1: Hi, I'm Gina.

3: Welcome to Oxford Online English!

5: In this lesson, you can learn how to answer job interview questions in English.

13: Have you ever had a job interview in English?

16: If English is not your first language, answering job interview questions in English can add

22: stress to the experience.

25: However, there are some simple, effective tips you can use to give better answers to

32: job interview questions in clear, natural English.

37: You'll learn about these tips and tricks during this lesson!

42: You'll see eight common job interview questions and four different techniques you can use.

50: You'll see how to answer these common job interview questions, using the techniques

58: we'll show you.

59: Let's start with our eight common job interview questions.

66: Tell me a little about yourself.

68: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

73: What are your strengths/weaknesses?

80: What is your leadership style?

84: Can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated ----?

89: --> For example, can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated strong leadership?

95: Or, can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated excellent customer service?

103: Tell me about a time you dealt with a challenging situation at work.

109: Why do you want this job?

112: Why should we hire you?

119: What does concise mean?

123: It means that you don't waste words.

127: If you speak concisely, you get right to the point and don't add anything unnecessary

135: to your answer.

136: Let's look at two questions in this section:

141: Tell me a little about yourself.

146: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

151: These are very common job interview questions, and they're also very open questions.

162: Open questions can be dangerous.

165: Do you know why?

167: It's because you might ramble.

170: Ramble means to talk a lot without saying much.

175: This won't give the interviewer a good impression!

178: Let's start by looking at a sample answer to the question tell me a little about yourself.

186: Well, I was born in a small town in northern Italy, where I also went to school.

192: I studied engineering at university and then.

196: So, after I graduated.

198: I mean, I did a master's degree first, but then I worked for a small firm in my hometown

205: for a few years, which was great fun.

209: After that.

211: Okay, we can stop there.

214: Do you think this is a good answer?

217: Why or why not?

220: It's not a very good answer.

223: Why not?

229: There are three things the candidate does which you should try to avoid:

234: One: the candidate includes lots of unnecessary details.

241: Two: he doesn't speak in full sentences.

247: Three: he doesn't have any clear direction.

253: If you do these things, your answer to this answer will be long and unfocused.

260: What's the solution?

263: You need to be more concise.

266: But how?

267: First, avoid unnecessary details.

271: Don't give your entire work history; the interviewers can get that from your CV if

277: they want it.

279: Secondly, speak in full sentences with a clear beginning and end.

286: This means you need to be thinking ahead while you speak.

291: Thirdly, think about what you want to highlight in your answer, and put it at the beginning.

300: This will give your answer a clear direction.

306: Let's look at some examples of this:

309: I've always loved designing and building things, so I suppose it's natural that I

314: became an engineer.

316: I've worked in a variety of roles and companies, which I've learned a lot from, but now I'm

323: ready for a new challenge.

327: What do you think?

328: Better?

330: It's much better.

332: Let's look at the start.

335: Immediately, the candidate identifies a key feature (he loves designing and building things),

342: and links it to his engineering career.

346: The candidate's answer is very concise: there are no unnecessary details, and it also

354: has a clear end.

359: What about our second question?

363: Here's one possible answer:

367: There are many things I could be doing.

369: I'd like to have, you know, some sort of progress.

373: What I mean is that I don't just want to be doing the same things I'm doing now.

379: I like to be moving forward in my career, for example.

384: Err.

385: I definitely see myself in a better position than I am now.

391: Good answer?

392: Bad answer?

393: Okay, it's not terrible, but it could be much better.

398: The candidate is rambling.

401: She doesn't make her point clear, she doesn't speak in full sentences, and she wastes words

406: on unclear and unnecessary ideas.

410: Here's a better answer:

412: I don't know exactly, but the most important thing is that I continue to learn and grow

421: in my career.

423: I'm the kind of person who needs new challenges to stay focused.

430: I might even start my own business, because that's something I've always wanted to

437: do at some point in my life.

443: This is much more concise.

445: The candidate's answer has a clear beginning and end, and doesn't waste words.

453: So, what can you do to make your answers more concise?

460: The best way to practise is to record yourself speaking.

464: You could record yourself answering these two questions.

468: Then, listen to yourself.

471: Try to find sentences which you don't finish, or words which don't add anything to your

476: meaning.

478: Then, try again.

481: Keep practising until your answer is clean and focused.

489: Next, let's look at another point which will make your answers clearer and more structured:

496: signposting language.

499: Signposting language means words and phrases which show your listener where you're going.

506: For example, the words ‘for example' are signposting language.

512: When I say for example, you know I'm about to give you an example.

519: Simple, right?

520: Yes, but it's also very important.

523: Without signposting language, longer answers can lose focus and be hard to follow.

530: You'll see answers to two questions in this section:

535: What are your strengths and weaknesses?

539: What is your leadership style?

542: Let's look at a sample answer to the first question.

547: I'm very good at working with other people.

551: In my last job, I always tried to encourage my colleagues and create a good atmosphere.

559: I suppose I can be a little bit careless sometimes.

563: I'm not the kind of person who focuses on details.

568: I'm very calm, and I can keep a cool head in very stressful situations.

577: What do you think?

580: It's not bad, but it could be hard to follow.

584: The candidate jumps around a lot.

588: Adding signposting language can make a big difference.

592: Let's see how. Notice that the content is exactly the same.

601: We haven't changed the candidate's basic ideas at all.

606: However, the answer is now much clearer and easier to follow.

611: Using signposting language like this can make a big difference!

615: Let's look at our second question for this section.

620: What is your leadership style?

624: Look at a sample answer which doesn't use signposting language.

630: I'm quite a hands-off manager.

632: If one of my team has a project, I'll keep an eye on things, but I don't need to be

637: involved in every detail.

639: I'm very approachable.

642: I make sure my team know they can come to me with problems or questions at any time.

648: I like to lead from the front.

651: If everyone's working late to meet a deadline, I make sure I'm there with them.

658: Now, look at some signposting language you could use in this answer.

666: Now, you have a job to do!

669: I want you to pause the video and put these signposting phrases into the answer you just

675: saw.

677: Go on, pause the video and do it now!

682: Ready?

683: Let's look at the answers:

690: How did you do?

691: Were you able to use the signposting language?

695: Remember, signposting language might seem very simple, but don't forget about it.

703: Using signposting language well makes your answers much clearer and easier to follow.

712: Now, let's look at another way to make your answers more structured, clearer and

717: more focused.

720: You'll see answers to these two questions in this section.

725: Can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated -----?

731: Tell me about a time you dealt with a challenging situation at work.

738: These questions are likely to need longer answers.

743: With longer answers, it's really important that your answers have a clear structure.

748: Otherwise, your meaning might get lost!

752: There's a method you can use here; it's called the STAR method.

759: STAR means situation, task, action, result.

766: So, you start your answer by giving the context: what was the situation, and what did you have

774: to do?

776: Then, you talk about what you actually did, and what the end result was.

784: Let's do an example together.

786: Can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated excellent customer service?

792: Let's use the STAR method.

796: There was one time when a customer's order hadn't arrived, and we didn't know what

801: had happened to it.

803: The customer was very unhappy, and I had to try to solve the problem for him.

811: I arranged for a replacement to be sent, thinking we could find out what happened to the previous

818: order later.

820: In the end, the customer was happy that I could solve his problem quickly and simply.

830: You see how following this method lets you build clear, structured answers?

836: situation, task,

844: action, result

850: Let's do another example.

852: Think about our second question.

855: Tell me about a time you dealt with a challenging situation at work.

862: This time, you're going to try!

864: Pause the video and make an answer to this question.

868: Your answer should be four sentences long.

872: Follow the STAR method, one sentence for each part.

879: How was that?

881: Did you find it easy to make your own answer?

885: Let's look at one way you could answer this question.

891: Once, we realised three days before a project deadline that two of our teams were using

897: incompatible software tools.

899: As the project manager, I had to find a way to deal with this without causing any delays.

906: I talked to both team leaders and we made a plan for one team to convert their work

911: into a different format, with help from some staff from other departments.

918: It was very close but we managed to get everything done on time.

925: Again, you can see the STAR method in action:

931: situation, task,

937: action, result.

943: If you combine this STAR method with the signposting language you learned about in part two, you'll

949: be able to express yourself clearly in English, even in longer and more complex answers.

957: Finally, let's look at another tip you can use to impress your interviewer and increase

964: your chances of getting that job offer!

970: You're going to learn about mirroring and how it can help you.

975: What does mirroring mean?

978: It means using some of the same words and expressions as the person you're talking

982: to.

984: For example, if the interviewer asks you:

988: How do you think your values fit our company culture?

993: You could start your answer by saying:

995: I think my values are a good fit for your company culture for two reasons.

1000: One.

1002: Mirroring has several benefits.

1004: First, it keeps your answers focused.

1008: By using the same words and phrases, your answer will be relevant.

1014: More importantly, it shows the interviewer that you're listening and that you care

1019: about the questions and the company.

1024: Mirroring is powerful.

1026: We unconsciously mirror people when we like or respect them.

1032: Using mirroring consciously will help you to make a better impression.

1037: You should start by researching the company you're applying to.

1043: How do they describe themselves?

1045: What adjectives do they use on their website or in their advertising?

1051: Also, read the job advertisement carefully.

1055: Pay attention to the words they use to describe the candidate they're looking for.

1061: Use these words in your answers.

1064: Let's think about this question:

1067: Why do you want this job?

1070: Imagine you're applying to a company which describes itself as ‘innovative' and ‘forward-looking'.

1077: In the job advertisement, they say they want someone who is ‘creative' and ‘flexible'.

1084: Here's a good sample answer:

1087: Creativity is very important to me, and I've always wanted to work in an environment where

1092: I can innovate and find my own solutions to challenges.

1098: I also feel that your company will continue to evolve in the future, and I like the idea

1104: of contributing to that development.

1109: The candidate doesn't use all four words, but she does reference all four ideas.

1116: For example, instead of ‘forward-looking', she talks about the company evolving in the

1123: future.

1124: In this way, she shows that she's in tune with the company's values.

1129: Let's do one more example.

1132: Imagine you're applying to a company which describes itself as ‘commanding respect'

1137: and which talks with pride about its long history.

1142: In the job advertisement, they say they want someone who has ‘great communication skills'

1148: and ‘passion for helping others'.

1152: During the interview, they ask:

1154: Why should we hire you?

1158: Here's a good sample answer, using mirroring.

1163: I believe that great customer service starts with good communication, which is a strength

1168: of mine.

1169: I also think that in customer service, you need to care about what you're doing.

1174: I care about helping others and as such I believe you would find me to be a respectful

1181: and effective team member who can fit with the established traditions of your company.

1189: Again, the candidate doesn't necessarily use the words directly, but he does reference

1195: all four of the ideas.

1200: Be careful if you use mirroring; you don't want to sound like a robot!

1205: This is why you sometimes need to change words and phrases slightly, instead of repeating

1210: them again and again.

1215: Now, you've seen four effective techniques you can use to give better answers to job

1222: interview questions in English.

1225: Remember: be concise, use signposting language, use the STAR method to structure longer answers,

1235: and mirror key words and phrases.

1240: We hope it was useful.

1242: Good luck if you have a job interview coming up soon!

1246: Thanks for watching!

1249: See you next time!