Topic 7: Job Fair English Polite Questions and Formal Language English Interview- Fall 2015

Topic 7 Job Fair English Polite Questions and Formal Language

A. Discuss:
1. What happens at job fairs? How is it different from an interview?
2. What different questions can you ask about the position/company?
3. What are some examples of more polite or formal words to use or
ask questions (eg- could/ can, or employment/work) ?

B. Dialogue

HR Manager- Good Afternoon. Im Jenny James. Im the HR manager at Acme Inc.

Job Seeker- Hi. Im Peter Parker.

HR Manager- Hi Peter. Are you looking for a job?

Job Seeker- Yes I am. Ive never heard of Acme Inc. What is it that you do?

HR Manager- Were a growing medium sized company in the software industry. We create
antivirus and Internet security software.

Job Seeker- Im very interested in the IT industry. How big is the company?

HR Manager- We have 150 employees right now. We hope to have 200 within two years.

Job Seeker- Where is your headquarters, and what kinds of openings do you have?

HR Manager- Our main office is in Busan, and all our available positions are there. We have a
lot of openings for software developers and also some positions in our office. We
need a marketing assistant and a human resources assistant.

Job Seeker- Im a management student. Id be very interested in the HR position. I have

excellent interpersonal and communications skills and I love helping people.

HR Manager- Thats great. For that position you require a bachelors degree in business and
some management experience. We have a very cooperative work environment, so
you need to be a team player. One of our company values is Doing together is
always better.

Job Seeker- Ill graduate with a bachelors degree in management next month and I have
great teamworking skills. I was part of a team in a business venture competition
and by working well together, we won second place. I dont have any job
experience, but I was in charge of the chess club the last two years and had to
organize and oversee the club and also delegate a lot of tasks.

HR Manager- You sound like a great candidate. Lets arrange a formal interview. Here are the
details of the position and my email address. Send me a cover letter and your
resume and Ill get back to you with some available times.

Job Seeker- That sounds great. Ill send you the documents tomorrow. It was nice to meet you.

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Topic 7: Job Fair English Polite Questions and Formal Language English Interview- Fall 2015

C. Asking Questions about the position:

What questions did Peter Parker ask about the company and available position?
What different question would you have asked?

D. Polite Language:

1. Greetings
a. Excuse me. / Pardon me. (= To get someones attention)
b. Good morning / afternoon / evening

2. Polite questions and requests (modals and indirect questions)

=Do you have?
a. I was wondering if you had any openings in your laboratory.
=Can I?
b. I was wondering if I could send you my resume.
c. Would you mind if I took a company brochure?
d. Would it be possible (for me) to visit the office?
e. Would I be able to send you my portfolio?
f. Would you mind if I contacted you later this week?
=Can you?
g. I was wondering if you could
h. Would you mind sending me more information about the position?
i. Would you be able to

3. Others

=I cant
a. Im afraid I wont be able to come for an interview tomorrow. Would it be possible
to do it on Tuesday?
b. Im sorry, but I wont be able to apply for the position. I wont graduate until June.
= I didnt hear/understand that that
c. Pardon?
d. Im sorry, I didnt hear that.
=I want to
e. I would love (a chance) to discuss the position some more.
= I am excited about something in the future
f. I look forward to hearing from you/ the interview.
(modified from Cambridge English for Job Hunting)

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Topic 7: Job Fair English Polite Questions and Formal Language English Interview- Fall 2015

E. Verbs that Are More Formal

(1) Correct the sentences using the words below, then

(2) write the less formal words next to the corresponding words above

1. Im looking for work.

2. Please contact me to talk about the details so I can show you that Im qualified for the position.

3. I want to get extra information about this position.

4. Should I tell my boss that Im looking for a new job?

5. We need you to give us your application, and then we may ask for more documents.

1. receive _____________ 8. inform _____________

2. additional _____________ 9. employer _____________
3. would like _____________ 10. additional _____________
4. discuss _____________ 11. searching for _____________
5. get in touch with _____________ 12. request _____________
6. concerning/regarding _____________ 13. employment _____________
7. provide s.b. with _____________ 14. demonstrate _____________
(modified from Cambridge English for Job Hunting)

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Topic 7: Job Fair Language- Introductions, Inquiries and Polite Language English Interview- Fall 2015

F. Review - Interview Questions and Answers so far

1. What is your greatest strength? How would you describe yourself?

I have excellent communication skills. I often do presentations and have written many research
papers. At my last job, the boss always chose me to give the most important presentations
because he knew I would do a great job.

2. What adjective would you use to describe yourself?

I am extremely decisive. When I make decisions, I always do so easily, without regret and
commit to that new path. When I was at university studying business, I started to understand how
important finance was and decided then to pursue a career in it. I made the decision and fully
committed to it.

3. Tell me about your education. Tell me about your educational background. What are your
educational qualifications?
As you have seen on my resume, I will graduate from Soonchunghyang University in 2016 with a
degree in computer science. I am an honors student and was awarded 2 scholarships. I have
learned many skills so far. Being the secretary of the Computer Programming Club while taking a
full course load has helped me develop my organizational skills. As the student representative,
both my leadership and interpersonal skills have improved.

4. What are your hobbies? How do you spend your free time? What do you like to do in your
free time?
Im an avid hiker. I go into the mountains alone about once a week. It keeps me healthy and gives
me more energy at work. I also belong to a hiking group which meets twice a month.

5. What gets you up in the morning? What motivates you?

Meeting targets within deadlines gives me a sense of accomplishment. At my last job, I finished
each of my 2014 projects before the deadlines, and each time it felt very satisfying.

More:

6. What is your greatest weakness?

Im not always very organized. Sometimes when I have too many projects to do, I dont manage
my time well. I am improving my organizational skills by regularly using a planner and some
smartphone apps.

7. Why do you want to work for us? (show what you know about the company and connect it
to skills and qualities)
Well, your reputation is a factor. I would be proud to work for a company with such a long
history of leadership in the industry. Also, a friend in your corporate finance department told me
that the culture supports learning and development on the job and really rewards hard work.