The Job Interview

Communicating
Technical Skills

Day 4
 QUALIFICATIONS

Technical Skills
Today’s Objective

1. Prepare for interview questions related to qualifications –

technical skills.
2. Get to know English sentence structure, grammar and
vocabulary used in describing qualifications
Questions About Your Experience
When you answer interview questions about something
you’ve done it’s best to use the STAR method (situation,
task, action, result).
• Situation – describe what the situation was.
• Task – describe the task you had to do.
• Action – describe what you did to achieve the task.
• Result – describe the final result.
B. Questions about Technical Skills

5. Questions about your qualifications – educational

background

6. Questions about your work experience

7. Questions about career goals

8. Questions about reasons for hiring you

Tipene Roberts
100 Jubilee Street, Tupelo, Pukekohe 1234 WORK HISTORY
055 555 5555
tipenerobertswork@email.com Potatoland Potato picker
Pukekohe Picked potatoes
2016, 2017, 2018 Weeded potato fields
OBJECTIVE Graded and packed potatoes
Recent school leaver looking for a building apprenticeship.

WORK AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

PERSONAL STATEMENT
Workbuild Ltd Work experience labourer
I’m a mature, fit and positive school leaver wanting to get into the building industry. I’d like to take Auckland Cleaned work environment and made it safe
my NCEA workshop technology skills and my work experience on building sites and apply them to February 2018 Loaded and unloaded trucks and sorted stock
an apprenticeship role. I learn quickly, have good attention to detail and work well in a team. Lifted and nailed frames and sheets for a house

SPCA Volunteer
Pukekohe Cleaned animal cages and dog runs
TECHNICAL SKILLS 2017 Fed animals and walked dogs

Full driver’s licence

Current First Aid Certificate
Site Safety Foundation Passport ACHIEVEMENTS
Microsoft Office skills
Construction and mechanical technologies school award 2017
PERSONAL SKILLS

Willingness to learn INTERESTS

Gateway work experience on building site
Water polo, upcycling old furniture, triathlons, kapa haka
Studied credits towards a New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry while at school
Teamwork
Member of school water polo team REFEREES
Problem solving
Geraldine Eze Stephen Ropati
Competed in New Zealand Engineering Science Competition Building site manager Owner
Workbuild Ltd Potatoland
077 777 7777 088 888 8888
geraldine.eze@workbuild.co.nz stephen.ropati@potatoland.co.nz
EDUCATION

Tupelo High School NCEA Level 2

Pukekohe Subjects: Construction and mechanical
2015-2018 technologies, processing technologies, te reo
Māori, physical education, mathematics
 5. Questions about your qualifications
Technical Skills

Sample questions:

• Tell me about your educational background

• How has your college / school experience prepared
you for a career?
• What was your biggest challenge as a student, and
how did you handle it?
Sample answer:
I just graduated from the ABC University with high honors. I majored in
journalism there, and had the opportunity to write for and edit the school
newspaper. I volunteered to be a tutor at my university’s writing center
during my senior year. We offered free help to all students in their writing.

The biggest challenge for me during college was that I had to work full-time,
around my studies, in order to pay for my college fee. This meant that I
didn’t have a lot of free time at night or on the weekends to do anything
other than study, but it also allowed me to graduate debt-free, with a 3.75
GPA.
Practice

Write a short paragraph telling about your

educational background and your biggest challenges
as a student.
6. Questions about your work experience

Sample questions:

1. Tell me about your work experience?

2. Have you completed any internships?
3. What did you gain from the experience?
Sample answers:
For fresh graduates, describe a part-time job or internship that you have done
previously. Also mentioned what you gained from the experience.

I was a tutor in high school, and then worked each school break during college
as a counselor at Camp Wildwood. It was great being able to work with
elementary school-aged kids while I earned my K-12 teaching credentials.

Yes, last semester I was accepted into an internship program at Phillip Morris
International, which taught me a lot about how to motivate and supervise a
team, control inventory, and create positive customer experiences.
7. Questions about career goals
Sample questions:

• What do you see yourself doing five years from now?

• What are your career goals?

Sample answer:
Within 5 years, I would like to become the best product coordinator in
your company. I want to build my career and become a professional
that people can rely on.

I plan, in five years, to be an acknowledged sales manager and

become one of your top regional salespeople.
Useful grammar:
• Would like to express future aspirations:
I would like to become a Human Resources Manager.
• Future Simple to express future aspirations:
I hope I will hold a high-ranking position in the company.
• Present Continuous to express what you are currently doing
to achieve those goals:
I am currently taking extra field-related courses to enhance my
professional credentials.
8. Questions about hiring you
Sample Questions:
• Why should we hire you?

• Give us a good reason for taking you on.

• Why do you think you are the best person for this
position?
Questions about hiring you
To answer these questions, you need to:
1. Explain your personality that make you an ideal
candidate. Refer to the job qualifications listed on the job
posting.
2. Emphasize your unique skills that make you a strong
candidate.
3. Show the employer what you have accomplished in your
previous roles.
Sample Answers
My previous job working as a receptionist provided me with the ideal
experience for this position. For five years, I developed many of the skills
required for this job, including answering phones and email, processing
payments, and entering data on multiple computer programs.

As I am a fresher, I have theoretical knowledge, but I can work hard and

learn the practical aspects quickly. Moreover, I will make a great effort to
fulfill my duties and responsibilities and contribute to the good progress of
the organization.
 Act III: The Exit
Thanking and Taking Leave
QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK
Candidate (prepare 4 to 5 questions):

1. Is this a new position?

2. What would my duties include?
3. Is travel expected in this job position?
4. What are the prospects for growth and advancement?
5. Can you tell me about the team I will be working with?
Thanking and asking about the next steps

1. At the end of the interview

• Thank the interviewers for their time.

• Ask about the next steps and when you can expect a
response from them.
Sample statements:

• I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to take

part in this job interview.

• When do you expect you will notify selected candidates?

• If I am/were offered the job, when will/would I start?

Post Interview

• Send a thank you note, a follow-up email thanking the

interviewer for their time.
• Think about how the interview went. Consult it with your
teachers or lecturers if necessary.
• Keep up your job search.
Practice
1. Make a video and mention why we should hire you for the job
that you are applying. Remember what you put down on your CV.
2. Explain the personal traits, technical skills or past achievements
that made you a strong candidate for the job. Make it in 3
minutes.
3. Practice it in the class.
4. Your friends will ask you questions.
5. At the end of the day, submit your video recording in the portal.