Interview Skills Web Reading Tasks
This page has links to some articles on interview techniques for the web together with some tasks to help you analyse them. Links to words on the "Cambridge International Dictionary of English" site are marked the (CD) after them, click "Back" in your browser to return to this page.
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Web Reading Tasks:
Note: You won't actually learn as much if you don't write down the lists where you are asked to below.
Task One
Aim: To help you to think about what interview techniques you already know, to possibly add some new ones and to understand what is particularly important to remember and what issues may not apply to you.
Before reading: Write down a short list of the most important things to do to prepare for, and during, an interview.
As you read: The article is about the "Dos and Don'ts of Interviews". This is a rather American oriented (CD) article and could probably be better organised. It is very anecdotal, (CD) that is, it uses a lot of little "stories" to make its point, not necessarily a bad thing but it might be a bit difficult for you to read. Some of it is of limited use in Hong Kong.
As you read the article and prioritise (CD) the points it gives. Write down a list with the most important for you at the top, followed by the second most important and so on, leave out points that do not seem very important. I have made my list below. Obviously my list and yours will be different to some extent, it doesn't matter if there are small differences, but if you have put the points that I feel are the most important near the bottom of your list (or left them out), try to think about your reasons and be sure that you are correct for your situation.
You can go to the article by clicking here: "Dos and Don'ts of Interviews" . The site will open in a different window. (You can look up the phrase "Dos and Don'ts" in the Cambridge dictionary of Idioms, accessible from their dictionary homepage, click here to go to it.)
To look at the points on my list and the comments click on the end of the box.
Tip: Whilst all of the points below are in the article not all are chosen as a different "do" or "don't" (i.e. a different point).
Task Two
Aim: To help you to anticipate (CD) and plan answers to possible interview questions.
Before reading: Write down fifteen possible questions that you could be asked in a job interview you imagine you might have, leave a double line space between each question. Then look at your list and rank them in order of the most likely to be asked to the least likely. If you cannot think of fifteen questions it may be that you do not have a good enough understanding of the situation you are going to face. Try to talk to somebody who has done some similar interviewing to get more information.
As you read: Look at the pages below (they are all from one site) and compare your list to the suggested questions. On reflection, (CD) are there any questions included on these sites that you are more likely to be asked than the ones on your list? Put any relevant (CD) questions on your list, think hard about why you did not think of the question at first, also think about good replies. The pages will open in different windows. Close each window after looking at it.
Further reading:
"Ensure that an interview results in a job offer" Good well written article which helps you to think about your own attitudes and situation. This all seems like very sound advice to me.
Another very good article is "Reduce Your Interview Anxiety" there are tasks involving this article on the actionenglish "Interview Anxiety" page, but it does contain a lot of good advice relating to general preparation for interviews.