JOB INTERVIEW

Practicing my speaking skills

 JOB INTERVIEW
Practicing my speaking skills

Content page Content page

1. Introduction 2 4.4. Simple Past Tense sentences 19
2. Mind Map 3 4.4.1. Affirmative sentences 19
4.4.2. Negative sentences 19
3.Get in context 4 4.4.3. Interrogative sentences 20
3.1. Job Interview structure 5
5. Glossary 21
2. Let´s read and write! 7 6. Bibliography 22
2.1. Job interview questions and possible answers 8 7. Creative commons 23
8. Credits 24
3. Let´s listen and talk! 10
3.1. Rising and falling intonation in questions 11
3.1.1. Rising intonation 11
3.1.2. Falling intonation 12
3.1.3. Silent “K”, “W” and “L” 13

4. Facts to know 15
4.1. Simple Past Tense 15
4.2. Types of verbs 16
4.3. Regular verbs 17
4.3.1. -ed spelling rules 18
4.3.2. -ed pronunciation rules 18

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 JOB INTERVIEW
Practicing my speaking skills

Introduction
Welcome back, dear apprentices!

When applying for a job, it´s important to know that it is a process

that usually comes in four stages: 1) job opening, referrals or job offers; 2) resume
analysis; 3) job interview; and 4) probationary period. You already worked on the first
and second stages, now it’s time to get ready for the third stage: Job interviews.

In this material, you will find some common job interview questions and possible
answers as well as some tips for you to get ready and be closer to the job you want.

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 Mind Mind
map
JOB INTERVIEW
map
Practicing my speaking skills

A whole view Practicing reading and Improving listening Learning grammar

writing skills in context and speaking skills structures

Get d en
in the Let’s reae! Let’s listlk! Facts to
and writ and ta know!
context

Working context Job interview structure Intonation in questions Grammar topics

and Silent letters
Job interview Job interview
dialogue questions and Regular and
possible answers Irregular verbs
Falling
intonation
Regular
verbs
Rising
intonation
Irregular
verbs
Silent "K",
"W" and "L"
 Get in context
Hi there!

I’m Nohan Byers and I’m going to be with you throughout this material.

In a job interview, the questions change depending on the employee that a company
is looking for. In some positions, professional skills are the most important, while
in others it could be the personal ones. Whatever the case, job interviews have a
general structure similar to the next one:
Vacancy Academic Extra
Greeting information information information

2 4 6
1 3 5 7

Icebreaker Personal Work experience

information information

Anne Mendez is having an interview for an Illustrator position in Mambe Audiovisual

Festival in New York. I want to ask you to pay attention to her job interview. It is
divided into the previous structure.

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1 Greeting
Isabella: Good morning, Anne Mendez,
isn’t?
Anne: Yes, good morning
2 Icebreaker
The interviewer
asks some general
questions to reassure
the candidate.
Isabella: I’m Isabella Shonwald. I’m the
Human Resources Manager, thanks for
being available on Skype for an interview.
Anne: It’s my pleasure, thank you for
meeting with me.
Isabella: How are you doing today?
Anne: I’m doing fine.
Isabella: OK. Anne, how did you find out
about our vacancy?
FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje
Anne: I saw the vacancy announcement
on the Facebook page of the company.
Vacancy
3 information
The interviewer checks
that the candidate has
full knowledge of the
vacancy to which she/
he has applied to,
in order to not have
misunderstandings.
Isabella: Anne, after reading the
announcement, what information do
you have about this vacancy?
Anne: Well, The vacancy is for a full-time
Illustrator position at Mambe Audiovisual
Festival and the announcement indicated
that the workplace is at 71 Lincoln Plaza
New York in New York City.
Isabella: Yes, it is. Well, first I would like
to give you more information about this
vacancy. Are you OK with that?
Anne: Yes, of course
Isabella: We are offering, as you said
SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje
before, an Illustrator position at Mambe
Audiovisual Festival. This position
requires 50 hours of work per week,
from Monday to Friday. There is a
probationary period of one month with
a salary of $850; after successfully
complete this period, the salary will be
$1700 per month. This position includes
five days of holidays per year and it’s
eligible for permanent health insurance
benefits. Do you have any questions up
to now?
Anne: Yes, just one: what’s the day’s
schedule?
Isabella: During the probationary period
the day’s schedule is from 7:00am -
7:00pm with one hour for lunch. After
this period, you can choose your own
day’s schedule, the important factor is
to complete 50 hours per week.
Anne: Thank you very much for your
clarification
Isabella: No problem. Do you have any
other question? Please, feel free to ask.
Anne: Everything is clear now.
Isabella: Great! Now that you have a
complete overview of the position we
are offering, are you still interested in
5
this vacancy?
Anne: Yes, I am. I’m very interested in
working for this company.
Personal
4 information
The relationship you
have with your family
and friends, as well as
your hobbies, says a lot
about you and the kind
of employee you are.
Isabella: Perfect, so, we can continue
with the interview. Anne, Could you
tell me something about you and your
personal life?
Anne: Sure. I come from a Colombian
family, I have two brothers and, as most
of the Colombian families, we are very
united. I’m a very hard working, organized
and responsible person. In my spare time
I like to go with my boyfriend and friends
to visit new places to get inspired, listen
to music and watch movies.
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Academic
5 6
information
The interviewer wants
to verify the information
you have on your
resume and to identify
how motivated and
prepared you are to
execute your work.
Isabella: You studied Multimedia
Production Technology at SENA and
took online illustration classes at the
Academy of Arts University. Is that right?
Anne: Yes, that’s right. After I finished my
Multimedia Production studies, I felt very
interested in illustration, so I decided to
take some classes to improve my level. I
took some online classes because I had
to work and it was not possible for me,
at that time, to travel to San Francisco. I
took five courses: Concept, technique
and illustration, Character design for
children’s books, Editorial illustration
portfolio, Children’s book illustration
portfolio and Digital painting.
SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje
Work experience
information
The interviewer will
check the kind your
employee you are, how
your communication
with others is and how
you deal with difficult
situations.
Isabella: In your resume you said you
worked at Bloomsbury Publishing and
Random House Publishing, is that right?
Anne: Yes, it is
Isabella: How was the experience of
working for them? What did you learn
from that experience?
Anne: Well, it was wonderful! I started
working for Bloomsbury Publishing
when I just finished my studies at
SENA and a tutor of mine told me that
they were looking for an Illustrator for
children’s books and encouraged me
to apply; so I did it. Thanks to that job
I learned the importance of including
cultural diversity in my illustrations.
Some years later, I started working for
6
Random House Publishing and it was a
unique experience; there, I learned how
to work in a team and under pressure.
Isabella: Why did you stop working for
them?
Anne: I stopped working with them
because I had fixed-term contracts. I
was hired to support a special project.
7
Extra
information
Depending on how the
interview goes, the
interviewer tries to give
some tips or to get
some new information.
Isabella: Why do you want to work for
us?
Anne: Your Festival is internationally
known for its successful advertisement
strategies and I would like to have the
opportunity to use my experience in
illustration and audiovisual production to
better this great project.
FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje
Isabella: I think this is all, Anne. We will
let you know our decision next week.
Thank you for your time.
Anne: Thank you for this interview.
Isabella: Good-bye
Anne: Good-bye
Let´s read and write!
Job interview questions and
possible answers
As we watched previously, there is
specific information that a company
is looking for while interviewing a
candidate, and you need to be prepared.
That’s why I’m going to show you some
of the most common questions and
some possible answers.
SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje 7
 Vacancy
1 Greeting 2 Icebreaker 3 information
• Hello, Mr./Mrs./Ms. Mendez (last name)
• How are you doing today? • Well, first I would like to give you more
• Hello
• I’m doing fine. information about this vacancy. Are
• Please, have a seat
you OK with that?
• Did you have any difficulties in finding • Yes, of course
our office? • We are offering...
• Good afternoon Mr./Mrs./Ms. Mendez
(last name), how are you? • Oh! Not at all.
• Do you have any questions about the
• Good afternoon, I’m great. What about
• How was your weekend? vacancy?
you?
• It was great! I went to the zoo with my • Yes, I have some. First, I would like to
• I’m great too.
family. know who is going to be my manager?...
• That sounds nice.
• Are you Mr./Mrs./Ms. Mendez (last • It was.
Personal
name)?
• Yes, I am. • Do you want something to drink? 4 information
• Thank you for coming • No, thank you, I’m OK. / Yes, a glass
of water, please.
• OK
• Good morning, Anne Mendez, isn’t?
• Yes, good morning • OK. Anne, how did you find out about • Tell me a little bit about yourself.
• -Please have a seat. our vacancy? • I grew up in Colombia, I studied
• I saw the vacancy announcement on Multimedia Production at SENA. After
the Facebook page of the company. that, I worked for a publishing company
• I’m Isabella Shonwald. I’m the Human illustrating children’s books. I really
Resources Manager, thanks for coming • How was your way here? love drawing, that’s the reason why I
in. • It was great, there wasn’t too much have taken many illustration courses.
• It’s my pleasure, thank you for meeting traffic. In my spare time I really like reading
with me. and watching anime.

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• Could you tell me something about
you and your personal life?
• -Sure. I come from a Colombian family, I
have two brothers and, like most of the
Colombian families, we are very united.
I’m a very hard working, organized and
responsible person. In my spare time
I like to make illustrations, go out with
my boyfriend and friends to visit new
places to get inspired, listen to music
and watch movies.
When the interviewer
asks you to talk about
yourself, talk about:
your education, your
work experience and
the hobbies you have
(only those that relate
to the vacancy).
Academic
5 information
• You studied Multimedia Production
Technology at SENA and took online
illustration classes at the Academy of
Arts University. Is that right?
• Yes, that’s right. After I finished my
Multimedia Production studies, I felt
very interested...
FAVA - Formación en Ambientes Virtuales de Aprendizaje
• Let’s talk about your education. We
• In your Resume you indicate that you
can start with high school briefly and
worked for Random House Publishing,
then cover more recent schooling.
How was that experience?
• At high school I was in charge of the
• It was a great experience. Thanks to
Newspaper design and the comic’s
that company, I learned more about
illustration. I won...
how to work under pressure and how
Talk about the subjects to work on...
you preferred, your
grades, extracurricular Talk about positive
activities, and anything things, and how the
relevant for the job you work experience you
are applying for. have helped you to be a
better professional.
Work experience
6 information 7
Extra
information
• Tell me about your skills.
• In your resume you said you worked at
• I can work together with a team; I have
Bloomsbury Publishing and Random
good communication and customer
House Publishing, is that right?
• Yes, it is. I worked for Bloomsbury
service skills, I am self-motivated and
I have the ability to motivate others...
Publishing for six months in 2015; it
was a great experience because...
• What are your expectations?
• I want to explore new growth
opportunities in the field.
• Why did you stop working for those
companies?
• Why do you want to work for us?
• I stopped working with them because
• Your Festival is internationally well-
I had fixed-term contracts. I was hired
known for its successful advertisement
to support....
SENA - Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje 9
 Let´s listen and talk!
strategies and I would like to have the
opportunity to use my experience in
illustration and audiovisual production
to better this great project.

• What is your greatest strength?

• My greatest strength is my attention to Up to now, we have learned some job interview questions and how to answer them.
detail. I like to... Now, I invite you to check some tips to improve your pronunciation.

Rising and Silent

falling Letters
intonation in
questions

This is only a basic guide. I invite you to go deeper on

these topics. Remember that you can request some
help from your tutor.

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 Let's see some examples
Rising and falling intonation in
questions
According to Crystal (2010) intonation is
“the melody or music of a language. It
refers to the way the voice rises and falls
as we speak”. In this opportunity, we are
going to focus on how the intonation
rises or falls in questions.

Rising intonation

Rising intonation is used at the end

of “yes” and “no” questions. These
questions usually begin with the next
words:

Do Does Did
Can Could
Am Is Are
Was Were
Has have

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Falling intonation
Let's see some examples
Falling intonation is used at the end of “wh” questions. These
questions begin with the next Wh- question words:

What Who
When Why
Where How
Which

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 SILENT "K"
The letter "K" is silent (not pronounced) when it is at
the beginning of a word and is followed by an "N".

KN
Look at the next examples you can find in this material:

Know We will let you know our decision next week.

Knowledge Check your knowledge

Here you have some more examples:

Knot K nit Knees K neecap Knack

Silent letters
In English, there are some consonants SILENT "W"
and vowels that are silent (are written
The letter "W" is silent (not pronounced) when it is
but not pronounced). Some of them followed by an "R".
are: H, T, K, B, G, GH, P, D, W, S, N, L, H
and the vowel “e”.

This time, we are only going to work in

WR
the next 3 silent letters:
Look at the next examples:

Write Wrap W reck W rens W rists W rong

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 SILENT "L"
The letter "L" is silent (not pronounced) when it
is between the next letters at the end of a word:

DO NOT PRONOUNCE

ALM ALK ALF OULD OLK

It is pronounced It is pronounced It is pronounced It is pronounced It is pronounced
/ / / / /æ/ / / / /
Palm Talk Half Could Folk

Almond Chalkboard Behalf Would

Floorwalker Halftime Should

Walk

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 Facts to know
Simple Past Tense
In jobs interviews you are asked for information about your job and academic
experience. To answer those questions, it is important to manage the rules of Simple
Past Tense. You have already studied Simple Past Tense in high school, so this is
only an overview to remember some clue information.

We used Simple Past Tense to talk about situations or actions in the past.

I started working How was the

for Boomsbury experience of
Publishing when... working for them?

I decided to take Did you have any

some classes. difficulties in
finding our office?

There are some important aspects we need to take into account when using Simple
Past Tense: Types of verbs, -ed spelling and pronunciation rules, and affirmative,
negative and interrogative sentences.

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 Types
of verbs

Based on the Simple Past Tense conjugation patterns, we can say that there are two
groups of verbs: regular and irregular verbs.

Regular Verbs Irregular Verbs

Do not follow a regular
Its Past Tense is
conjugation pattern. Its Past
formed by adding
Tense form takes a
-ed at its ending.
completely different form.

Most of them are derived

from verbs that existed in
Old English.

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To form the Past Tense of a regular verb, it is necessary to add -ed at its ending, but there are some rules to follow.

-ed spelling rules

-ed pronunciation rules

Not all the words that end in -ed are verbs in the Past Tense. You can find -ed ending in Past Participle
verbs and in Adjectives. However, the spelling and pronunciation rules are the same.

-ed spelling rules for regular verbs

Verbs ending Add Examples

Stop - Stopped
Double last Consonant Admit - Admitted
Consonant + Stressed Vowel + Consonant
Add -ed Plan - Planned
Commit - Committed
Listen - Listened
Consonant +NO Stressed Vowel + Consonant Add -ed Open - Opened
Visit - Visited
Fix - Fixed
“W” or “X” Add -ed
Snow - Snowed
Love - loved
“e” Add -ed Live - Lived
Smile - Smiled
Change “y” into “i” Study - Studied
Consonant + “y”
Add -ed Try - Tried
Stay - Stayed
Vowel + “y” Add -ed
Play - Played
Travel - Traveled
Other letters Add -ed
Marvel - Marveled

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-ed ending pronunciation rules

Verbs ending sound -ED Pronunciation Examples

T-D
/id/ Admitted
Needed

Verbs ending sound -ED Pronunciation Examples

Stopped
Looked

/t/
P - K - F - GH Sniffed
CH - SH -SS Laughed
C-X Watched
Washed
Kissed
Fixed

Verbs ending sound -ED Pronunciation Examples

Marveled

/d/
L-N-R-G Listened
V-S-Z-B-M
Offered
Vowel Sound
Stayed

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 Simple Past Tense sentences

Below are the rules for writing affirmative,

negative and interrogative sentences in
the Simple Past Tense.

Affirmative Sentences Negative Sentences

REGULAR VERBS NEGATIVE SENTENCES

REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS
SUBJECT (PERSON) VERB FORM
NEGATIVE FORM
I / WE / YOU* / THEY WORKED SUBJECT (PERSON) BASE FORM VERB
HE / SHE / IT WORKED FULL FORM CONTRACTION
I / WE / YOU* / THEY /HE / SHE / IT DID NOT DIDN'T WORK (regular verb)
REGULAR VERBS I / WE / YOU* / THEY HE / SHE / IT DID NOT DIDN'T GO (irregular verb)
SUBJECT (PERSON) VERB FORM
I / WE / YOU* / THEY WENT NEGATIVE SENTENCES
HE / SHE / IT WENT VERB TO BE
NEGATIVE FORM
VERB TO BE SUBJECT (PERSON)
FULL FORM CONTRACTION
SUBJECT (PERSON) VERB FORM
I / HE / SHE / IT WAS NOT WASN'T
I / HE / SHE / IT WAS WE / YOU* / THEY WERE NOT WEREN'T
WE / YOU* / THEY WERE
*You is singular and plural according to the context
*You is singular and plural according to the context

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Interrogative Sentences Great! It seems we are ready to interview
and be interviewed.
REGULAR AND IRREGULAR VERBS Do not forget that practice is the clue for
INTERROGATIVE FORM (YES / NO QUESTIONS) learning a new language.
“WH” AUXILIAR VERB BASE FORM QUESTION If you have questions, you can ask for
SUBJECT (PERSON)
QUESTION (DID) VERB MARK help to your tutor.
DID I / WE / YOU* / THEY / HE / SHE / IT WORK ?
DID I / WE / YOU* / THEY / HE / SHE / IT GO ? See you next time!
WHAT DID I / WE / YOU* / THEY / HE / SHE / IT LEARN ?
WHY DID I / WE / YOU* / THEY / HE / SHE / IT STOP ?
WHERE DID I / WE / YOU* / THEY / HE / SHE / IT STUDY ?

VERB TO BE
INTERROGATIVE FORM (YES / NO QUESTIONS)
“WH” AUXILIAR AND QUESTION
SUBJECT (PERSON)
QUESTION VERB (TO BE) MARK
WAS I /HE / SHE / IT ?
WERE WE / YOU* / THEY ?
WHO WAS I /HE / SHE / IT ?
HOW WERE WE / YOU* / THEY ?

*You is singular and plural according to the context

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Advertisement: a picture, short have to go to work or school. or all of the costs of your medical care.
film, song, etc that tries to persuade Human resources manager: a
people to buy a product or service. person who in charge of the department Salary: a fixed amount of money that
that deals with the employment, training, you receive from your employer, usually
Announcement: something support, records, etc. Of a company’s every month.
that someone says officially, giving employees.
information about something. Schedule: a plan that gives events
Improve: to get better or to make or activities and the times that they will
Company: an organization that sells something better. happen or be done.
goods or services.
Interview: a meeting in which Spare time: time available for
hobbies and other activities that you
Find out: to get information about someone asks you questions to see if
enjoy.
something, or to learn a fact for the first you are suitable for a job or course
time.
Per week: for each week. Vacancy: a job that is available for
someone to do.
Health insurance: an arrangement
in which you make regular payments to Position: a job.
an insurance company in exchange for
that company paying most or all of the Probationary period: an
costs of your medical care. arrangement in which you make regular
payments to an insurance company in
Holidays: a time when you do not exchange for that company paying most

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Bibliography Bibliography
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2017,
from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

Free English Dictionary, Translations and Thesaurus. (n.d.). Retrieved

May 31, 2017, from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

C. (2011). A little book of language. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Difference Between Regular and Irregular Verbs. (2015, November 29).

Retrieved May 31, 2017, from http://pediaa.com/difference-between-re-
gular-and-irregular-verbs/

Pronunciation of ED. (n.d.). Retrieved May 31, 2017, from http://www.

grammar.cl/english/pronunciation-ed.htm
 Creative Creative
Commons Commons
 Credits
Credits
LÍNEA DE PRODUCCIÓN
PROGRAMA Producción de Multimedia
NOMBRE DEL OBJETO JOB INTERVIEW - Practicing my speaking skills
DISEÑADORES GRÁFICOS Caren Xiomara Carvajal Pérez
Julián Alberto Camargo Fonseca
Luis Carlos Reyes Parada
PROGRAMADORES Nilda Inés Camargo Suescún
Nancy Astrid Barón López
Milady Tatiana Villamil Castellanos
John Freddy Vargas Barrera
GUIONISTAS-PRODUCTOR DE MEDIOS AUDIOVISUALES Dolly Esperanza Parra Lozano
Jheison Edimer Muñoz Ramírez
ASESORAS PEDAGÓGICAS Janet Lucía Villalba Triana
Shirley Andrea Ovalle Barreto
LÍDER DE L A LÍNEA DE PRODUCCIÓN Zulma Yurany Vianchá Rodríguez

EXPERTOS TEMÁTICOS
EXPERTOS TEMÁTICOS Versión 1(2017): Lina Patricia Váquiro Rondón