This Business English Podcast continues our series on job interviews with a look at another very common type of interview question: stress questions. We call these types of questions “stress questions” because part of the intention is to see how you react under pressure.

Common types of stress questions range from problems, such as how to solve a business case study or even a mathematics question, to “behavioral questions,” such as how to deal with imaginary work situation involving conflict or communication.

The key with this type of question is “Don’t panic!” which is the theme of this episode. We’ll be looking at strategies and language that will help you deal with this type of query coolly and calmly.

Listening Questions

1) What is the interviewer’s “stress question?”

The interviewer asks a behavioral question – i.e. a question meant to help them understand how you react to a particular kind of situation – about how Yala deals with conflict.

2) What does Yala do to give herself some thinking time?

To give herself some thinking time, Yala both clarifies the question and uses a phrase – “Well, just give me a moment to think about that.”

3) How does Yala answer the question?

She says that she was “proactive” in getting the two sides of the dispute to communicate with each other and, as the interviewer follows up on the question, she describes in a logical way the two key actions her company took to prevent future conflict of this kind.

Premium Members		Online activities (Members / Free Trial)
	Podcast	Stress Questions – Listening Quiz
		Stress Questions – Gap-fill Exercise
	Phrase-Cast	Stress Questions – Dialog & Vocabulary
		Stress Questions – Asking for Clarification
	Study Notes	Stress Questions – Thinking Time
		Stress Questions – Making an Additional Point
	Teachers/Groups	Stress Questions – Stress Questions Review
	Email for info	Stress Questions – Useful Vocabulary
		Stress Questions – Flashcards