to the other.

The wind is expected to shift (to the east) tomorrow.

Media attention has shifted recently onto environmental issues.

human resources (noun)

the department of an organization that deals with finding new employees, keeping records about
all the organization's employees, and helping them with any problems

challenging (adjective)

difficult, in a way that tests your ability or determination, e.g.

This has been a challenging time for us all.

His job isn't very challenging; he gets very bored.

hectic (adjective)

full of activity; very busy and fast, e.g.

a hectic schedule

The last few days have been hectic!

day-to-day (adjective)

happening every day as a regular part of your job or your life, e.g.

day-to-day activities/problems

benefit allocation (phrase)

giving out to staff of benefits such as, medical scheme, company car, etc.

no prior experience (phrase)

no previous knowledge of doing a particular task in past jobs

competitive (adjective)

concerning a type of business or industry in which companies try to be more successful than
each other

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achievements (noun)

an achievement is something very good and difficult that you have succeeded in doing, e.g.

Whichever way you look at it, an Olympic silver medal is a great achievement for one so young.

This move is his greatest achievement to date.

proud (adjective)

feeling very pleased about something you have done, something you own, or someone you know,
e.g.

She was so proud of her son.

[+ to do sth] I'm very proud to be involved in this project.

contributed (verb)

helped to cause an event or situation, e.g.

Smoking certainly contributed to his early death.

I have contributed a lot of my time to this project.

overall (adjective)

in general rather than in particular, or including all the people or things in a particular group or
situation, e.g.

The overall situation is good, despite a few minor problems.

Overall, it has been a good year.

The overall winner, after ten games, will receive $250 000.

satisfaction (noun)

a pleasant feeling which you get when you receive something you wanted, or when you have
done something you wanted to do, e.g.

She looked at the finished painting with satisfaction.

She got great satisfaction from helping other people.

For me, job satisfaction is more important than the money.

She had the satisfaction of knowing that she'd done everything she could.

purely (adverb)

only, e.g.

On a purely practical level, it is difficult to see how such proposals would work.

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We made this decision purely for financial reasons.

be there for someone (phrase)

be available to provide help and support for someone, e.g.

We haven't always been close, but she was there for me when I needed her.

Best friends are always there for each other in times of trouble.

as a matter of fact (phrase)

used to add emphasis to what you are saying, or to show that it is the opposite of or different from
what went before, e.g.

No I don't work. As a matter of fact, I've never had a job.

"Have you always lived here?" "As a matter of fact (= The truth is) I've only lived here for the last
three years".

qualities (noun)

part of the character or personality of someone or something, e.g.

leadership qualities

Joe has a lot of good qualities, but I don't think he has the ability to discipline the team.

associate (verb)

relate two things, people, etc in your mind, e.g.

Most people associate this brand with good quality.

flexible (adjective)

able to change or be changed easily according to the situation, e.g.

My schedule is quite flexible - I could arrange to meet with you any day next week.

knowledgeable (adjective)

knowing a lot, e.g

He's very knowledgeable about computer hardware.

solid (adjective)

certain or safe; of a good standard; giving confidence or support, e.g.

This provided solid evidence that he committed the crime.

We provide all new staff with solid training.

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The drama course gives students a solid grounding in the basic techniques of acting.

narrow the list down (phrase)

reduce the number of applicants on the original list to a certain number

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