BEP 289 - Interviews Skills 1: Talking about Experience

Hello and welcome back to Business English Pod.

My name’s Edwin, and I’ll be your host for
today’s lesson on talking about your work
experience during a job interview.

A job interview might just be one of the most

stressful experiences in our working lives. The
stakes are high, because there’s a job on the
line. And it’s our one and only shot to show
people why they should choose us over all the
other applicants.

So how do you convince someone you’re the best candidate? Well, you need to
answer their questions, of course. But you also need to look behind the questions to
see what the interviewer is trying to learn about you. And you need to take the
questions as opportunities to impress.

Fortunately, there are techniques and language you can learn to help you make a
great impression. You can highlight transferable learning from your previous
experience. You can also highlight accomplishments and their impact as well as
describing your personality. And finally, you can show why you want to work for the
company. In today’s lesson, we’ll learn how to use these techniques in a job
interview.

In the dialog, you’ll hear Ryan, who’s interviewing for a job at a large software
company. Two managers from the company – Sandra and Victor – are asking
questions about Ryan’s experience and personality.

As you listen to the dialog, try to answer the following questions:

1. What does Ryan say he learned at his previous job?

2. Ryan describes one of his accomplishments. What does he say was the impact
of that accomplishment?
3. How does Ryan describe his own personality?

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 1

Vocabulary

To take an approach: to do something in a particular way or with a particular

method; “Because the economy isn’t strong right now, we’ve decided to take a slow
approach to growth over the next few years.”

Agile: a method of managing projects that stresses flexibility, adapting to changing

needs, and cross-functional teams; “Since we adopted more agile methods of
development, we are much less stressed when the customer makes late changes to
requirements.”

Scrum: an agile approach to software development that involves small self-

organizing teams completing well-defined pieces of work in short periods; “I enjoy
working in a scrum environment because I feel a regular sense of accomplishment
and can see the results of our work.”

UX: user experience; UX involves designing technology to improve a user’s

satisfaction by stressing ease of use and pleasure; “It’s pretty clear from this
terrible website that this company knows nothing about UX.”

To drive something: to give the power or reason for something; “It’s not just
money that drives people to work but also creativity and a desire to make a
contribution.”

To stand out: to be different or especially notable or memorable; “What really stood

out for me at the conference was the keynote address on Saturday morning about
work-life balance.”

To lead a push: to organize an attempt to do something; “I led a push to reduce

waste in our office because I believe in sustainable practices; besides, we have
saved several thousand dollars a month.”

Sprint: in agile software development, a sprint is a repeating period of time – often

two and four weeks – to complete a piece of work for review; “At the beginning of
each sprint, we have a team meeting to plan who will do what and discuss possible
challenges.”

Discipline: a subject or field of study; “Although I work for an engineering firm, my

training is in a completely different discipline: microbiology.”

Lead: a person assigned to lead or manage something; “Okay Dale, I’d like you to
act as lead on this whole web redesign project.”

On the same page: if people or groups are “on the same page,” they understand a
situation in the same way or agree on something; “There’s some conflict at the
executive level, as the CFO and CTO are not on the same page about strategy.”

Intended outcomes: what you want to happen at the end of a project or plan; “You
know, better team morale wasn’t one of the intended outcomes of the project, but
I’m glad it happened.”

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 2

Team dynamics: the relationships and feeling among members of a team; “Maybe
to improve team dynamics we just need to all relax and have fun together.”

LAMP stack: an open-source Web development platform using Linux, Apache,

MySQL and PHP; “Besides being highly secure, LAMP is appealing to us for this
project because it’s much less expensive than other platforms.”

Push: an organized effort to do something; “To support our push to recruit more
smart young workers, we’ve tried to make the office a more casual and fun
environment.”

To come up with something: to think of an idea or plan; “We’ve got a great new product
here, but unless we come up with a good marketing plan, nobody will buy it.”

Process-oriented: focused on how things are done or accomplished, not just what is
done or accomplished; “I thought Linda worked too slowly, but I see now that she’s
just very process-oriented, which is good for team balance.”

To take the initiative: to do something first, without waiting to be asked or told to

do it; “Our salespeople work very independently, so we need someone who can
take the initiative and find new customers on their own.”

“So to speak:” when you explain something in words or terms that might be
unusual, you can follow it with “so to speak;” “Tanis has more experience than the
other candidates, but she seems a bit too… all over the place, so to speak.”

To touch on something: to mention something or be related to something; “Well

Ken, I agree with your assessment, and I think you’ve touched on the importance
of fiscal responsibility.”

Established: an “established” organization or company has existed for a long time and is
therefore stable or has a good reputation; “In the investing world, a blue chip company
is an established and financially secure business that comes with low risk.”

To adapt: to change to fit new circumstances or situations; “It can be very difficult
for older workers to adapt quickly to changes in technology.”

To intern with: to work for little or no pay at a company in order to gain experience,
especially for students or recent graduates; “In my senior year, I interned with
KPMG in Boston, where I learned from some of the best accountants in the region.”

Platform: a place or situation that allows other things to happen; “A fresh round of
investment would give us a platform for growing our product line.”

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 3

Dialog

Sandra: So we’ve been talking about some of the projects you were involved in,
Ryan, and the different product teams. From this it sounds like the company took
an agile approach, is that correct?

Ryan: Yes, that’s right. More specifically, we used scrum. So we had mixed teams
for all the products. And for me, that was a great experience working with people
from design and marketing in one team like that. That really helped me see how
everything fits together and how UX drives the whole process.

Victor: I see. And so, within that kind of environment, what stands out for you
that you’re particularly proud of?

Ryan: Well, besides contributing to some really great software, I led a push to
improve team training. You know, sometimes during a sprint, you’ve got different
disciplines speaking slightly different languages. So I worked with our training
lead to develop some short courses… with the aim of getting everyone on the
same page as it were.

Victor: Interesting. And so how did this impact the teams? I mean did it have the
intended outcomes?

Ryan: Yes, I think so. It improved communication and team dynamics. And that
made us more efficient. So when our developers were talking about working on a
“LAMP stack,” for example, we could all get what they’re saying and get things
done quicker, with less confusion.

Sandra: Okay, so this push for training… this was something you came up with?

Ryan: Yes, that’s right. I’m quite process-oriented, and when I see the possibility
for improvements, I tend to take the initiative. Make things happen, so to speak.
It was a small company, and management really encouraged this kind of thing. So
they gave me the space to do it.

Victor: Okay and that touches on what I wanted to ask you about next… I’m
wondering if you see any possible challenges in working for a much larger and more
established company? Are you worried things might be slower, or less flexible?

Ryan: Well, I understand it might be less agile overall, because of your size. But I
think I am flexible, and I can adapt. After all, I interned with EBS… perhaps one
of the most traditional companies out there. And I believe a bigger company can
offer me better opportunities. A larger platform, and a better chance of making an
impact.

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 4

Debrief

Now let’s go through the dialog again and look at the language and techniques
Ryan used in the interview. We join the interview just as they’ve been talking about
Ryan’s experience at his previous company.

Sandra: So we’ve been talking about some of the projects you were involved in,
Ryan, and the different product teams. From this it sounds like the company took
an agile approach, is that correct?

When we “take an approach” to something, we use a particular way of thinking or

methods do deal with the issue. And “agile” is a special approach to software
development that involves self-organizing teams that can change quickly. By
mentioning agile development, Sandra is sort of testing Ryan to see if he’s familiar
with such ideas. So is he?

Ryan: Yes, that’s right. More specifically, we used scrum. So we had mixed teams
for all the products. And for me, that was a great experience working with people
from design and marketing in one team like that. That really helped me see how
everything fits together and how UX drives the whole process.

Ryan immediately shows that he knows what agile development is, and even
mentions a more specific idea of “scrum.” As Ryan explains, this meant they had
teams of people from different areas. But he doesn’t only show that he knows what
these ideas are about. He also shows how his learning might be transferable to
other situations. As he says, he sees how things fit together and how important
“UX,” or user experience is.

So, when you’re asked about your experience, don’t just describe what you did.
Explain what you learned that might be transferable to other situations. Let’s
practice some more ways of doing this:

§ What was really useful was seeing how the entire distribution system worked.
§ Because I had to work with so many different people, I think I’ve learned a lot
about teamwork.
§ Managing difficult projects really helped me learn how to delegate effectively.
§ I think my experience taught me how to balance speed and quality.

Now let’s hear how Ryan deals with the next question.

Victor: I see. And so, within that kind of environment, what stands out for you
that you’re particularly proud of?

Ryan: Well, besides contributing to some really great software, I led a push to
improve team training.

Victor has asked about what “stands out” for Ryan in his previous experience. That
means what is especially important. And Ryan doesn’t hesitate to highlight an
important accomplishment. To do this, notice that he uses a strong verb, saying he
“led” something. In this case, he led a “push,” or effort to improve team training.

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 5

Highlighting accomplishments is a great way to impress an interviewer, so let’s try
some more ways of using strong verbs to talk about the great things you’ve done.

§ I achieved a 30% increase in sales in our region over the last two years.
§ I spearheaded an initiative to break into the European market.
§ I oversaw the successful merger of our company with a major competitor.
§ I devised a new system of scheduling that vastly improved efficiency.

Just stating your accomplishment is usually not enough though. It’s a good idea to
give some explanation or background, as Ryan does. Let’s listen.

Ryan: You know, sometimes during a sprint, you’ve got different disciplines
speaking slightly different languages. So I worked with our training lead to develop
some short courses… with the aim of getting everyone on the same page as it were.

In his explanation, Ryan mentions a “sprint,” which is a period of work in an agile

scrum. He then explains how people in different “disciplines,” or areas, don’t always
communicate perfectly, which explains why he developed some team training. So
notice how Ryan’s answer to this question actually reinforces what he was talking
about before. The interviewers asked about the agile approach, so Ryan chooses an
accomplishment that relates to that approach.

What’s the next question for Ryan?

Victor: Interesting. And so how did this impact the teams? I mean did it have the
intended outcomes?

Ryan: Yes, I think so. It improved communication and team dynamics. And that
made us more efficient.

The question is about impact, or about what change Ryan’s accomplishment made
in the company. And Ryan states very directly the positive things that happened
because of his training initiative. He mentions that it improved communication and
made it more efficient, both very positive ideas that help to emphasize the impact
of his actions.

Even if an interviewer doesn’t ask about the impact of an achievement, you should
mention it. After all, what you do is only as important as the benefits it brings to the
company. So let’s run through some other ways of stating direct and positive impacts.

§ So, what happened as a result was that we saw an improvement in morale and
a more positive workplace overall.
§ In the end, we were able to cut three hours off the per-unit production time.
§ This meant that we could plan better and waste less time.
§ Because of this, I managed to bring in a dozen new clients.

Ryan did a good job of stating directly what the impacts were. But your ideas are
always stronger when you can give specific examples. Let’s hear Ryan’s example of
improved communication, along with Sandra’s next question.

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 6

Ryan: So when our developers were talking about working on a “LAMP stack,” for
example, we could all get what they’re saying and get things done quicker, with
less confusion.

Sandra: Okay, so this push for training… this was something you came up with?

Sandra wants to know if the training idea is something Ryan “came up with,” or
thought of himself. At this point, she’s trying to figure out Ryan’s approach to work
and his personality. For example, is he the kind of person who comes up with ideas
and makes them happen? Or is he the kind of person who takes direction from
others? Let’s find out.

Ryan: Yes, that’s right. I’m quite process-oriented, and when I see the possibility
for improvements, I tend to take the initiative. Make things happen, so to speak.
It was a small company, and management really encouraged this kind of thing. So
they gave me the space to do it.

Notice how Ryan has taken the opportunity to describe his own personality. He says he’s
“process-oriented,” which means he cares a lot about how things are done, not just
results. And he “takes the initiative,” which means he doesn’t just wait for direction from
others. These are – or can be – positive qualities in the type of work Ryan does.

Of course, interviewers want to know what kind of person you are. But they don’t
find out by asking directly. They have to figure it out from your actions and ideas.
You can help them understand you better by seeing opportunities to describe your
personality in positive terms. Let’s practice some more ways of doing this.

§ I’m the kind of person who wants to make sure everyone’s happy about the
direction of the group.
§ In most cases, I’m very outgoing and like to meet new people.
§ I tend to look on the positive side of things and see opportunities rather than problems.
§ I’m more of a thinker than a talker.

Now let’s get back to the interview. Remember that Ryan just mentioned that his
previous company was small, and encouraged people to take the initiative.

Victor: Okay and that touches on what I wanted to ask you about next… I’m
wondering if you see any possible challenges in working for a much larger and more
established company? Are you worried things might be slower, or less flexible?

Victor is asking a pretty tough question here. Ryan described a positive aspect of a small
company, but now he’s applying at a large one. He has to admit that there are
challenges or differences. But he also needs to give a reason for his career move.

Ryan: Well, I understand it might be less agile overall, because of your size. But I
think I am flexible, and I can adapt. After all, I interned with EBS… perhaps one of
the most traditional companies out there. And I believe a bigger company can offer me
better opportunities. A larger platform, and a better chance of making an impact.

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 7

As you heard, Ryan admitted that a large company might be less agile. But then he
turned the issue around to talk about his own positive characteristics. He says that
he is flexible and can “adapt,” or change to new situations. And he explains why he
wants to work for a large company, saying that he’ll have better opportunities and
greater impact.

A job interview isn’t just about showing you’ve got the right skills and experience. It’s
about showing you’ve got the desire and drive to work for the company. So let’s try
some more ways of explaining why you want to work at the place you’re applying.

§ Your company is doing some really innovative things, and that’s appealing to me.
§ I’m really interested in being a part of a company with such a great reputation for service.
§ A family-owned and family-run business like yours has values I can connect with.
§ I’d be thrilled to work at a place where so many of the greatest advances in
hardware have been made.

Ryan has done a good job in this part of the interview talking about his knowledge,
his experience, his personality, and his reasons for wanting to work at the
company. In our next lesson, Ryan’s going to face some even tougher questions.

Now let’s practice some of the language we learned in today’s lesson. Imagine you
are interviewing for a job as a sales manager with a sports equipment company.
You are talking about your experience, accomplishments, and personality. During
the role-play, you’ll hear some questions from the interviewer, then I’ll give you
some suggestions for how you can respond. We’ll guide you through each step of
the practice and provide an example answer for each response.

Ready? Let’s give it a go.

Cue 1: So, it sounds like you managed a pretty big range of products at Flex Athletics?
Start by saying that the experience really showed you the importance of product
knowledge.
Answer:

Cue 2: It certainly is. And tell me, what do you think is your most important
accomplishment there?
Now say that you helped to increase annual sales by 30% in two years.
Answer:

Cue 3: I see. A 30% increase is fairly substantial.

Next, say that the growth in sales helped the company expand into new markets.
Answer:

Cue 4: Okay, so if I may ask, why leave a growing company to come work for us?
Finally, say that you want to work for a company that really emphasizes quality.
Answer:

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 8

Answer 1: Yes, I did, and it really showed me how important product knowledge is.
Answer 2: Well, I’m proud of helping increase annual sales by 30% in two years.
Answer 3: Yes, and that sales growth helped us expand into new markets.
Answer 4: Well, I want to work for a company that really emphasizes quality.

Now 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 a word replaced with a
beep. Repeat each sentence, including the missing word.

For example, if you hear:

Example Cue: As regional manager, I led a <beep> to improve employee benefits.

You can say:

Example Answer: As regional manager, I led a push to improve employee benefits.

After each response, we’ll provide the correct answer. Let’s begin.

Cue 1: I’m the type of person who takes the <beep> instead of waiting for direction.
Answer:

Cue 2: Better brand awareness is one of the intended <beep> of our marketing campaign.
Answer:

Cue 3: At my previous company, we took a very slow <beep> to negotiations.

Answer:

Cue: I called a meeting to make sure everyone on the team was on the same <beep>.
Answer:

Answer 1: I’m the type of person who takes the initiative instead of waiting for
direction.
Answer 2: Better brand awareness is one of the intended outcomes of our marketing
campaign.
Answer 3: At my previous company, we took a very slow approach to negotiations.
Answer 4: I called a meeting to make sure everyone on the team was on the same page.

We’ve reached the end of this lesson, the first in our series on job interviews in
English. We’ve learned how to highlight transferable learning, and how to show
your accomplishments and their impact. We’ve also covered how to describe your
personality and explain why you want to work at a company. These techniques are
sure to get your interview on the right track.

Thanks for listening and see you again soon!

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 9

Language Review

A. Review Quiz

For each question, you must choose the sentence that best fulfills the given
language function or purpose.

1. How might you highlight specific transferable learning from a previous

experience?

a) I believe working with tight deadlines really taught me how to make good
decisions quickly.
b) I think I managed to get along pretty well with all sorts of people at my last
workplace.
c) I have a natural tendency to spend a lot of time preparing for everything I do.

2. Which of the following is a good way to highlight an accomplishment?

a) I served on a committee that was tasked with making recommendations on

hiring practices.
b) I was asked to help out with a new marketing plan.
c) I led a major effort to cut costs throughout our division.

3. How can you emphasize the impact of your previous actions?

a) As a result of my plan, we saw a 14% increase in monthly leads.

b) I’m quite proud of my contribution, since I think it’s some of the best design
work I’ve done.
c) I received positive feedback from my teammates on my work.

4. What would be a good way to describe your personality?

a) I think I’ve got the right knowledge and skills for this job.
b) I tend to be very optimistic and look on the bright side of things.
c) I think my former employer will tell you I’m an excellent salesman.

5. How might you explain why you want to work at a company?

a) I’m really interested in finding a place where I can move into a management
role quickly.
b) I’d love to work for a company that has such a great reputation for quality.
c) I think I have a lot to offer a company like yours.

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 10

B. Vocabulary and Idioms

Fill in the blanks with words from the box below. Be sure to put any verbs in the
right tense.

take drive stand

established intended same

1. I think what really _____________ me is a commitment to good customer

service and satisfaction.

2. If Dan doesn’t understand your position, then just sit down with him and talk it
out until you’re on the _____________ page.

3. Well, do any of these candidate _____________ out for you as someone who
would fit our team well?

4. At the beginning of the project, you need to work with the client to create a
very clear list of _____________ outcomes.

5. After 15 years with a large and _____________ company, it’s really nice to be
with a smaller company where everyone has more input.

6. At Polis Inc. I learned that it’s not a good idea to _____________ an aggressive
approach with intelligent customers.

Study Strategy

An important part of any job interview is describing your previous work experience.
But you can’t just provide a list of activities. You need to make those activities
meaningful. And to do that, you can highlight transferable learning and discuss the
impact of your actions.

Think about some of your accomplishments and activities at your current job. Write
down some things that you’re especially proud of. Now think about the impact of
those activities, and think about what you learned from the experiences that you
could apply somewhere else. Write down your impacts and learnings beside the
activities and accomplishments.

Now, with a colleague or friend, practice talking about your experience. Your
partner can begin by asking you to discuss an accomplishment. Then you can
describe what you did and explain its impact and what you learned. Continue and
describe your other accomplishments as well. When you’re done, switch roles and
let your partner try.

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 11

Answers

Listening Questions

1. Ryan says that he learned how different areas fit together and how UX drives
the design process.
2. Ryan says that his accomplishment improved communication, team dynamics,
and efficiency.
3. Ryan says that he is process-oriented and likes to take the initiative.

A. Review Quiz

1. a; 2. c; 3. a; 4. b; 5. b

B. Vocabulary and Idioms

1. I think what really drives me is a commitment to good customer service and

satisfaction.

2. If Dan doesn’t understand your position, then just sit down with him and talk it
out until you’re on the same page.

3. Well, do any of these candidate stand out for you as someone who would fit
our team well?

4. At the beginning of the project, you need to work with the client to create a
very clear list of intended outcomes.

5. After 15 years with a large and established company, it’s really nice to be with
a smaller company where everyone has more input.

6. At Polis Inc. I learned that it’s not a good idea to take an aggressive approach
with intelligent customers.

© 2016 All rights reserved: www.businessenglishpod.com 12