Interview English

Table of Content
Introduction In search of the perfect job Cover Letter Resume The Interview Top Tips Dialogue Negotiating for the Job Top Tips Dialogue Contract Reading Top Tips Key terms 3 5 8 11 12 14 15 17 18

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Introduction
Congratulations!
This guide to Interview English provides all the essential tips you need to impress your potential employer. Follow Mary on her search for that perfect job. See how she prepares a stunning resume and cover letter. Listen to how she dazzles her interviewer. And pick up savvy tips as she negotiates her salary package.

Mary

Part 1

In search of the perfect job

Mary is on a quest for the perfect job! Lets take a look at her progress and see what we can learn from her experiences. First, she prepares two very essential items a winning resume and a stellar cover letter to accompany it. Mary,

Cover Letter
A cover letter serves as an introduction. And itll help hiring managers decide if theyll even read your resume! 1 Stay on target Get to the point immediately. Explain why you're writing and include the title of the position you're interested in. 2 Match your skills Identifying the position's skill requirements is an important first step. Then, include clear examples from your previous experience which reveal that you possess these skills. 3 Demonstrate English ability Keep your sentences short and clear; do not try to over-impress by writing complex sentences. 4 Sell yourself Demonstrating what you can do for the employer, not the other way around, will make you stand out from the crowd. 5 Take the initiative and follow up your application Say youll call to follow up on your application and do it. Just a quick call to find out the status of your application shows initiative. 6 Proofread! Lastly, look closely for spelling and grammatical errors and make sure it's not too long. Then read it again. Would you hire yourself? If not, revise your cover letter until its perfect! 6 4 5 3 2 1

Marys Cover Letter Mary y

Mary Lee 1234 Any Street, Hometown Tel: 0123 4567 89 Email: mary.market@creativemarketing.com 18th January 2008 Mr. Recruiter Hiring Manager USP Company Hometown XX1234 Dear Mr Recruiter When I read your advertisement for a Senior Project Manager at USP Company, I couldnt help noticing how closely your requirements align with my experience and skills. My enclosed CV provides a good overview of my strengths and achievements, but I list below some of your specific requirements and my applicable skills and achievements. Your Requirements: Business development skills. My skills and achievements: As Account Executive at Creative Marketing Ltd, I exceeded my annual sales target and increased my client base by 70% in the last year.

Ability to build and sustain effective client My customer retention rate was 100%. relationships. Ability to motivate and ensure continuous Some of my new clients were developed following personal development of subordinates. recommendations from existing clients to their business associates. Communication and negotiation skills. During the maternity leave of my line manager, I was given the opportunity to manage the team. I recommended and implemented some new policies (such as 360 degree feedback as part of the annual appraisal process). I received a special bonus award for my efforts during this period. Experience of giving presentations and negotiating to secure business with new clients. I developed a real passion for understanding consumer needs during my two and a half years at Creative Marketing Ltd. Innovative strategies and proposals that differentiated our clients products in the marketplace ensured strong customer satisfaction with our service offering. I would welcome the opportunity to further develop my skills in USP Company, which is a market leader in the sector and renowned for its innovative marketing approach. I will follow up with you in a weeks time to answer any preliminary questions you may have. In the meantime, you are able to contact me on 0123 4567 89. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Enc: CV

Cover Letter
Notes: 1. Include contact details like name, address, contact number and email address. This helps the recruiter know who you are at a glance and how to get in touch with you. 2. Address your cover letter to the person named in the advertisement. 3. Match your skills and abilities to their stated requirements, include examples. 4. Sell yourself. Brag a little! 5. Take the initiative and follow up on your application. 6. Enc: CV is short for Enclosed: Curriculum Vitae. Which means a resume is enclosed with this cover letter. 6. Enc:CVEnclosed:Curriculum Vitae 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Resume
Remember that your resume is a brief account of your qualifications and experiences. You may be perfect for the job, but your resume must look and say the same! Top Tips for writing an amazing resume: 1 Review your history First, make a list of your previous jobs and educational qualifications. This includes company information, certificates, degrees, your job titles and duties, and specific accomplishments. 2 State your objective Include a heading at the beginning of your resume called "Objective" and then write a short statement. Example: "To work in a dynamic marketing department." 3 Duties or accomplishments? A duty is an assigned task. An accomplishment is an achievement - a positive result of your efforts. Brag a little! Cite specific accomplishments. 4 Adjust your grammar Resume writing standards allow for abbreviated sentence construction. Leave out sentence subjects (e.g. I, my manager), possessive pronouns (my/mine, his/hers), and sometimes even articles (the, a). If you're listing more than one accomplishment in a sentence you can replace "and" with a semicolon. Example: "I led an important project and my manager gave me an award" would become "Led key project; awarded by manager."it again. Would you hire yourself? If not, revise your cover letter until its perfect! 1 2 Objective To work in a dynamic marketing department. 3 Duties or accomplishments? Duty Accomplishment 4 (e.g. I, my manager), (my/mine, his/hers) (the, a) "and" "I led an important project and my manager gave me an award" "Led key project; awarded by manager."

Marys Resume Mary y

MARY LEE
PROFILE: An Account Executive with proven ability in attracting and retaining blue-chip clients. Demonstrates a real passion for understanding client needs and developing innovative marketing solutions. Versatile, hard-working and always willing to take on additional roles and responsibilities. Excellent negotiation and creative problem-solving skills. OBJECTIVE: To make significant and tangible contributions to the effectiveness of a leading innovative marketing company. To use and further develop people management skills in a supervisory or co-ordination role. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: Significantly exceeded sales targets every year. Increased client base by 70% in the last year. Successful retention of all existing clients. During maternity leave of line manager, took over the responsibility for managing and motivating the team. Recommended and implemented new policies (e.g. 360 degree feedback as part of the annual appraisal process). Received special bonus award for achievement in this period. Provided training for the team on effective presentation and negotiation skills. This resulted in increase of 50% over 3 months in the conversion rate of leads to contracts.

CAREER HISTORY: Account Executive, Creative Marketing Ltd, November 2003- present Consult with clients on their marketing strategies and objectives. Develop creative, innovative marketing programs and solutions to meet those needs. Ensure client satisfaction and retention. Develop new business.

Marketing Assistant, Creative Marketing Ltd, August 2003 October 2003 Support account executives by preparing presentation materials for clients. Develop ideas for marketing campaigns.

QUALIFICATIONS / EDUCATION: 2000.09-2003.06 1994.09-2000.06 University of Hong Kong Majored in Marketing Communications (Bachelor Degree, Hon.) Good Faith Secondary School Language Skills: English (Fluent), Cantonese (Fluent), Mandarin (Fluent), Spanish (Intermediate) Computer Knowledge: Microsoft Office, Chinese Processing, Photoshop, Illustrator

Part 2

The Interview
Marys winning resume and brilliant cover letter has scored her an interview. Its vital that Mary dresses professionally, and researches the company, but its also crucial she has all the right answers to her Interviewers questions! Do you know how best to answer the most common interview questions? Mary

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Top Tips for a successful interview:

1 Practice answers to potential questions before the interview Draft out questions you may be asked and think about how you would answer each one. 2 Be clear about your strengths prepare specific examples! You say youre a great problem-solver. Prove it with an example of how you overcame a difficult situation at work. 3 List a weakness that you have already overcome Find something you had trouble with before but have since dealt with. Perhaps you were disorganized before but have now learnt to prioritise. 4 Never allow yourself to be badgered about your salary Its okay to give a salary range. Dont be bullied into settling for a package unworthy of your qualifications. 4 3 2 1

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Marys Interview Mary

Interviewer: Why dont you start by telling me about yourself? Mary: Ive got five years of experience in the industry. Im currently an Account Executive for several major clients in my company. Interviewer: Good. What would you say is your greatest strength? Mary: I handle change well. I was asked to be the teams leader when my line manager was on maternity leave. I really enjoyed the challenge of this additional responsibility. I was able to discover how to get the best from the individual members of the team. It also gave me the opportunity to propose and implement changes in the annual appraisal policies for the group. Now we use the process of 360 degree feedback in our appraisal system and the team members feel this makes the process much more objective. Interviewer: And what would you say is your greatest weakness? Mary: Ive had trouble planning in the past, but Ive put a lot of effort to work on this. I now prioritise all my tasks and plan everything ahead. Interviewer: What would your co-workers say about you? Mary: One of my team mates once mentioned that I was the most hardworking person he knows. My other colleagues have also told me that Im an excellent source of feedback and ideas. Interviewer: What would you say motivates you? Mary: Ive always been a conscientious person and I strive to do the very best no matter what position Im in. Of course, Id appreciate some recognition from my superiors from time to time! Interviewer: Okay, thanks for coming in. Well be in touch.

Interviewer Mary Interviewer Mary 360

Interviewer Mary Interviewer Mary Interviewer Mary Interviewer

M a r y

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Part 3

Negotiating for the Job r

Mary has impressed her Hiring Manager with g her excellent answers and has received an offer! s Listen to her negotiate for a salary package alary worthy of her skills and experience. rience. Mary

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Top Tips for negotiating your salary:

1 Research the salaries in your field Do a little market research so you know what to expect 2 Because you deserve it! If youre asking for more than what theyre offering, be sure to make a solid case about how you deserve it. 3 Be flexible - maybe they can give you better benefits Find something you had trouble with before but have since dealt with. Perhaps you were disorganized before but have now learnt to prioritise. 3 2 1

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Mary Negotiates Her Salary Package Mary

Hiring Manager: I enjoyed meeting with you the other day and would like to offer you the position of Senior Project Manager. Mary: Thank you for the offer! I am honoured that you have selected me Hiring Manager: Were happy to offer you a salary of $20,000. The salary package will include an annual Christmas bonus and medical benefits. Mary: Hmmm based on my current salary, I was expecting something a little higher. Hiring Manager: I understand. Unfortunately, that is all Im authorised to offer. What if we gave you more vacation days and a gym membership? Mary: Hmmm Im really interested in the position but Ill need a few days to think it over. Can I let you know my decision on Monday? Hiring Manager: Sure. Lets talk again on Monday.

Mary $20,000 Mary Mary

M a r y

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Part 4

Contract Reading
Mary has successfully negotiated a suitable salary package and is meeting with the Hiring Manager to sign her employment contract. Contract reading can be a difficult task, even for native English speakers. But an understanding of a few key words and phrases can help! Mary

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Top Tips for reading contracts:

1 Take your time Its important that you understand what youre agreeing to, so take as long as you need. 2 Dont be afraid to voice doubt if you have any Speak up if you need further clarification on an issue. Even native English speakers sometimes need help with legalese. 3 If you dont understand it, dont agree to it Never sign your name to anything unless you understand the terms fully. If you still cant understand the terms, seek help from a legal advisor. 4 Never agree to performance requirements that cannot be measured You dont want to get fired for not being good. Look out for measurable performance requirements in your contract and have vague performance requirements explained. 4 1 2 3

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Key terms you need to know:

Party Contracts almost always refer to Party A and Party B. Party means the person or persons forming one side of an agreement. Who is Party A and who is Party B is made clear at the beginning of the contract. Article / clause An article or a clause is a particular statement or point in the contract. People will often refer to them when discussing a contract. For example: Article 4.2 states clearly that you have no right to publish that material. Stipulate This is a verb that means to specify an essential condition. For example: Clause 8.1 stipulates that my client has the right to use the land as he wishes. Condition A condition means anything that is necessary before the performance of something else. For example: You can buy the property on the condition that the money is paid in advance. Legally binding If a contract is legally binding you must obey the rules of the contract or you can be taken to court. Null and void If a contract is null and void the contract has no legal authority. It is therefore useless. Breach of contract If you are accused of breach of contract, a person is claiming you have broken your agreement. This means he/she can take you to court. Party A()Party B() Party Party AParty B

Articleclause Article 4.2 states clearly that you have no right to publish that material. (4.2 ) Clause 8.1 stipulates that my client has the right to use the land as he wishes.(8.1 ) Condition You can buy the property on the condition that the money is paid in advance. ( ) legally binding( ) null and void() breach of contract()

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