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M: Hello English learners! Welcome back to EnglishPod! My name is Marco.

E: And I’m Erica.

M: And we’re bringing you the final lesson of our job interview series.

E: That’s right. And in this lesson we’re gonna be focusing on two very very common, but

sometimes difficult questions.

M: Okay, so, we’ve talked about preparing for the job interview in Part One. Part Two, we

talked about educational background and work experience. And in Part Three what are we

gonna be looking at?

E: We’re gonna be looking at two questions. Why we should hire you?

M: Uhu.

E: And your greatest weakness.

M: Okay, so these are the classic, common questions that you’ll get at a job interview,

right?

E: That’s right. So, why don’t we just get started and we’ll take a listen to the dialogue and

see how our interviewee handles these questions.

DIALOGUE, FIRST TIME

M: Well, our interviewee is doing very well, but I think he had a little bit to many, ah, beans

or chili.

E: Oh my god. Like this is probably the most embarrassing thing I can think of.

M: But he doesn’t say anything, so I don’t know h… maybe he should’ve said, oh, pardon

me, excuse me or something like that.

E: I don’t know.

M: I don’t know, it’s a controversy.

E: Yeah. Okay, but what isn’t a controversy is the language, cause there’s some great stuff

in here.

M: Alright, so let’s take a look at the language in “language takeaway”.

Voice: Language takeaway.

E: Alright, we’ve got some great phrases and words for you to use when you’re talking

about what sort of benefits and skills and experience and expertise you can bring to a

company.

M: Okay, the first thing that he said and… a… a very interesting word, he said, technical

acumen.

E: Technical acumen.

M: Acumen.

E: Acumen.

M: This is a really hard word. What is acumen?

E: It’s basically insight and understanding and the ability to, um, make good and difficult

decisions.

M: Okay, so, yes, a very strong technical acumen.

E: So, a strong insight or understanding of technical issues.

M: Okay, or I can change it and maybe say "I have a very strong business acumen".

E: Exactly, these are the two most common ways that this word is used, technical

acumen, business acumen.

M: Okay, great. Now let’s take a look at another word, which is very interesting, cause

everybody knows it. 

E: Yes.

M: Excel.

E: Excel.

M: Excel.

E: Excel.

M: Now, excel is, of course, the software that you use, right?

E: Yeah, but here it’s a verb meaning to be really really good at something.

M: Right, to be the best maybe.

E: Yeah.

M: To excel at something.

E: Yes, so I excel at cooking.

M: Alright, so, excel.

E: Yeah.

M: You are the best.

E: I mean, that’s not really gonna help me at a job interview, but… 

M: But.

E: The next word might.

M: Hehe. Head.

E: Head.

M: Well, in the dialogue we heard it as headed, in the past, right?

E: Yeah, that’s right. He headed the customer support department.

M: So, I think this is very a great… I think this is a great word to use when you’re saying, I

was the leader.

E: Uhu.

M: I was the main person in charge. [NOTE: in charge = responsible; “call the shots”]

E: Yeah, the manager.

M: Uhu.

E: So, this is a nice verb to use, um, to show that you are leading something.

M: Okay. Okay, now for the next word. Struggle.

E: To struggle.

M: Struggle.

E: Struggle.

M: So, what does struggle mean?

E: It means that you have difficulty doing something.

M: So, i.. it’s… it’s hard for you.

E: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

M: For, example, when I was in school, I struggled with math.

E: Okay, and now I struggle with Chinese.

M: Hehe. Exactly, so, to have a hard time.

E: Yeah, why don’t we hear couple of examples of how this word is used?

Voice: Example one.

A: We’re really struggling to reach our sales target.

Voice: Example two.

B: Yeah, to be honest, um, I do struggle with time management.

Voice: Example three.

C: The teacher farted in class and I really had to struggle not to laugh.

M: Okay, so, great examples, let’s g… move on to our next word, punctuality.

E: Punctuality.

M: Punctuality.

E: Punctuality.

M: Okay, so, to be punctual…

E: It means to be on time always.

M: Always. So, punctuality would be the noun form.

E: Right, so, um, the… the condition or the state of always being on time.

M: Right, so, punctuality.

E: So…

M: To be punctual.

E: Yeah, and our interviewee struggles with punctuality.

M: Right, like me. Hehe.

E: I guess you guys… I guess guys have something in common.

M: We do. Now, he has a problem with punctuality, but he said he has addressed this

weakness.

E: Yes, to address.

M: Address.

E: Address.

M: Now, if you noticed it’s spelled the same way as Address.

E: That’s right.

M: But you pronounce it differently.

E: To the verb address has the str… the stress on the second syllable. 

M: Okay, addrEss.

E: Yes.

M: And that means to…

E: Deal with.

M: To deal with the problem. 

E: Yeah, to s…

M: To… to acknowledge the problem.

E: And to try and solve it.

M: And to try and solve it.

E: Uh.

M: Okay, so different from your home address, where you live.

E: Yeah, and there the stress is on the first syllable.

M: Address.

E: Right.

M: Perfect. Very good. Okay, so let’s listen to this dialogue one more time and then we’ll

come back and talk about these two questions, greatest weakness and why should we

hire you.

DIALOGUE, SECOND TIME 

E: Aright, Marco, well, this classic question why should you… we hire you, I think you’ll

hear it in many many different interviews. And how did he deal with it here?

M: Well, the first thing that he said is very very important, because they’re asking you why,

so your immediate reaction with… would be to answer with because or I think that, but…

there’s a different way of approaching it, which is a little bit more professional. He said, I

think that I would be a perfect fit in this company.

E: I think I would be a perfect fit in this company.

M: That’s how he started his answer and then he explained why.

E: So, this sounds really strong, doesn’t it?

M: Yeah, basically it just makes you seem to be very confident and puts you like you are

already part of the company.

E: Uhu.

M: Uhu

E: So, this is a great way to start off this question, but you gotta follow this up with some

information. So, what kind of information should you be giving? 

M: Well, like we talked about in your work experience the same thing goes here. What do

you have to offer to this company? What special skills or insights or experience can you

bring that would help us?

E: Yeah, that nobody else can bring.

M: Exactly, so, again you have to start talking about your strengths and your previous

experience but with examples, right?

E: Very very specific examples and whenever you can throw in some numbers or some

specific, ah, successes that you have had. [NOTE: throw in = add; insert]

M: Exactly, and… once you’ve talked about these things you can close off this answer by

saying "Given the opportunity, I could bring this kind of success to this company".

E: Given the opportunity, I could bring this kind of success to this company.

M: So, that is just like a magical sentence, saying like "If you give me the chance, I will

demonstrate how good I am and how I can help this company".

E: Yes, an… a really really strong closing argument. [NOTE: closing argument refers to

close of argument, which means to stop any debates about a given topic; also it’s like

closing (final) speech in the court]

M: Yes, so, that’s the way you should more or less approach that question, right?

E: Alright, but let’s turn now to the classic classic question, your greatest weakness.

M: What is your greatest weakness?

E: Uh.

M: When you get this question, be sure to not say "My greatest weakness is I work too

much".

E: "My greatest weakness is I’m a workaholic".

M: Right, or… what was it? Oh… or I’m perfectionist.

E: Yeah, these… we can see right through these. [NOTE: see through something means

to discern; to perceive the true nature of something]

M: Right.

E: I mean th… they too obvious and they too… they too silly, I mean everyone has a

weakness, so don’t try and turn it around in to a strength. I just don’t think that’s a good

idea.

M: Okay, so, yeah, be sure to stay away from these answers.

E: Uh.

M: But you can say anything like in this case he has a problem with being on time.

E: Yep.

M: So, be honest, say what one of your greatest weaknesses are, but the key to making

this weakness look good is saying what you’re doing to solve this weakness.

E: Exactly, so… so really be truthful, tell…

M: Right.

E: Tell the interviewer what you’re not good at, cause… cause you… there’s obviously

something that you’re not good at.

M: Exactly, so, you can say, "I’m usually late, but I’m getting more organized, I’m doing the

seminar, I, you know…"

E: Yep.

M: Let the interviewer know that you’re trying to improve this weakness.

E: Exactly.

M: And be sure to also think about your strengths, right?

E: Yeah, be prepared to answer the question what is your greatest strength.

M: Aha, so, and again when you’re talking about your strengths, be sure it’s something

more specific then saying, "Oh, I’m very responsible".

E: Yeah, um, you… you wanna be, um, as specific as you can and again give those

examples, give those… give those successes, give those numbers. 

M: Right, exactly, so think about your weaknesses, think about your strengths. If you don’t

know them ask people to… ask your colleagues, ask your friends "What do you think is my

greatest strength?" Maybe you’re a funny person, that’s a strength. 

E: Yes.

M: Okay.

E: Well, remember there’s… there’re three parts to this interviewing series and you can

find them on our website at englishpod.com.

M: Right, come to our website englishpod.com, you can look at all of these three lessons

and I hope they’re really helpful and, of course, if you have any questions or comments or

maybe you’d like a little bit more of this interview series, let us know.

E: Alright guys, well, thanks for listening, good luck in your interviews and until next time…

Good bye!

M: Bye!