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• Arrives at work looking very much as on day of interview – neat, fresh, alert, suitably dressed, and punctual.
• Attention is focused on the job so quickly learns what is required and makes use of all learning opportunities.
• Well mannered and pleasant with colleagues collaborating closely with them and avoiding conflict andconfusion.
• An orderly, methodical and effective person who does not waste time.
• Able to set priorities to avoid crisis and panic and can work well under pressure.
• Accepts criticism, and does not make the same mistakes twice.
Now, how are you going to persuade an interviewer that you have the potential to be a valuable employee?
To avoid sounding boastful, instead of stating aloud that you possess the qualities of a valuable employee, you
have instead to identify situations in which you know that you have already shown one or two of the qualities that are characteristic of a really good employee and be prepared to talk about them.
9. THE EXPERIENCE OF STUDY
You have experience as a student so you should ask yourself if there are any ways in which being a student is
similar to being an employee. Could you say any of the following things truthfully about yourself?
I have learned, as a student,
To concentrate on my work seriously and conscientiously, meeting obligations and work deadlines, and I do
all these now as a matter of habit. How necessary it is to learn from criticism of one’s work.
To take the initiative in doing research for additional information about things that interest or puzzle me.
To make good use of my computer skills in the search for information.
To work as a team member. All the projects we completed involved collaboration. Everyone had a chance
to practise all the various roles that team members are required to fill.
To manage time properly, since it is one of the most important resources.
Think of other ways you have learned, as a student, to do things that would apply to a work place. Be prepared to
talk about only two or three of them. Let the interviewer infer that you have made good use of the opportunities
you talk about. Do not boast about your achievements. If the interviewer asks you for more detail about anything,
answer concisely; be careful not to go on for too long.
10. PARTICAPTION IN EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
As a student, you probably took part in extra-curricular activities. Interviewers are interested in these because
they provide opportunities to learn practical and intellectual skills that can be transferred to the work place. So
think about the things you did in the past, e.g. field trips, visits, production of publications. However, even if you
were very active in extracurricular functions and societies, you must make clear that your university work always
had its rightful, central, place in your life – the place the interviewer expects that in future your employment will
Suppose you are a student who avoided any extra-curricular involvement. You would probably offer some
explanation. Here are some explanations you can adapt to fit you own experience:
"I had to spend 2 hours travelling every day, and I decided that in these circumstances involvement in music
was simply not practicable. I couldn’t do that and do justice to my studies."
"I had inescapable family responsibilities. I simply couldn’t commit my time to any extra-curricular or
sporting activities."
These types of explanations enable you to come over as a responsible person rather than as someone who has a
narrow range of interests or limited vitality and energy.
Next there are a few examples of how an answer to the question “Please introduce yourself!” might look.
“Please introduce yourself!” A selection of answers
Now you get a chance to practice answering this request. Read the Biographical Note (short summary of person’s
dates and academic record), and the Personal Reminder (notes made by the applicant before the interview about
things he or she thinks are important) for each student.
Try to keep your answer to the question relatively concise. After you have compared your answer with the
applicant’s, you may even be able to think of advice you could give to each applicant.
Case One: Wendy Lo
Wendy applied for a position as a Biology teacher. The advertisement was for an English teacher from an Aided
School in Hong Kong, but said that some teaching of Biology might be available for a suitably qualified
applicant.
Personal Reminder
Enjoy teaching both younger and older students. Convinced of the importance of
education to the individual and to society. Majored in Biology – but have a
long-standing interest in English Studies. Regularly watch English language TV – especially wildlife programmes. Some experience of teaching English. Keen to extend this.
Biographical Note
Born in Kowloon Tong in 1976; good grades in Primary and Secondary school.
Satisfactory grades in HKCEE and HKALE and high grades in English and Biology.
Majored in Biology in The Chinese University of Hong Kong, graduated in 1997.
Worked in 1995 and 1996 as a summer English teacher with great interest and enthusiasm. Has a letter of
recommendation from the Director of that program.
Immediately on graduation obtained a trainee-ship in Personnel Management, but was not happy or
successful in that environment so left and found full-time work as a graduate teacher of Biology. This
vacancy is for an English teacher who could teach some Biology in lower forms. It is not ideal, but Wendy
4. Very good, concise, clear, to the point, seems a strong candidate
Oh yes, Mr. Kwan, isn’t it? Do sit down. Please introduce
yourself.
Yes, I'll introduce myself. I'm Daniel Kwan. In 1997, I graduated from T he ChineseUniversity of Hong Kong. I majored in Geography. I always wanted a career in businessthough and to specialise in Personnel Management. My interests are in people, not in
The Final Phase of the Employment Interview: And now – have you any questions that
you would like to ask us?
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Some ways in which the question may be asked
You may hear the question in more than one form so any of the following are equally likely:
Don’t make the mistake of reading too much into the interviewer’s apparent good humour! Don’t, that
is, over-interpret the question. This just means that the interview is, at least from the standpoint of the
interviewer, almost at an end. Some thought beforehand could help you to make the best use of the last part of
the interview and avoid potential pitfalls.
1.2 The interviewer’s agenda and your own
Think about the interview in terms of the contrast between the interviewer’s purposes and yours.
You want a job – but not necessarily this job! So you must persuade the interviewer that you are a very
good applicant – probably the best on offer! You are on unfamiliar ground so you feel some nervous excitement.
If this feeling can be kept within limits, it is an asset. It enables you to concentrate more fully than usual. It gives
an edge to your performance.
When the interviewer asks this final question, and invites you to take the initiative, he hopes you will use
it to confirm the good impression you have already made. Don’t waste his time with a string of previously
prepared questions designed to impress him with your sharpness of mind! So that gives you two further rules:
• Keep what you say brief
• Don’t go in with a list (memorised or written) of prepared questions
1.3 Declining the invitation: how and when to say no
There are circumstances, obviously, when the best answer to the question “Do you have any questions” is “no”. It has to be a brief and courteous “no” of course – something like:
Thank you – no. You’ve been very informative. Thank you for the opportunity
of the meeting.
No, thank you. I found your brochure / leaflet accompanying the application
form / web-site – very informative.
No, I don’t think so. I really feel I have all the information I need. Thank you
for your time.
We seem to have asked you a great many questions: now it’s your turn!
Is there anything we haven’t covered that you want to know?
Applicants who make this mistake usually hope that the interviewer will interpret the question as themark of a thoughtful, far-sighted, and ambitious person but this is an unsatisfactory question since the answer
depends on an economic future at present unknown.
Avoid any questions that might embarrass the interviewer including questions that imply any sort of criticism of
the company or its policies.
3. OPPORTUNITIES TO SEIZE
Don’t feel that you can’t ask any questions at all for fear of giving offence and damaging your chances.
Good preparation will allow you to be alert just before you leave the interview. Here are some situations when
you might ask questions:
3.1 Clearing up remaining doubts
Take this opportunity to clear up any doubts you have as a result of the interview and to correct any
misunderstandings the interviewer may have about you. This stage of the interview offers you the last
opportunity to do this. However, you must avoid giving the interviewer the impression that you think his
explanations have been inadequate. So it is worth knowing how to ask these questions in a way that sounds
uncritical, respectful, and polite. You could, for example, say:
These are indirect ways of asking the interviewer to repeat something important that you are still unclear about.
That indirectness may seem silly, wasteful of time, even less than honest but it is characteristic of polite exchange
in English! It has the important and necessary function of not embarrassing the person you address. It avoids
challenge and confrontation.
3.2 Signal points that might be overlooked
You might signal to the interviewer some points in your favour that may have been underestimated.
When you prepared for the interview, you considered the job specifically in terms of what you have to offer,
which is represented by your resume.
Can I check that I understood correctly what you said about salary structure
/ holiday entitlement / sick leave /...
Can you confirm that the subjects I took in my degree course are regarded
by your organisation as a suitable preparation for the position?
Am I right in thinking that a new recruit to your company is considered for pay
rise at the end of a satisfactory six months’ probationary period?
Knowing that you have qualities like these, which are valuable to an employer but which may not be
represented adequately by your qualifications, you could direct the interviewer’s attention by asking questions
like these:
Does the job offer scope for someone who
• particularly likes working with people?
• enjoys learning new computer applications?
• would like a chance to use fluency in Mandarin / French, etc.
• is interested in the visual presentation of data?
• especially enjoys researching and assembling new information?
Putting your question in this way ensures that you phrase your question modestly. It also allows the
interviewer to question you about what experience you have had and what you can actually do.
3.3 Assert your professional seriousness
It is natural that, in the early stages of your working life, you should be interested in opportunities of extending your experience and your knowledge. If this topic has not already been the focus of some discussion, you can
introduce it at this stage. You could ask:
What sort of opportunities are there for your junior employees to extend their qualifications
/ acquire varied experience?
If the organisation is already large and well established, you could narrow the focus of the question and
ask:
Can you tell me what sort of induction program I can expect?
Do you operate a mentoring programme for new recruits to your organisation?
Again, don’t expect a long, detailed answer. You will certainly get more details if you are offered and
accept an appointment. Remember that acquiring information is your secondary purpose: the primary purpose is
supplying the interviewer with information about you!
3.4 Affirm your commitment to this organisation
Employers tend to feel that an ideal applicant is enthusiastic not just about getting a job, but about
getting this job, in this company! Interviewers will sometimes ask:
Why do you want to work for this company / organisation?
Applicants who are unaware of this convention are unsure of how to respond, and allow the interviewer
to see that they interpret this as a superfluous question. They answer that obviously, they need the job! An
applicant who makes that (innocent and understandable) mistake, rarely gets the offer, though he or she has
done nothing worse than fail to understand a convention with which the interviewer is entirely familiar. Of
course, everyone concerned knows perfectly well that the primary concern of most applicants is almost always to
get a job – to have a livelihood, to make a start on the career ladder. However, it is to your advantage as an
applicant to ask a question that signals that you really do want to work here, and that you see this as a long-term
Make your question simple and straightforward if you can. You could say, for example:
How long have you had a web site? I notice it was last updated recently.
I notice you have a more recent brochure in the waiting room than the one I have seen. May I
take a copy of the new one?
4. REFLECTING ON THE INTERVIEW
So the interview is over. You smile, you take your leave, and you go. It may be that you will not be ready
just yet to reflect on the experience. Once you take time to think it over there are two questions, at least, you
should ask yourself. They are:
1. Was the interview a success?
2. How did the interview rate as a learning experience for you?
4.1 Was the interview a success?
Be careful here. It is very natural to regard an interview as successful if you are offered the job / training
position you applied for. However, it is more useful in many ways to regard the interview as successful if you
can feel that you performed well, whatever the outcome.
Let’s look at reasons for feeling well satisfied before you know whether you will receive an offer. When
you reflect on the interview, did you …
• Attend the interview well prepared, well informed about the organisation, having given careful thought to
the extent of the match between you and the job?
• Ensure that all the non-verbal signals of your dress and manner were appropriate (so far as you could tell
in advance)?
• Sustain your concentrated attention right through the interview?
• Answer the interviewer’s questions straightforwardly and directly, at sufficient but not at excessive
length?
• Find out in the course of the interview whether, if you were offered the job, you would be willing to take
it, with the intention of giving it your best attention for a reasonable length of time?
If you can answer “yes” to all these then you performed well .
4.2 How did the interview rate as a learning experience for you?
Don’t omit this question even if you have been offered the job, on very acceptable terms, and you arehappy with your success and ready to celebrate! Successful or not you should find someone to discuss the
following:
What were the successful and unsuccessful aspects of this
interview?
If you were offered the job, how many of the following