English for successful job interviews

youccUID: 95474

转自
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[B]Telephone Interview
[/B]  

This is Grace Chang.
Grace Chang speaking.
Good morning / afternoon, this is Grace Chang.

Q:  May I speak to Grace Chang?
A1: This is she.
A2: This is she speaking.

I need to take this call in another room.  Is there any way I can call you back in five minutes?
I'm glad you called, but I have another appointment at 11 a.m.  Could we arrange another time to speak?
I have about 10 minutes before I have to run out.  Is that enough time or can I call you back this afternoon?

I am sorry.  I didn't get your name.  Could you repeat it, please?
May I get your name and title again?
Could you spell out your name, Ms. Torres?
How do you spell your last name, please?

I am having trouble hearing you.  Can you hear me all right?
I am sorry we seem to have a bad connection.  Could you speak a little louder?
Excuse me, Mr. Brown, could you please speak a little more slowly?
Could you please slow down just a little bit?

I'm very interested in working for your company.  I'd appreciate an opportunity to meet with you in person so that I can show you how I can contribute to your sales team.  I'm available anytime next week.


Hello, I'm Grace Chang.  I am very pleased to meet you.
Hello, Mr. Jones.  I'm Grace Chang.  I have been looking forward to meeting you.

Q:  Would you like some coffee?
A1: Yes, please.
A2: Sure, that would be nice.

Q:  Would you like something to drink?
A1: Some water would be nice.
A2: May I have some water, please?

That is not a subject I have explored at length, but I could brush up on that and respond later.
I'm not familiar with that aspect of the market, but I can find out and get back to you tomorrow.

I just want to be sure that I understand your question.  You are speaking about... Is that correct?
Are you meaning to ask me about...?

Am I on the right track?
Am I giving you the information you want?

I'm sorry.  I'm a little overexcited about the opportunity it presents.  Let me start over.

[B]ＸＱ[/B]

What does your company do?
How much are you going to pay me?
Is there a lot of overtime required?
Is relocation a requirement?
How many vacation days do we get?
Can you tell me about your retirement plan?
Can you guarantee me that I will still have a job a year from now?
Would anyone say anything if I came in late and left early?
How am I doing as a candidate?
Do you think this short interview is good enough to determine my qualifications?

Excuse me?
Pardon me?
I beg your pardon?
I'm sorry.  What was it you said?
Could you say that again, please?
I didn't understand what you said.  Could you repeat it, please?

※  It wasn't a very good decision, I guess.
◎  I'm afraid it wasn't a very good decision.
◎  I suppose it wasn't a very good decision.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
※  Okay.
◎  Certainly.  I'll be glad / happy / pleased to.

How are you doing, Ms. Chang?
※  I'm doing pretty good.
◎  I'm doing really well.  Thank you.  How about yourself?

I wanna... → I'd like to...
I'm gonna... → I'm going to..., I will...
I got to... → I have to..., I need to..., I must...

※  I want to work for your company.
◎  I'd like to join your professional team.
◎  I want to work in an exciting environment like the one your company offers.

※  I want to work with people.
◎  I enjoy working with people and will excel in a position that requires people skills.

I just want to make sure... I need to turn in references to you by next Monday.  Is that correct?

I'm interested in the position.  What are the next steps to take?

So I'll expect to hear from you next Wednesday, Ms. Yang.  If I don't hear from you, may I give you a call on Friday?

Do you know when you'll be making your decision?

When will I be hearing from you about your decision?

May I get one of your business cards?

I enjoyed meeting with your colleagues, Mr. Acosta.  Could you give me the spelling of their names?


Thank you very much for your time, Ms. Fitter.  It was a pleasure meeting with you.  I look forward to talking with you soon again.

Thank you for having me here today.  I enjoyed our discussion.  This interview persuaded me that this company is where I can contribute and succeed.  I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully, joining you.

[B]Thank-you Letter (US)[/B]




ABC
[address]
[telephone]

[date]

XYZ
[title]
[company]
[address]


Dear XYZ,

Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me about the Marketing Analyst position this morning.  I enjoyed meeting with you and learning more about the position and JQK Corporation.  The position is exactly what I am looking for.

I am confident that my five years of marketing experience fit nicely with the job requirements and I could make a significant contribution to the company.  I would welcome the opportunity to work for JQK Corporation.

I would like to meet with you again to further discuss this position and my qualifications.  I will be happy to provide any other information you may need to assist in your decision.  Thank you again for your time and consideration.  I look forward to hearing from you very soon and hope I will have the opportunity to work with you.

Sincerely,

ABC


[B]Thank-you Letter (EU)[/B]



                                               ABC
                                              [address]
                                              [telephone]
                                             
                                              [date]

XYZ
[title]
[company]
[address]


Dear XYZ,

It was a pleasure meeting with you yesterday.  I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you in person about the position of Sales Assistant.

Our meeting confirmed my interest in the position and enthusiasm for working for JQK Shanghai.  I believe that my education, computer literacy and interpersonal skills will enable me to fulfill the challenges of the position and contribute significantly to your organization.  I am excited about the chance to work in such a challenging environment.

Thank you again for the opportunity to learn more about your organization.  As you suggested, I will call you next week to check the status of the hiring process.  In the meantime, if I can provide you with more information, please let me know.  I can be reached at 02-1234-5678 or abc@mail.net.  I hope to be hearing from you soon.

                                        Sincerely,

                                         ABC


注：Thank-you letter 此两封信原格式请参见
http://groups.msn.com/FriendML/p ... elete=0&CDir=-2

Thank-you e-mail



XYZ,

Thank you for interviewing me for the programmer position today.  The tour of you facilities and conversations with your staff gave me a clearer view of the duties of the position and increased my interest.

The position seems quite challenging and I am very enthusiastic about joining your first-class technical team.  I believe that my work experience and my educational background in computer science and business administration qualify me for the position.

If you have any other questions, please contact me at 02-2345-6789 anytime.  If I do not hear from you by next week, I will call you to see how your selection process is progressing.  I look forward to hearing from you.

ABC

Useful Expressions


Thank you for seeing me on Wednesday regarding the Customer Service position.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss your opening for an accountant.

Thank you for the time you took out of your busy schedule on Friday to discuss the requirements of the position of Sales Manager.

I want to thank you very much for interviewing me yesterday for the position of System Administrator.

I appreciated the opportunity to meet the staff of your department.

The experience has confirmed my desire for employment with JQK Shanghai.

I would like to reiterate my interest in the position.

I was very impressed by your dynamic and rapidly growing company.

I was particularly impressed with JQK's strong commitment to innovation and growth.

The position is exciting because it seems to encompass a diversity of responsibilities.

I believe my experience at the school lab, coupled with my studies in chemistry, will be an asset to your laboratory.

My Accounting classes and part-time jobs have prepared me well for the position.

With my experience and skills, I would be able to contribute significantly to your organization.

I am very interested in contributing my ten years of international experience to the success of your firm.

I sincerely feel that I am right for the job.

I feel that my track record shows I would be a success in the position.

Thank you again for the time and courtesies you and your associates extended to me.

If I can provide any additional information, please call me at 02-3456-7890.

Please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information.

I look forward to joining your management team.

Tell me about yourself.


I.

I currently work as secretary to the general manager in the sales office of a telecommunications company.  Since he doesn't speak Japanese, my main function is to act as liaison between him and eight Japanese staff members.  In addition to general office duties, I also perform accounting, including payrolls.  My boss frequently travels and I effectively manage the office during his absence.  I'm a self-starter and he fully trusts my ability to work without his supervision and he values my judgement in a variety of contexts.


II.

I'm an English major at National Taiwan University.  After I graduate next June, I'd like to work for an international trading firm.  I've traveled to several countries in Asia and Europe.  Getting to know other cultures and peoples is a fascinating experience.  I'm currently enrolled in night courses in business English and export-import documentation in order to prepare myself for the field.


Q:
Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?
What can you tell me about yourself?
How would you describe yourself?

What are some of your strengths?


I.

My biggest strength is tenacity.  All my past employers and business associates have said I am tenacious.  I have to see a project through to the finish no matter what challenges I encounter along the way.  I always give whatever it takes to complete the job.


II.

I'm also highly stress-resistant.  I have been working in a stressful environment where I have to meet deadlines constantly.  While some people cannot perform well under pressure, I thrive.  The fact that I've always met deadlines and survived stressful situations makes me confident that I can meet any deadline.


III.

I have been told I have excellent people skills.  I get along well with almost every one and I have no trouble getting to know new people.


IV.

I have excellent research and analytical skills.  I received A's on all the reports I did for marketing classes.  For an independent-study project, I researched the air-express industry.  The professor said my report was better written than those written by professional consulting firms.  She integrated a large part of my report into her own research report, which was published.

What are some of your weaknesses?


I.

I tend to be a perfectionist.  While doing the market research I just
memtioned, I went a bit overboard.  I researched over 200 articles and my
report was over 100 pages.  It was beyond the scope of a four-unit class!


II.

I love my work and always give each project 100%, if not 110%.  So when I
don't feel others are giving their best, I find it a little frustrating.



III.

I prefer to see a project through from start to finish, so I sometimes find
it frustrating to work on a single component and not have something to
contribute to all the important aspects of a project.


IV.

Sometimes I have a hard time saying no to people, and I end up taking on
more than my fair share of the work.


V.

I had a tendency to turn in my expense reports late.  One day my boss sat me
down and explained the problems that had caused the accounting department.  
I really took it to heart and since then I have been turning in my expense
reports on time.


VI.

Being a fresh graduate, I have little work experience in my field.  Probably
that is my biggest weakness.  However, I'm a quick learner and my experience
as president of the student union, which required budgeting and organizing
events throughout the year, some of them quite elaborate, can be applied to
the job situation.  I'm confident that I can be a valuable member of your
operations team.


VII.

I get very nervous when I have to give presentations.  However, I usually
overcome this by preparing very well.  I rehearse my presentation until I
feel comfortable and also think of all the questions I could be asked so
that I'll have a response for them.


Q:
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
What is your greatest strength (weakness)?
What are your strong (weak) points?
What do you think you do best?
Can you name some of your weaknesses?
Although your resume looks quite impressive, what would you say is your
greatest weakness?
What would your present boss say your greatest strength (weakness) is?
What do your supervisors think are your strengths?



How do you think a friend or professor who knows you well would describe
you?


I.

They would say I'm a self-starter, highly motivated, energetic and goal-oriented, but also cooperative and a team player.  I have good communication skills and get along well with other people.


II.

My friends think I'm helpful and dependable, someone who keeps personal commitments and can be depended on when they need help.


III.

My thesis advisor would say I'm intelligent, capable and highly motivated.  In fact, in her recommendation letter, she said my thesis was thorough and outstanding and that I was one of the best students she had ever had.


IV.

I'm adaptable and flexible.  I can call on my experience and apply it to the problem at hand.  I'm a quick learner and can teach myself new skills or transfer my skills to new areas successfully.  I always received good performance reviews from my superiors.  He may say I'm persuasive, but I also have good listening skills.


Q:
How would a friend describe you?
If I asked your friends to describe you, what do you think they would say?
If I were to ask one of your professors to describe you, what would he or she say?
How would your current (or last) boss describe you?
How would your co-workers or subordinates describe you professionally?

Are you aggressive?


I.

Yes, aggressive enough to do the job.  I've always worked in purely sales positions, so being aggresive has been necessary to achieving my goals and the company's goals.  Of course, it doesn't mean that I believe the end justifies the means.  I believe in fair play as well.


II.

Yes, I would say my nature is to be aggressive, although now that I'm a little further along in my career, I would describe it as controlled aggression.  That's because being overly aggressive, I've found, can sometimes be counterproductive and intimidating or distressing to co-workers and even customers.  You also have to be adaptable to the situations and the people you are dealing with, so I can be 110 percent aggressive or 60 percent aggressive.  It's sophisticated aggressiveness, which is more effective, I believe.


III.

I have been told I'm assertive rather than aggressive.  I do not put down or belittle others in order to make my points, but I have no problem making my points or taking a stand when required.


Q:
Do you consider yourself aggressive?

Are you competitive?


I.

Yes, I believe competitiveness is a required trait to excel, especially in sales, and I thrive on competition.  The more competitive the environment, the more fueled my competitive sprit is.  I always strive to be the best salesman in the region, but that doesn't mean that I try to get ahead at any cost.  I think competing with myself or challenging myself continuously is what really drives me.


II.

Yes, I played rugby in high school and college.  We won the college national championship for two years in a row.  Competitiveness is required to excel in sports.  At the same time, teamwork is required for a team sport like rugby.  I believe a good balance of competitiveness and teamwork was developed through my seven years of playing rugby.


Q:
Do you have a competitive nature?

youccUID: 95474

Are you creative?


I'm very creative when it comes to problem-solving.  For example, at my current work, we almost lost our best employee when her husband relocated to Taichung.  We didn't want to let her go, so I came up with a plan to have her work from her new location; in other words, telecommuting from Taichung.  Our company had never had a telecommuter, and I had to be very tactful about selling my idea to the president.  I worked out plans and calculated costs and benefits, including how much training cost we will be saving by keeping her.  I presented the plan with cost-benefit analysis to the president.  It was approved.  It worked very well, so now we have a few more telecommuters.


Are you an innovative person?


I believe so.  Although I haven't invented an entirely new product or anything of that scale, my ideas were incorporated into a number of products when I was on a design team at ABC Corporation.  They resulted in enhanced features as well as saving development cost and time.

Are you a self-starter?


I.

Yes, I'm.  Many people wait for the work to be given.  My current boss is very receptive to new business ideas and creative ways to develop business, so I wrote up a proposal to show how to get into a new line of business.  She liked the idea and told me to come up with specific plans to implement the new business.  So I did and it was successfully implemented by our unit.


II.

Yes, that is one of my strengths.  I'm very motivated and disciplined.  I can set expectations for my work and achieve them.  While I was in college, I created an intercultural club to promote exchanges with foreign students.  I planned and organized welcome parties and orientation sessions for new students as well as the annual intercultural festival.

Can you act on your own initiative?


When I started working on my current job, every process was paper-based, and we handled 50 applications a day.  I suggested to my boss to make the process electronic and paperless by scanning all our forms into PDF and making them available online.  Clients can download and print out the forms.  Now our process is 50% paperless and much more efficient, and our clients are very happy with it.  Once e-signature becomes available, the clients will be able to submit the forms online and our process will be 100% paperless.


Q:
Give me an example from a previous job where you've shown initiative.

What motivates you?


What motivates me is seeing a clear path to advancement at a company in an exciting and growing field.  That's why I have applied for this position with your company.  Everything I have read about Chilton Bros. shows you are poised for sustained and potentially phenomenal growth.  I want to be a part of that, and I want to know that I made a significant contribution and will be rewarded on the merit of that contribution.  One of the best scenarios would be a situation in which one or more of my ideas was implemented and showed up in the bottom line - now that would be exciting.


Q:
Name three things that motivates you.
What motivates you in your work?
What are some examples of activities and surroundings that motivates you?


Are you a team player?


I am very much a team player.  I believe strongly in positive reinforcement, for myself as an employee and for those whom I supervise.  I work best where I have the opportunity to receive from and provide feedback to others.  I am not a loner; I like sharing the load and the credit for a job well-done.  I think the key thing is that I'm a positive presence in a work situation, particularly under pressure, and I think that has a beneficial effect on those around me and ultimately the company itself.


Q:
Would you be successful working on a team?
What experience have you had working on a team?


Do you prefer working as a member of a team or would you rather work alone?


I.

I like both, depending on the situation.  The success of an organization requires orchestrating the talents and efforts of many people.  To complete almost any project, it is essential to work as a team.  I have completed many team projects successfully through my career.  While teamwork is very important, I can work just as well alone.  I have done a number of research projects by myself that required laser-like focus.


II.

I've been in both situation.  I'm quite happy working alone when necessary.  I don't need constant assurance, but I prefer to work on a team.


Q:
Do you prefer working with others or alone?
Do you work well with others?  Or are you a loner?
If you had a choice, would you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?



How do you get along with other people?


I always got along well with my co-workers in every job I had.  Having good working relationships with your co-workers is a must for getting the work done.  Sure, sometimes there are people who are more difficult to get along with, but we all have to learn how to work with one another to achieve our common goal.  Whether you like it or not, you spend most of your waking hours with your co-workers, so you might as well make it pleasant.


Q:
Do you get along with your co-workers?
How did you get along with your former bosses and co-workers?
How did you handle a time when you had to work with someone you dislike?


Do you like to work with people?


Yes, I love working with people.  When I worked in a boutique, I met and dealt with all kinds of people every day.  It was exciting.  Everyone is different and I was excited to give suggestions and find the best clothes for each customer.  It was satisfying to see the customers leaving the store, content with my choice.  I would not be interested in a job that does not give me a chance to interact with people.


Q:
Would you rather work with information or with people?





Do you consider yourself a natural leader?


I.

I think my nature is to lead.  In most situations, it seems to evolve that I am the one who is looked to take charge.  And I feel comfortable in that role.


II.

I don't know if I was born with it, but I've held many leadership positions in school and sports, including the captain of the tennis team in college, and I felt comfortable in those positions.


Q:
Would you consider yourself a born leader?
Are you a leader?



What is success to you?  What about failure?


I.

Success to me is meeting, and as often as possible, even exceeding my potential.  It's being a successful and ethical leader of people, and ultimately I hope it's rising to the position where the success or failure of a company sits on my shoulders - in other words, one day I hope and aim to be a CEO.  That's within my potential, I believe, and I won't be satisfied until I reach that position and then exceed the expectations of those who elevated me to that post.


II.

Failure is not something I give much thought to because I am so committed to succeeding, but since you ask the question, I'd have to respond that failure to me would be failing to live up to my potential.  I believe I have been blessed not only with exceptional intelligence but also the ability to lead people.  Not using those attributes to their fullest would constitute failure to me.  But I don't see that happening.  I believe I have a realistic outlook on my future, and I expect it to be outstanding.


Q:
What is your idea of success?
How do you define success?
How do you evaluate success?
How would you describe the essence of success?


How do you measure your own success?


I.

How much satisfaction I get from doing the job and how much I contribute to the success of the organization I work for.  I don't think success can be measured by the amount of money you make, as I have met a number of wealthy people who aren't satisfied.


II.

I have set career goals for three years from now, five years from now and 10 years from now.  I would measure my success on whether I have achieved those goals, the ultimate one being to lead an accounting department in 10 years.


III.

From my previous work experiences, I found that the best measure of success is a satisfied customer or how satisfied your customer is.


Q:
How will you judge yourself successful?  How will you archieve success?
How would you rate yourself on a scale of 1-10?
Describe a situation in which you were successful.


What has been your biggest disappointment (on the job)?


I.

I still remember the disappointment that I had about eight years ago - when I first participated in bidding for a client's work.  We were one of the last two bidders the client considered among a handful that applied. but we lost the job to our main competitor.  Our project team spent many late nights working on the bid.  Our competitor had an advantage because they had worked with that client before.  It was a new client for us and I must say our competitor understood the needs of the client better.  We were so disappointed and determined that we would get this account, so we analyzed what went wrong and the client's mission, market and needs, as well as looked at what our competitor did right.  About six months later, we had another opportunity to bid for the same client's job, and we got it.  We were very proud of it.


II.

When I lost my best team member last year.  She was the most productive in our department.  She also had a great personality and everyone liked her.  She was a great contributor to the department's morale.  Unfortunately, she had to leave when her husband was relocated to Kaohsiung.  It was a major disappointment not only to me but also to the entire department.  The workplace wasn't the same without her and our members were in low spirits for a while, but I hired someone else for that position and she is also great.  Things are working our very well.


III.

I failed a transfer exam for Taiwan University in the year I graduated from junior college.  I was really disappointed.  I hadn't applied for any other school because I really wanted to go to Taiwan University.  So I was determined to pass the exam the next year and studied really hard.  I went to a cram school during the day while working part time at night.  I paid the tuition myself.  In the second year, I did pass the exam.  From this experience, I learned that if I really put my mind to something, I can achieve it.


Q:
Have you ever had any failures?
What have been the biggest failure in your career?
What have you learned from your mistakes?
You must have experienced some disappointments in your life.  How do you feel you have benefited from them?
What have been your most satifying (disappointing) experiences?


Why did you choose to attend ABC University?


I.

I chose ABC University because I believed it has the best engineering department in the country.  I'm happy with my decision.  I received the best education possible and I'm confident that I have the knowledge and skill so that I can readily contribute to your engineering department.


II.

I have accepted by a few other colleges, but I chose this one because they have a reputation for providing a practical education that can prepare students for the real world.  I found many classes very practical.  For example, we were exposed to many different computer programs.  I believe these computer skills can be readily applied to the position we are discussing.  Some of my friends chose colleges based on their parents' expectations or teachers' advice, but I set my own educational and career goals.


Q:
Why did you attend your university?
Why did you select your college?


Why did you choose your major?


I.

I chose English as my major because I always wanted to work in international business and English is the language in the global marketplace.  As our economy becomes increasingly global, I think English is the basic skill that is required for almost any professional.  I took many business English classes to prepare myself for the business world.


II.

In high school, chemistry was my favorite subject.  I had a great teacher who opened my eyes to the world of chemistry and encouraged me to pursue my dream to become a chemist, so it was a natural decision for me to major in chemistry.


Q:
What made you choose Business as your major?
What led you choose your major field of study?


Do you feel you made the right choice?


I.

Absolutely.  My education really prepared me for my career in this field.  Unlike universities where the first two years are spent on general education, we got into hands-on practical courses right away.  We were in the computer lab on our first day at school and there was no class in which we didn't use a computer.  Since I have such solid computer knowledge and experience, I feel comfortable with any new program.


II.

Oh, yes.  Although some people may think that sociology has no relevance to business, I think I can bring a non-business, broader perspective to solve business problems.  After all, it is people who create and run businesses and it is the interaction with other people that is the core of any business.  Sociology taught me how people interact and how a society works.

youccUID: 95474

Which college classes did you like best?  Why?


I liked Business Strategy best.  Actually, it was the hardest class, but it was the best class.  I learned so much from this class and the professor.  She was the toughest professor I've ever had in any school.  She would call on you and grill and drill you in front of the entire class.  In order to avoid humiliation, I studied hard for each session.  I had never studied so much in preparation for a class.  It taught me that I get a lot more out of something if I prepare well.  It was a great lesson for me.  Afterward, I began to prepare hard for every class.


Q:
What courses did you like best?
What were your favorite classes at school?
What was your favorite subject in college?

  
Which college classes did you like least?  Why?


If I have to choose a least-favorite, I'd say Accounting.  That's because I'm pretty outgoing and people-oriented.  Number crunching in solitude doesn't really excite me.  Also, there's little room for me to express my creativity in accounting.



How did you do in school?


I.

Above average.  I did very well while still being involved in many extracurricular activities.  I served as president of the geological study club and we made many field trips.


II.

I did very well.  I got mostly As.


III.

I would say my grades were average.  My focus was on soccer in college.  I played all four years of college and our team won National College Soccer Champions for three of those years.  But even though ti affected my grades a little, through playing soccer, I learned so much about setting goals and achieving them as well as the importance of strategies and teamwork.  I have no doubt that what I learned from playing soccer can be successfully applied to the position of Account Executive.


Q:
Why didn't you do better in school?
Why aren't your grades higher?
Why are your grades low?
Do you think that your grades are a good indication of your academic achievement?  Why?


Do your grades reflect your work ability?


I.

I believe so.  It has always been important for me to do well in school and challege my own potential.  Producing good results requires determination, commitment and hard work.  I have no doubt that all these traits are essential to achieving great things at work as well.


II.

I earned average grades at school, but I always excelled at work.  I held several part-time jobs while I was in college.  All my employers praised me as a great worker and some of them offered me full-time positions.  At work, results are most important and I've always been able to produce results on the job.  Perhaps I just prefer to be out in the real world as opposed to the theoretical that you get in school.


What were your extracurricular activities in school?


I was on a swim team in high school.  We practiced every day after school.  We swam at least 10 km a day.  Before competition, we also practice on the weekends, and every day during summer vacation.  It wasn't easy, especially in the first year, and there were times when I thought about quitting, but I'm glad I didn't.  Swimming taught me the importance of discipline and tenacity and the sense of accomplishment you get from going the extra mile.


Q:
In which campus activities did you participate?
What have you learned from participation in extracurricular activities?



Have you ever done any volunteer work?  What kinds?


I.

Yes, I play in a band with three friends.  In order to raise funds to help Afghan refugees, we organized charity concerts at eight different universities in the taipei area.  We raised 2 million NT dollars.


II.

I have been involved in a non-profit organization that provides services to senior citizens.  I suggested the deployment of "ecomoney" or community currency, which facilitates the exchange of volunteer services among community members.  For example, a senior citizen can receive home care service from another community member and pay a low rate with "ecomoney," which the service provider can use to receive another service.  Senior citizens are not only the recipients of services - they can offer services as well, such as teaching calligraphy and telling the children stories about their childhood and war experiences.  Applying my knowledge in Economics, I devised plans for "ecomoney" and was instrumental in implementing it in our community.  The community members are happy with the outcome - "ecomoney" has brought community members closer while reactivating the local economy.


III.

No, I have never done any volunteer work.  I always focused on my studies while I was in school.  However, I donate some money every year to send poor children to high school in Thailand.



How has your education prepared you for this job?


Through my education I acquired practical skills, such as computers and bookkeeping, which can be applied to the position beginning day one, but more importantly, what school really taught me was how to set a goal and achieve it and how to overcome challenges.


Q:
How do you think your education has prepared you for this position?
How has your education prepared you for your career?
How does your college education relate to this job?
Name three things you learned in school that could be used on this job?



Do you have any actual work experience?


I.

Yes, I worked as an interpreter at international trade fairs.  It was exciting to deal with business people from all over the world.  I learned the importance of effective communications, especially in an intercultural setting like that.  I trust my intercultural experience and communication skills will be assets in a global corporation like yours.


II.

No, I concentrated on my studies and running.  I was on the college long-distance relay race team for three years and our college won first place two years in a row.


Q:
Did you do any part-time work while in school?  How does that experience relate to this job?
What did you learn from these college work experience?
How does your work experience relate to this job?
What have you gained from your part-time work?
What did you learn from your part-time (internship) experiences?



Were you financially responsible for any portion of your college education?


I.

I financed all my college education by myself.  I received several scholarships, including one from World Telecom, which was awarded to students whose entrance exam scores were in the top third of all students in the department.  I also held several part-time jobs, including tutoring high school students.


II.

No, my parents paid for my college education.


III.

My parents paid for my college education, but I intend to pay them back once I get a job.


Q:
How did you finance your education?



Do you have any plans for further education?


I.

I'd like to get an MBA eventually.  I understand your company has a program to send selected employees to business school overseas.  I'm very interested in participating in the program.


II.

Since I'd like to become a certified System Administrator, I plan to take an evening class to prepare for the exam.


III.

I intend to enroll in English language school to improve my English conversational skill.


Q:
What are your plans for further studies?



Can you name three accomplishments you are most proud of?


I.

Yes, from when I worked for ABC Chips.  As an application laboratory engineer, I devised a new semiconductor - manufacturing process that was more efficient and satisfied a very difficult request of World Products, one of our largest customers.  I also helped increase our sales to Best Products through effective customer relationship management and successful incorporation of customer feedback into product design.  Thirdly, I successfully introduced ABC's new-generation product to the Japanese market.  There was a strong competitor in the market at that time, but we took their market share away through effective cooperation between the marketing and engineering divisions.


II.

I would say the fact that before I became a manager I was always first in sales, beginning with my first job out of school and continuing until I joined my current employer as a manager of sales three years ago.  And I'm quite proud of the fact that while being aggressive and goal-oriented as a manager, I've also fostered an atmosphere of civility and positive reinforcement among the people who work for me.


III.

My most recent accomplishment was completing a 100-page bachelor's thesis based on year-long research and regression models.  My thesis received good reviews form professors at the oral defense.  I also played baseball for four years in college and won the most valuable player award from the College Baseball Association in my junior year.  When I was in high school, I delivered newspapers every morning.  I never missed a day for three years, whether it was raining or snowing.  I'm very proud of that.


Q:
What are your biggest accomplishments?
Tell me about your accomplishments.
What do you consider the most significant accomplishment in your entire career?
What have been your greatest accomplishments recently?
What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction in your life?
What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction?  Why?
What is the greatest accomplishment you can name from each of your previous jobs?
In your current or last position, what are or were your five most significant accomplishments?
What was your most important contribution to your last (or current) employer?



What do you think you do best?


I.

I'm good at analytical work.  When I turned in my research report to my marketing professor, she said the report was so well-written, and the quantitative and qualitative information was so detailed, that even leading companies in the industry would learn from it and that it was better than many professional consulting reports she has seen.


II.

I'm good at organizing thoughts and ideas and putting them in writing.  Writing business plans and proposals comes very easy to me.  I always receive praise on my business plans and proposals from my bosses and clients.


Q:
What are your best skills?
What are your outstanding qualities?



Are you able to work alone without direct supervision?


Definitely.  I'm a self-starter and finisher.  I usually only need direction at the beginning and from then on I can work on my own.  In my previous job, my boss often traveled on business and I worked a great deal without his supervision.  He fully trusted my ability and judgment.


Q:
Do you need other people around to stimulate you or are you self-motivated?
Do you prefer to work under supervision or on your own?



Are you able to work on several assignments at once?


I.

Definitely.  I don't think I've ever had the luxury of being able to work on one assignment at a time.  I don't even know if there is any position out there with that luxury.  In my last job, I had deadline after deadline.  Sometimes I had three deadlines falling on the same day.  Working on multiple assignments at once comes natural to me.  I never consciously thought, "Oh, gee, what am I going to do with all these assignments?"  I have been told I work very efficiently.


II.

Yes, my last boss often gave me multiple assignments at once.  When I asked him, "Which one has a higher priority?" he always said, "All of them."  I just learned to have all the assignments ready whenever he needed them.  I think it's a fact of business life.



Do you get bored doing the same work over and over again?


I.

No, I don't.  As all my past employers pointed out, tenacity is one of my strengths.  Whatever I do, I have to see it finished and to the best of my ability.  When I was in high school, I delivered newspapers every morning for three years.  I was never bored doing that.  I'm really proud of myself that I didn't miss even one day.


II.

No.  Every kind of work has a role to play in making the company successful.  There is generally very little unnecessary work going on in a good company.  I always learn something from the work I do, and whatever I do, I make sure I do the best I can.  That gives me a sense of fulfillment.



Can you work under pressure?


I.

Definitely.  In my current position I face deadlines constantly.  I try to start on each project early so that I can avoid the last-minute stressful situations.  But sometimes they aren't avoidable - reports have to be finished on time and I know I can meet the deadline.  I have lived through many deadlines and never missed one for the past 10 years.


II.

Yes, in fact I find it stimulating, although I believe in planning and time management to reduce panic deadlines.  It's a way of life in business.  In any job in any company in any industry, pressure is there, especially if you want responsibility and opportunity for achievement.


Q:
Do you work well under pressure?
Do you like working under pressure?
Do you handle pressure well?
How do you handle pressure?
How do you work under pressure?
How do you perform under deadline pressure?  Give me an example.
Is there a lot of pressure in your current job?  How do you cope with it?

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